How to Sell a House

How Much It Costs, How Long It Takes, and More!

Selling a house requires finding a buyer, but there is much more to it than that. When you're selling a house, you have decisions to make, including whether to get professional help, how to prepare your home for sale, how to decide on a price, and more.

While it can feel overwhelming, this guide will explain some important steps to selling a house so you can go into your home sale prepared and ready.

Steps to Selling a House

The process of selling a house takes time and effort.

The home sale process can be broken down into eight steps. Completing them can help your home sale go off without a hitch.

Step 1: Decide Whether to Use an Agent or Sell by Owner (FSBO)

You can sell your home yourself, in which case it is considered a For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) sale, or you can hire a professional real estate agent.

The first step in selling a house is to decide if you need professional help or not, which will affect the entire process.

There are pros and cons to both FSBO and working with an agent.

• With a real estate agent:

  Working with an agent allows you to get professional advice and benefit from the agent's expertise. The agent can list your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and offer insight into how to price your home for sale. Your agent can also guide you through reviewing offers. The downside is the cost. The standard cost is 3% of the sale price to your agent, with another 3% going to a buyer's agent, however, this is not set in stone and can be negotiated.

• Without a real estate agent:

  Working without an agent means you have complete control, but also more responsibility. You will have to prepare, price, and market your home yourself and negotiate the deal on your own. However, you won't have to pay fees for an agent. Be sure to carefully consider the pros and cons of FSBO homes before going this route.

Step 2: Prepare Your Home for Sale

Getting your home ready is key to selling a house quickly. If your home shows at its best, you are more likely to find a buyer. Here are a few steps to take to ensure your home is market-ready.

• Clean up and clean out your home before you put it on the market.

  Buyers will look at every room of your house, including bathrooms, closets, basements, attics, and garages, as well as the lawn and landscaping.

• Make decorative changes.

  Remove family photographs and other personal possessions from view so potential buyers can more easily imagine themselves living in your house. This is often called staging your home.

• Consider making improvements

  that might help you sell your home more quickly or for more money. New paint and new carpeting are two relatively inexpensive improvements your agent might recommend.

Curb appeal matters, and making your home as attractive as it can be is important when selling.

Step 3: Consider Getting a Pre-Sale Home Inspection

A home inspection identifies problems with your home, including issues with the roof and structure, electric and plumbing systems, heating and cooling systems, and more.

Since buyers often make their offers contingent on the results of a home inspection, knowing what problems an inspection might find and fixing them before you put your house on the market can make it easier to sell your home.

Step 4: Consider Getting Professional Photographs Taken

Nearly every buyer today looks at homes online when deciding which ones to visit. Your online listing photos are your best chance to make a positive impression and convince a potential buyer to come to your home.

Getting professional photos taken can showcase your house at its best. Photographers may even use drones to take pictures from different angles to help entice buyers.

Step 5: Set the Right Price for Your Home

Setting the right price for your home is essential. Ideally, you'll want to get the most money you can from selling your home without setting the price so high that it discourages buyers.

One way to set the price for your home is to look at the sale price of comparable properties, also known as real estate comps.

Comparable properties are homes similar to yours in terms of size and features, located in your community that have sold in the recent past. Many real estate agents look at sales for the previous 12 months to determine a price for your home that is based on its fair market value.

Step 6: List Your Home for Sale

Once you have completed the steps above, you’re finally ready to list your home for sale and announce to potential buyers that your house is on the market. If you’re working with an agent, they’ll manage the details of listing your home for you.

Step 7: Review Offers and Negotiate

Once you list your home, you’ll hopefully receive offers to buy it. Offers from potential buyers will include the price they’re willing to pay, as well as earnest money or a "good faith deposit" and a proposed closing date.

Offers may also include contingencies, which are conditions that need to be met before the buyer completes the purchase. The buyer may also provide documents, such as a prequalification letter from their lender, demonstrating they can afford to buy your home.

Review all details and decide which offer looks right for you. Don’t be afraid to negotiate or propose a counteroffer if there are parts of a bid you’d like to improve. Your real estate agent can help you manage these negotiations.

Step 8: Get Ready to Close the Sale of Your Home

Once you’ve accepted an offer on your home, it’s time to get ready for closing.

This means preparing to pay any closing costs that are your responsibility. You'll also need to complete and gather any necessary documents such as the purchase contract, mortgage documents, property title report, homeowner association documents, property deed, tax and insurance information, and so on.

Your real estate agent can help you get ready for closing. You might consider hiring a real estate attorney to help, particularly if you are selling your home without the help of an agent, and/or if you live in an “attorney-closing state”. You should double-check whether your state in which the real estate transaction is occurring requires an attorney for real estate closing transactions.

Some states do require an attorney for real estate closings, including Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Vermont, and West Virginia.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

Selling your home is not free. In fact, it can be very expensive. However, figuring out exactly how much it costs to sell a home will require looking at the details of your transaction. Many factors affect how much you'll need to pay, such as:

• Staging, or preparing your home by decluttering, rearranging, and adding or removing furniture
• Real estate commissions, which can add up to as much as 6% split between the buyer and seller's agent
• Home repairs if your home isn't in good condition to list or if the buyer demands repairs as a condition of the sale
• Pro-rated property taxes for the portion of the year when you owned the home
• Title transfer fees and title insurance fees, which are sometimes paid by buyers and sometimes by sellers

There could also be other costs, depending on the situation. For example, sometimes buyers negotiate with you to pay a portion of their closing costs. Or you may decide to pay for a home warranty for the new buyer as a negotiating tool.

You will receive closing disclosures that tell you how much you owe at closing. The money usually comes out of the proceeds of the sale.

Legal Requirements and Disclosures for Selling a House

When you’re selling a home, you must follow all legal requirements in your area. This includes disclosing certain information about the home. The rules for real estate disclosures vary by jurisdiction, but some of the requirements for real estate disclosures could include:

• Damages to home systems
• Encumbrances such as liens on the property
• HOA rules, regulations and fees

If you’re aware of a material fact about the house that a buyer wouldn't be aware of, but that could affect their decision to buy the house, you typically must disclose it.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a House?

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, it took an average of 31 to 52 days to sell a house in the United States in a 2024 report.

Remember, though, these are just averages. Many factors affect how long it will take to sell your house including the home's:

• Location
• Condition
• Price
• Property tax costs

If you want to sell your home quickly, make sure the price is competitive and that the curb appeal is as strong as possible.

Process of Selling a House FAQs

If you still want to know more, here are some additional details about the process of selling a house.

How Can You Sell a House Fast?

Marketing the home effectively is a good start to get it in front of as many buyers as possible. You'll also want to improve curb appeal to make the home more appealing. Finally, set a competitive price as buyers will act more quickly if they think they are getting a deal.

What’s the Best Time of Year To Sell a Home?

Traditionally the spring season is the best time of year to sell a home. This opens access to a wide pool of potential buyers as families look to move before the start of a school year. Spring is also a nicer time for potential buyers to look at houses compared with house-hunting in the winter season.

What Adds the Most Value When Selling a House?

Improving curb appeal by refreshing the landscaping and paint can be low-cost ways to add value. If you are interested in doing major home improvements, remodeling kitchens and baths usually provides the best return on investment compared with other home improvement projects.

Final Tips for How To Sell a House

Now you understand the details of how to sell a house. Check out our homeseller toolkit to learn more and to maximize your chances of quickly finding a buyer who is willing to pay a fair price.