Complete guide · Sell
The Complete Home Seller Guide
A start-to-finish seller's guide — what to fix, how to price, how to evaluate offers, and what actually comes out of your proceeds.
Fact-checked and reviewed by a licensed real estate broker by Lauren Meineke. Read our content review process.
A sale is largely decided before the listing goes live. Condition, price, and presentation do most of the work, and all three are decisions you control.
This guide covers the sequence from eight weeks out to closing day, with links to the detail behind each stage.
01 Decide on timing and know your number
Before anything else, work out what you would net at several plausible prices. That figure determines whether selling now makes sense at all.
- Request a mortgage payoff quote, not your statement balance
- Estimate commission, transfer taxes, title, and concessions
- Decide whether you are selling before, after, or simultaneously with a purchase
- Understand your capital gains position before you list
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02 Choose an agent, or decide how you will sell
Interview two or three. Compare marketing plans, comparable sales analysis, and communication style — not just the fee.
- Ask for the last ten listings they took and what happened to each
- Understand exactly what the fee includes and how buyer-side compensation is handled
- Confirm the listing agreement length and cancellation terms
- Ask what they would change about the house before listing
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03 Prepare the house
Decluttering, small repairs, and cleaning have the highest return of anything a seller does — and none of them are renovations.
- Remove roughly a third of furniture and closet contents
- Fix every small visible defect; buyers extrapolate from them
- Deep clean, including windows, grout, and appliance interiors
- Address odor at the source rather than masking it
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04 Stage and photograph
Buyers see photographs before anything else. Staging and photography are the same project.
- Define a clear purpose for every room
- Match bulb color temperature throughout
- Clear counters and personal items entirely
- Hire a professional photographer; include a floor plan
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05 Price with a strategy
The first two weeks are when the largest audience sees your home. Pricing above market spends that window on the wrong buyers.
- Work from closed sales in the last 90 days, adjusted for differences
- Price just under round search brackets
- Plan in advance what you will do if two weeks pass without offers
- Reduce once and meaningfully rather than repeatedly in small steps
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06 Manage showings and evaluate offers
Compare offers on net proceeds, financing strength, and certainty — not on the headline number.
- Keep the home showing-ready daily and leave for every showing
- Verify preapproval strength and proof of funds
- Weigh appraisal gap coverage, contingency length, and closing flexibility
- Treat every offer consistently
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07 Survive inspection and appraisal
Nearly every inspection produces a request. How you respond determines whether the deal holds.
- Provide clear access to attic, crawl space, panel, and water heater
- Answer with credits rather than blanket repairs where you can
- Prepare an improvement list with dates and costs for the appraiser
- Know your options if the appraisal comes in low
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08 Close and move on
The last two weeks are logistics: repairs, utilities, movers, and paperwork.
- Complete agreed repairs and keep receipts
- Cancel or transfer utilities for the day after closing
- Leave manuals, warranties, paint, and spare keys
- Cancel homeowners insurance only after the transfer records
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Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do when selling a house?
Work out your net proceeds at several plausible prices. Everything else — timing, pricing, whether to sell at all — follows from that number.
How long does it take to sell a house?
Three to five weeks of preparation, then two to eight weeks on market in a balanced market, then 30 to 45 days to close.
Should I renovate before selling?
Rarely. Fix what is broken and clean, paint, and stage. Large renovations seldom return their cost at sale.