How to Sell Your House: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Make Repairs and Upgrades

If your home is in rough condition, you'll be able to make a better first impression with buyers by making some repairs. Even minor fixes, such as touching up the paint, repairing a leak or sprucing up the landscaping, can improve your home's cosmetic appearance.

In some cases, it could even make sense to make some upgrades to the home. In particular, focus on improvements that add the most value, such as installing a new roof or jazzing up the kitchen or bathrooms.

Before you make any significant improvements, however, be sure to read up on the return on investment. While you want to entice buyers, you also want to avoid spending too much money you can't recoup in the sale.

Source: Journal of Light Construction's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report

Learn more: Things Not to Do When Selling a House

2. Choose a Real Estate Agent

As you're gearing up to list your home, it's a good time to start looking for a good real estate agent. Here are some ways you can find a good agent:

• Get referrals from a trusted source. Ask family members and friends for referrals or search the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) database. If you're asking people in your circle, make sure they've worked with the agent they recommend and can talk about their experience.
• Check online reviews. As you compare different agents, check for online reviews to see if you can get a fuller picture of what your experience might look like.
• Interview each agent. With each agent you're considering, ask questions about their experience, credentials, understanding of the local market and referrals. You'll also want to learn about fees, availability and potential conflicts of interest.

Should You List Your Home for Sale By Owner?

You can choose to work with a real estate agent or try to sell the home on your own—also known as for sale by owner (FSBO). Just 6% of home sales were FSBO in 2024, according to the NAR.

An FSBO sale can save you some money because you won't have to pay a commission to a selling agent, which often costs 3% of the selling price. On a $500,000 home, for instance, that's $15,000 in savings.

That said, FSBO homes also tend to sell for less—in 2024, the median sale price for all FSBO homes was $380,000, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That's compared to $435,000 for homes sold with an agent's help, a 14% difference in sale price.

Also note that if you sell without an agent, you'll still often need to pay the buyer's agent commission. Additionally, selling a home on your own can be a lot of work, and you may not have the same resources that an agent can provide, including access to the multiple listing service (MLS).

3. Set a Competitive Price

The value of your home depends on several factors, such as its condition, your neighborhood, local supply and demand and the time of year. If you're working with a real estate agent, they'll perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) to zero in on a listing price.

A CMA involves looking at comparable properties of similar age and size in a roughly half-mile radius that have recently sold or been listed.

If you're planning to do FSBO, some steps you can take to set a competitive price include:

• Look at current listings. Check local listings for comparable homes nearby to get a sense for what the sellers are asking. You'll want to consider listings that are active and pending contracts.
• Review expired listings. Look at expired and withdrawn listings of comparable homes to get some insights into how the pricing stacks up against your analysis of sold and active listings. If the prices are more aggressive, it can help you temper yours.
• Request an appraisal. A licensed appraiser can provide an independent valuation based on current market data and property condition, adding credibility to your pricing strategy.
• Evaluate the home's condition. Look at your home's condition relative to comparable homes. Homes that are move-in ready can command higher prices, while needed repairs or an outdated look may require price adjustments.
• Consider a pre-listing inspection. Also, while a pre-listing inspection isn't required, it can be a good way to better understand the condition of your home and anticipate potential problems that may arise during the negotiation process with buyers.

Learn more: What Are Real Estate Comps?

4. Prepare the Home for Sale

As previously mentioned, you'll want to make some minor repairs to take care of cosmetic issues that could be a problem for potential buyers.

Here are some other things you can do to get your home ready for sale.

Declutter

You'll want to make your home look as neutral as possible so buyers can envision themselves living in your home. To make that happen, you'll want to get rid of any clutter and personal items, such as family photos, that could be distracting.

Depending on how much you need to remove from the home, it may be worth renting storage space on a short-term basis.

Stage the Home

The staging process is the next step in setting up your home to be a neutral space for prospective buyers. This may include rearranging furniture or even bringing in new furnishings.

If you're working with an agent, they may provide staging as a service. If you're selling on your own, it may be worth hiring a professional staging company to avoid having to buy new furnishings you may not use again.

Take Professional Photos

Before a prospective buyer sets foot anywhere near your home, their first impression will be the listing photos.

As much as you might want to save money, this is an area where professional work is a must. If you aren't working with a real estate agent who can get professional photos taken, hire a photographer to ensure you get the best possible results.

You may even consider doing a virtual tour, which allows buyers to get an even better sense of what your home is like than the pictures.

5. Prepare for Showings

After you've prepped the home for sale, your agent will list it on the MLS. The MLS is a database of properties that licensed real estate agents use to advertise properties for sale to a wide audience.

As you start receiving calls and emails about showings, you or your agent will need to set up appointments with potential buyers. If you're working with an agent, you'll typically need to be out of the home during showings.

To create great first impressions during walkthroughs, you'll want to keep the home as clean as possible. Do a daily cleaning, keep personal items packed away, clear clutter from surfaces and leave the lights turned up to make showings comfortable for potential buyers.

