Selling Simply

A calm, clear overview of selling your home without the overwhelm.

Maybe you're not sure you're ready to say goodbye to your house yet. Or maybe you'd hand over the keys tomorrow if you could. Either way, selling brings up a lot of questions, and most of the sellers I sit down with ask me the same ones.

This guide puts those answers in one place, so you can come back to it whenever something new pops up.

The four stages of a sale

I break every sale into four stages, and each one only has a couple of jobs:

• Prepare it: you and I meet, then the house gets cleaned, decluttered and freshened up.
• Advertise it: set the price and put the marketing plan to work.
• Show it: open the doors to buyers and work through any offers.
• Sell it: get under contract, get through inspections and the appraisal, and close.

Pricing is where it starts

I price a home with a comparative market analysis. That means looking at recent sales of similar homes, homes under contract and homes listed in your price range, then comparing size, style, age, condition, lot, location and features. And two numbers sellers often ask about don't carry much weight: the tax assessor's value, and the automatic estimates on big real estate websites, which work from broad data instead of your actual house.

So should you price it high just to see what happens? I don't recommend it. A price above market value usually means more time on the market, and the longer a listing sits, the less appealing it looks. It can also lead to an appraisal that doesn't support the contract price. Pricing at market value keeps things cleaner: buyers and agents recognize a fair price, and your home shows up in more of the right searches.

Showings and disclosures

You set the ground rules for showings, like which days and hours work and how much notice you want. Homes usually show best when the owner is out. A lockbox lets buyers' agents get in, and it logs every time it's opened.

With disclosures, upfront is always better. Buyers have the right to inspect, so known issues with the roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and air, foundation or property lines belong on the seller's disclosure. Fix what you can before listing and factor the rest into the price.

The free guide covers commissions, marketing, incentives and the rest of my most-asked seller questions.

Common questions about selling a home

Is the highest offer always the best one?

Not always. With multiple offers, I look at the whole package: cash or financing, the loan type and down payment, the earnest money, and the inspection terms, which say a lot about how committed a buyer is.

What happens if the appraisal comes in below the contract price?

You go back to the negotiating table. The price, the terms or both can be adjusted until buyer and seller agree. You never have to lower your price, but working it out is often smarter, since a second appraisal could land in the same place.

When is the best time to sell?

Whenever it works for your life. If you're flexible, spring tends to bring more buyers along with more competing listings, while fall and the holidays bring buyers who want to move before the new year.