Wachovia Guide to Selling your Home

Selling your home involves time, energy, and a marketing strategy. We can provide you with advice on getting your house in order so that you can get it sold quickly.

Making the Decision

Before you start seriously looking at buying another home, you may have to put your home on the market. Weigh your options and assess your reasons for a making a move. Are you being transferred? Needing a larger home? If you want to have a smaller mortgage payment, you may want to consider refinancing if the current rates are lower than your fixed rate.

Preparing to Sell

As a seller, you have several factors to consider regarding the sale and marketing of your home. You can choose to sell your home “By Owner,” you could choose to work with a real estate professional, or you could do a combination of the two by using an Internet based realty company to help you with the sale.

Timing

If you’re not pressed to move right away, research when the market is most productive for your area. Generally, the home sales season starts to heat up in March and goes throughout the summer, but your area may be different if you live near a major city or vacation spot.

Compare Sales

Do your homework. Check around to see what other homes are selling for in your neighborhood. The rule of thumb is to look at the recent home sales within the last six months. If you live in a subdivision or community, it’s a little easier to get an idea of your home’s value and expected days on the market. See if you can access the sales data online with your county tax records. Most states and counties are working toward updating and storing their records online.

Proper Pricing

Sure you want to make as much as you can on the sale of your home, but be careful not to price yourself out of the market. Think of your home as another product that people want to buy. For instance, if you were trying to sell your car and make it stand out on the car lot, what would attract buyers? Low price and low miles—the same is true with your home. The newer you can make your home appear and the more competitive you can be with your asking price, the greater your chances are of a quick sale. It’s all in the marketing.

Know Your Neighborhood

We’ve all heard that “location” is key to home sales. When you’re putting your home on the market include the attractive features of your neighborhood on any advertising flyers. Buyers are interested in your area schools, amenities, shopping centers, and distances to cities and airports. Don’t assume that all the buyers who come to see your home know the selling features of the area—tell them.

The information provided in this Web site is not intended to be nor should it be construed as tax or legal advice. As with any tax planning matter or strategy, please consult with your attorney and/or tax advisor.

Mortgage loans are originated by Wachovia Mortgage, FSB, and are subject to credit approval, verification and collateral evaluation. Products are not available in all states and are subject to change without notice. Certain restrictions apply.

Banking and financial services offered by Wachovia Bank, National Association and its affiliates. See specific product pages for details.

Equal Housing logo