Note that if you're selling the home yourself, you'll need to be present to guide buyers and answer any questions they may have.

Tip: If your home is FSBO, you may be able to pay a real estate brokerage a flat fee to list your home on the MLS on your behalf. Other ways to market a FSBO home include posting to social media, putting up signs around your neighborhood or placing advertisements in local newspapers and magazines.

6. Review Offers

As you start receiving offers from prospective buyers, review each one carefully to determine the best bid. Here are some things to pay attention to:

• Offer price: Compare the offer to your asking price and the home's appraised or market value. A high offer may be tempting, but if it exceeds market value, it could fall apart at appraisal.
• Financing: Check to see if the buyer has been preapproved for a mortgage loan and what their financing looks like. If you receive a cash offer, ask for proof of funds.
• Contingencies: A contingency allows a buyer to back out of a contract if certain conditions aren't met. Financing, appraisal, inspection and title contingencies are common, but you may experience delays if the buyer wants a home sale contingency—meaning they must sell their home before your deal can go through.
• Earnest money: Also known as a good faith deposit, earnest money can indicate how serious an offer is. It's effectively a deposit that compensates the seller if the buyer backs out of the deal for a reason unrelated to contingencies. If the sale goes through, it counts toward the buyer's down payment and closing costs. It's usually between 1% and 3% of the sales price, but higher deposits can minimize some of the risk for the seller.
• Closing timeline: Consider whether the proposed closing date aligns with your schedule. A quick close may be ideal, but you may need more time to move.

7. Negotiate Terms

Once you've reviewed all of your offers, choose one and start the process to put the home under contract. This may involve negotiating the terms of their offer.

Working with a real estate agent is a good way to maximize the sale price for your home. However, if you're working on your own, here are some things to pay attention to:

• Bid price: Make sure the offer price is in line with your home's value and your goals. While an offer far above the asking price is nice, make sure the buyer has the flexibility to proceed if the appraisal comes in lower.
• Contingencies: Review the contingencies again and consider asking if the buyer is willing to forego some of them that don't align with your goals.
• Concessions: The buyer may ask for seller concessions, which involve you paying certain closing costs or other expenses on their behalf. Concessions can help you sell your home quickly, especially in a buyer's market. However, in a seller's market, you may have more leverage to exclude them in your counteroffer.
• Timeline: Pay attention to the proposed closing date and possession timeline. Consider whether it aligns with your moving plans and whether the buyer is flexible if things change.
• Deadline: As you submit your counteroffer, set a deadline for the buyer to respond—usually one or two weeks. You won't be able to consider any other offers during this period, but it allows you to move on if the buyer doesn't meet the deadline.

8. Prepare for Closing

Once you're under contract, you'll start preparing for closing. If the buyer has an appraisal and inspection contingency, further negotiations may be required, especially if the appraisal comes in low or the inspection reveals potential issues that didn't come up in your seller's disclosure.

Other steps you can take to prepare for closing include:

• Make necessary repairs. If you agree to make certain repairs, you'll need to complete them before your closing date.
• Deep clean the home. You can either clean the home by yourself or hire a cleaning service. Either way, you'll want the home to be in great condition when the buyer is ready to move in.
• Gather documents. Collect owner's manuals, warranties and receipts for home appliances and other items you plan to leave behind.
• Notify your utility companies. If you know the date you'll be moving out, notify the utility companies to turn off service, so you won't be charged.

What to Bring to Closing

As you near your closing date, make sure you have everything you need for the meeting, including:

• Two forms of identification
• Home keys and security codes
• Cashier's check or wire transfer confirmation for closing costs (if you agreed to seller concessions)
• Proof of repairs
• Checkbook for any unforeseen expenses

Learn more: The Complete Guide to Closing on a House

9. Plan Your Move

Throughout the selling process, it's important to be planning your move ahead of time. If you're buying a home, you may need to juggle both the selling and buying process at the same time. Here are some steps you can take:

• Find a place to live. Whether you're planning to buy or rent your next residence, it's important to start researching options early in the process.
• Prepack as much as possible. As you prepare your home for staging, that can be a good time to start packing up nonessentials, such as seasonal decorations, books and other decor.
• Find movers. If you're planning to hire a moving service, shop around and compare offers from multiple companies well in advance, especially if you're moving during the peak summer season.
• Give yourself some flexibility. Try to negotiate a closing date that works with your moving timeline. In some cases, it may make sense to request a leaseback agreement, which allows you to rent the home from the buyer after closing for a predetermined period, giving you more time to complete your move.
• Have a backup plan in place. Sales can be delayed, so have a contingency plan in case your closing is postponed. This might include temporary storage and short-term housing options.

Learn more: How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Selling a home can be a grueling process, but with careful planning and the right strategy, you can simplify the process and walk away with the best possible outcome. From pricing your home competitively to preparing for closing day, each step plays a role in attracting the right buyer and maximizing your profits.

Whether you're working with a real estate agent or going the FSBO route, staying organized, informed and proactive is the key.