Sell Your House

Pre-listing preparation, agent vs FSBO analysis, staging, photography, managing showings, and evaluating offers — from first decision to signed contract.

Pre-List Prep

• Walk every room with fresh eyes and note repairs that will appear in a buyer's inspection report — fix squeaky doors, dripping faucets, and broken grout now
• Hire a pre-listing home inspector for $300–$500 — fixing known issues before listing prevents price reductions and failed deals
• Deep clean every surface including inside appliances, inside cabinets, and the garage
• Repaint walls in neutral colors if you have bold colors — Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter or similar warm greige is broadly appealing
• Boost curb appeal: trim hedges, edge the lawn, mulch beds, plant seasonal annuals, and power-wash the driveway

Agent vs FSBO

• Interview 3 agents — ask for a comparative market analysis (CMA), their recent sales in your area, and their specific marketing plan for your home
• FSBO (For Sale By Owner) saves the 2.5–3% listing agent commission but requires you to handle marketing, showings, contracts, and negotiations
• If going FSBO, list on the MLS through a flat-fee MLS service (Houzeo or similar) — access to MLS is critical for buyer agent discovery

Staging & Photography

• Depersonalize: remove family photos, religious items, and political materials so buyers can imagine their own life in the space
• Remove 30–50% of furniture from each room — less furniture makes spaces appear larger
• Hire a professional real estate photographer — listings with professional photos sell 32% faster than those with phone photos (per Redfin data)
• Schedule photography for a bright mid-morning or midday with all lights on and curtains open

Pricing

• Price based on your agent's CMA, not Zillow's Zestimate — Zestimates have a median error rate of 3–7% and can be wrong by tens of thousands of dollars
• Avoid round-number pricing — $524,900 gets more search hits than $525,000 because buyers often set search ceilings at round numbers

Showings

• Accept all showing requests during the first 2 weeks — broad exposure builds competitive offer situations
• Vacate the home during showings — buyers don't speak freely when sellers are present, which limits their emotional connection to the home

Offers

• Evaluate offers on more than price: contingencies, financing type (cash vs conventional vs FHA), earnest money amount, and proposed closing date
• Cash offers are worth a slight price discount — they eliminate financing risk and often close in 2 weeks instead of 45 days
• Counter any offer with an escalation clause — it automatically increases the price in increments above competing offers up to your ceiling