Selling Your Home Checklist

So you’re thinking about selling your home! Fortunately, the team at Hero Loan has plenty of experience working with buyers and sellers on the housing market. You may not be an expert, but you don’t have to be; with our checklist for selling your home, you have all the necessary information in front of you. All you need to worry about is signing on those dotted lines. 

Making the Decision to Sell Your Home

The first item to check off your list is whether or not to sell. Maybe you’ve been looking to move for a while, or maybe there are new financial reasons in play. If money is the impetus, you may want or need to downgrade to something cheaper, or you may have finally reached a point where you have the capital to upgrade to an even dreamier dream home. 

Or perhaps the situation is out of your hands and you have to move for work, a deployment, or to be closer to a family member in need. In any of these cases, it might not seem like you have a lot of choice in the matter — but just because you have to leave doesn’t mean you have to sell.

Before putting your house on the market, consider some of the questions below to decide whether or not you want to hold on to your property. 

• Are you emotionally ready to let go? This can be a big issue, and ultimately you and your family are the only ones who can answer it. When it comes to your home, the attachments you form can be long-lasting and difficult to sever. When your house has become a home, it can be hard to find something new.
• Is this a good time of year to sell? Depending on the market, this can be a tricky one to answer, but in general you will increase your chances of a quick sale if you list your house at the right time of year. This will vary depending on your location, but generally spring is the best time to sell.
• How are your finances? Do you have home equity? Have you eliminated your debt? Can you afford to buy a new home that will better fit your needs and dreams? Owning a home is a strong start, and if you’ve been able to consistently set aside money and pay your mortgage without any trouble, you may just be ready for an upgrade! 

Before the Sale

Okay, so you’re convinced to sell. You’ve gone over the dollars and cents, you’ve come up with a plan, and you’ve decided that selling is the best move for you. As with any major decision, though, choosing your course of action is just the first step. There are still a handful of important practical things to make sure you have taken care of. 

• Do you have a good real estate agent? It’s okay if the answer is “no” to start with, but when it comes time to sell your house, you’ll need more help than a For Sale sign in your yard can give you. A real estate agent will make sure the right people see your house so you get the best price. 
• Do you have somewhere to go? You may not need to address this issue right away, but it can make the process a lot less stressful. Reach out to realtors and lending agents so you can start the purchase process for your next home and make sure there won’t be any delays in your transition between houses. 

During the Sale

Now that your bags are packed and you’ve brought in professional help, you’re in the home stretch! In order to make sure your house sells quickly, focus on the following best practices to make sure everything goes smoothly. 

• Does your house sparkle? Once it comes time for an appraisal, you may need to do further work on your house, but in general you want to make sure it’s in good shape to start. Make sure repairs are up to date, and if you are able to clear out most of your belongings, that can help prospective buyers imagine themselves in the space. 
• How is it presented? No amount of cleaning will matter if the pictures in your listing don’t look good. Invest in professional photography help so that your house is beautiful in the eyes of all beholders! 
• Is the price right? A lot of your selling strategy will come down to what is important to you. Do you need to sell quickly, or can you wait to get the best price? Identify your priorities, talk things over with your agent, and plan accordingly. 

Hero Loan Is Here to Help 

If you’ve looked at the checklist for selling your home and answered yes to most or all of the criteria, Hero Loan is here to help you through the next steps in the process. Our expert team is dedicated to meeting the needs of veterans, whether that’s providing insight to sell your existing home or securing your financing for the new home you move into. 

At Hero Loan we appreciate how members of our military have served their country, and we are committed to serving them in return. Whether that means investing in veteran-owned businesses, hiring former military service members, or continuing to expand our own base of operations to help a broader market of veterans get into new homes, we are here for you and your family. 

We take pride in listening to your individual situation so we can respond with specific advice — and quickly, so that you can get into your new home as soon as possible. To find out more, contact us to talk to a loan expert today!