A Step-by-Step First Time Seller’s Guide
Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.
Step 1: Understand Why You’re Selling
What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.
Step 2: Determine Selling Price
Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.
Step 3: Start Preparations
If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.
Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy
I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.
Step 5: Evaluate Offers
Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.
Step 6: Accept an Offer
Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.
Step 7: Get Ready to Close
You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.
Step 8: Close
You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.
Congratulations!
Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.
What Our Clients Are Saying
Success Stories
From the initial contact to the listing of our home, only several days had passed. In those few days, our home was staged beautifully, professional photographs were taken, a beautiful listing was created, and a weekend open house was scheduled. The open house was extremely well attended with excellent feedback. The house was marketed so well in fact, we received multiple offers on our home, all above the list price. We were able to accept a great offer that was 10% above the listing! Kip moved the process along quickly, closely adhering to our timeline, which was imperative in order to move out of state due to a work transfer. Kip handled a few minor hiccups (on the part of the buyer) very calmly and professionally. We closed on time, as promised, and could not be happier with the end result. We would highly recommend working with Kip and Tamara when buying or selling a home. They are both extremely knowledgeable of every facet of real estate. We never doubted their expertise at any point throughout the process and it could not have been easier. They even tolerated and worked around our 3 yippy Chihuahuas!”
— Ashley & Jackie
Kip was our real estate agent for both buying and selling our home. On the selling side, he and his wife Tamara offered us helpful suggestions on how to get our home ready for showing. They provided some much need artwork to the walls and some decor to add to the ambiance. It really gave our place a much-needed makeover. He always kept us updated on any activity via email and over the phone. As our daughter was 8 months old at the time, he respected our provided windows of time when the showing was acceptable and scheduled open houses on the weekend so we didn’t have to be gone all day for multiple appointments. He never pressured us to sell for less than what we thought we deserved and provided insight that led to the sale of our property at a higher dollar amount than we thought possible since other units in our complex had sold for less. On the buying side, Kip was always available to show us homes and meet us at open houses. He was our advocate and fought for us every step of the way. His knowledge base and network far surpassed our expectations and we were able to purchase our dream house in a competitive market at list price with an FHA loan and closed in 35 days at Christmas time. We will recommend him to anyone looking for a Realtor® in our area and we are so thankful he was recommended to us.
Kelly & Amanda R.
We just bought our first home with the help of Kip! Kip was an awesome advisor throughout the entire process right from advising on mortgage approval preparedness till the handover of keys to the home. He helped demystify the entire process which helped us greatly with focusing on what we need in a home rather than worrying about the technical details of the home buying process. Kip helped us evaluate the homes we were visiting giving details about the community, schools, general build quality of the home, estimates of how much it would cost to renovate as per our needs, market trends, etc. He was diligent with the documentation trail he took time to explain all important terms and conditions over phone calls; he too reviewed the home disclosure documents and pointed out any gotchas. He worked with the loan and escrow officers to make sure the loan closed as per the timelines. While Kip advised us a lot on various things, he always gave us the freedom to make the ultimate decision on whether to go for a specific home he did not force on us his opinions nor did he suggest a specific price to make an offer at. He presented us with the facts and let us make the final call. All in all, Kip is thoroughly professional, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. We strongly recommend him as a buyer’s agent.
— Buyer
In addition to being a pleasure to work with, Kip was incredibly proactive in every aspect of bringing our house to the market. He coordinated all the inspections and contract work prior to our open house which allowed my wife and me to focus more on getting ready for the big move across the country. The bottom line is that we were very fortunate to have Kip as our Realtor®. My wife and I agree that his years of experience in real estate, coupled with his understanding of changing market conditions, allowed us to achieve our goal of maximizing the amount of money we got for our home. The fact that he was also awesome to work with was an added bonus. If we had to sell or buy a house in the Bay Area again, there’s no doubt Kip would be our first stop. Now, if only we could find a Realtor® as good as Kip in Michigan.
— Conor & Liane E.
We worked with Kip and Tamara Barnard to sell our home in Willow Glen in June/July of 2013. From the start, we got excellent service and were really pleased that we’d decided to go with Kip and Tamara. The time that we were preparing the home for the market, and when it was on the market, I was extremely busy at work but Kip really helped make the whole process as easy as possible. Every single time I called him, through the entire process, he picked up his phone so even when I was busy there was no playing phone tag with Kip. Tamara worked to stage the house, helping us get the space looking great so it would get multiple offers. We did get multiple offers and ended up selling our home for over $50,000 more than we’d listed it for, going into contract less than a week after listing. Also, Kip is a broker and has a thorough understanding of what happens between going into a contract and closing the deal. He helped us work around some of the issues our home had, such as a pre-existing non-permitted addition, that could have been an issue when it came to getting appraisals.
