5 Things To Expect After Listing Your House

You’ve decided to sell your home, congrats! But now what? There are a few things that will be happening in the days and weeks to follow. Here are 5 things to be aware of after you’ve listed your house for sale.

1. For sale sign/realtor lockbox/listing

Now that you are selling your home, your realtor will comprise a listing to be published online and possibly in your local paper. In order to provide potential buyers with accurate information, your realtor will need details of your property. Important things to include are things such as the age of the roof and furnace/air conditioning unit, any new renovations or upgrades and unique features that will aid in the sale.

Once your listing goes live you will also notice a new lawn ornament pop up. Your “For Sale” sign will be on display to catch the attention of passerbyers.

Your realtor will also attach a lockbox to your front door or area of your property in order to allow themselves access to your property for showings, inspections, etc.

2. Clean & Declutter

It’s important to get your house in order so that it is in the best possible condition to sell. Having a clean and clutter free house will go a long way when showing to potential buyers. It is also important to have a limited amount of personal decor such as pictures, as it will help those interested in your property be able to visualize themselves living there. A good tip would be to pre-pack extra belongings in order to showcase your home with minimal distraction. Having light, neutral colours and clean sightlines will help the space appear big and open.

3. Small repairs

We all have those small projects that are on our to-do list but never seem to get done. Well now is the time to tackle them! Touching up paint, fixing trim, and hanging the curtains will help increase the aesthetic appeal. Also, fixing a leaky faucet or squeaky door will ensure not to detract attention from your home. Small updates such as door handles or light fixtures can freshen up a room and help things appear “new”.

4. Showings/Open houses

Having to keep a clean and tidy house is quite the undertaking for many people selling their home. After all, you do still live there. Keeping on top of the chores will allow for last-minute showings for those interested in the property. Many people enlist the help of cleaners during their listing period to help alleviate some of the added stress.

Once your realtor has set up a showing, you will arrange a time and leave the house in order for the interested buyers to walk through the property. Allowing for the realtors to bring through prospective purchasers in an empty house will help them feel more comfortable as they analyze the home.

Your realtor may also host an open house while your property is listed. This will be a set time for interested people and other realtors to pop by and take a quick peek at the property. Your real estate agent will be there to show visitors around and answer questions/address concerns.

5. Offers

Finally, the last stage of the listing process will be going over and reviewing offers. Hopefully, you will have more than one offer presented and potentially even a bidding war. If this is the case, your real estate agent will meet with you and go over all the offers and you will choose which one you will accept. "If you are presented with a single offer you may want to send back a counter-offer to negotiate a different price or terms of the agreement," says Greg Covell, a real estate agent in Maple Ridge. Regardless of the situation, your realtor will be there to assist you during the whole process, working to sell your home at the best possible price.

Team Forster is part of a fully accredited real estate brokerage regulated by the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). We adhere to the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, government guidelines and statutes, and a strict code of ethics.

We know the London, St. Thomas, and surrounding communities and their real estate markets. Let Team Forster guide you through the buying process so you can find a home you cherish. Our team of real estate professionals lives and work in the area and we know real estate.