— Corinne & Matt
When my husband and I decided to sell our home in Santa Clara we immediately thought of Kip and Tamara. A few years prior, they helped us with a property evaluation when we were looking for an equity line and wanted to know our market value. They did such an excellent job then that we knew they would be the people to represent us in our community. As expected, Kip jumped into action and prepared an incredible marketing plan. Photographers, online, print media, everyone was very professional and did a great job. As a result, the property went on the market (in the Fall, no less) and sold within 5 days! Kip and Tamara continued their dedication to the property, ordered all the necessary inspections, and had everyone needed to finish off the sale. We closed, without incident, in 30 days, and was probably the easiest sale David and I have ever gone through. We couldn’t wait to refer Kip and Tamara to our neighbors who were also considering selling their homes. Thank you team, it was really a joy working with you!
— David & Sali F.
Kip Barnard came to my rescue after my mother passed away and I needed to sell her San Jose home. In addition to being knowledgeable about the listing and sales process, Kip handled all of the repairs and upgrades that were necessary to get the house in shape so we could count on a good price. Being an out-of-town owner, it was particularly valuable to have Kip as my agent he took care of so many details for me and kept me informed at every step in the process, without drama or confusion. I don’t know what I would have done without Kip on my side. Most importantly, Kip helped me set the right price for my home, which resulted in a quick and very satisfying sale from my perspective everything went smoothly and Kip’s recommendations and strategy turned out to be just right. I can recommend Kip enthusiastically and without hesitation. He made a difficult process for me run smoothly and by the book.
— Patty G.
We have used Kip and Tam to stage and sell two houses for us in the last decade. Tamera set up the house beautifully and advised us on how to declutter and make the house appealing to the most diverse set of potential buyers. Kip patiently guided us through the many steps of selling the house and was basically available 7 days a week for late-night questions and advice. When there were roadblocks Kip was very effective in getting the process moving again. When adjustments needed to be made to make the property competitive in the market Kip was frank with but did not pressure us and gave us space to make our own decision. I heartily recommend Kip and Tam for your real estate needs.
— Evan W.
Kip was incredible! He helped me sell my family home recently in San Jose and I am not local. He kept me updated throughout the process with phone calls, emails. He gave me confidence in his capability to complete this very difficult task. He is very professional, kind, and understanding. From his web marketing, the showings to the collaboration with the buyer’s broker to close the sale were impeccable. I would highly recommend Kip to anyone looking for a top broker to sell their home. I am very fortunate to have had the pleasure of using his expertise in selling my family home.
— Hilda T.
Kip and Tamara were awesome! I was very stressed having to sell my home (and not wanting to), going through a divorce, and trying to find a place to live. I’m sure I wasn’t easy to work with, but Kip and Tamara were so understanding. The whole process went extremely smooth, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It all happened so fast and everything fell into place. The house sold in less than 30 days with multiple offers above our asking price. I would recommend Kip and Tamara to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.
— Audrey B.
Kip and Tamara sold my home in San Jose within just a few short months after I had moved to a new state. From my first meeting with them until after the sale of my home, they were always professional, courteous, and extremely knowledgeable. I always felt in good hands while I was still in San Jose and while working with them long distance after I had moved out of state. They made selling my home long-distance easy for me. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants to sell their home quickly and for a great price.
— Laurie B.
Kip and Tamara were excellent partners in the sale of our condo. They were both extremely responsive and proactive at every step of the process. It’s the first time I’ve sold property and they did a great job of taking care of all our concerns. We trusted them on their pricing strategy and they got us way over our asking price! I’m sure that was due in no small part to the excellent staging they did of our condo. The place looked amazing. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again and I recommend them highly.
— Seller
Kip managed to put our house on the market and arrange for an open house in just one day! He negotiated a great price from multiple offers and sold our house in 4 days for $40,000 above the asking price. He kept us informed throughout the whole process and was always extremely helpful. We were very pleased with Kip’s high level of expertise and professionalism in all aspects of real estate sales. We highly recommend him to anyone who is planning to sell their home.
— Gisella & Tom
I highly recommend Kip and Tamara for your real estate needs. They helped us sell the home we were in and buy a larger home in a great school district. We bought the larger home via a short sale. It was a new experience for us since we had to deal with the seller’s bank(s) but Kip was a calming influence as he guided us through the process and Tamara did a great job staging our home to sell. We will definitely use them again!
— Evan & Karen W.
Kip and Tamara have this process figured out. They helped us every step of the way keeping us calm when needed and hopeful when appropriate. They got us exactly what we wanted for our home and then Kip helped to find us our new home before it was even officially on the market. I found selling and buying to be a bit stressful but they certainly minimized the impact and allowed us to even enjoy it a bit!
— Adam & Annie P.
We had a great home buying experience with Tam and Kip. Scheduling tours was never an issue. Tam is responsive and always finds time in her schedule to answer our questions and help us with anything we need. Once, Kip and Tam even helped us in writing an offer while they were on vacation. Very professional and nice to work with. I definitely recommend Tam and Kip for your real estate needs.
— Sanath M.
Tamara and Kip were absolutely a pleasure to work with and highly knowledgeable! We couldn’t have asked for more of a professional team to work with. Every question was answered, every problem was solved. They put their all into our home sale. What more could you ask for a Realtor® team? Nothing. They were the best. I absolutely recommend them!
— Kristen T.
My wife and I have had a very pleasant experience dealing with Kip. They made the process seamless and pleasant always informing us of what to expect. Excellent service.
— Claude J.