Mallory Pendell will perform a comparative market analysis (CMA), finding similar homes in your neighborhood that have recently sold or are listed for sale. The CMA is the starting point to determine your home’s market value.

Make the home presentable. Give the entire house a thorough cleaning and make small repairs. Scrub the bathrooms, get rid of grime in the kitchen, and mop the floors. Patch holes in walls, change burned-out lightbulbs, and repair broken appliances. Paint walls a neutral color, which makes rooms seem bigger. Declutter by putting away family photos and personal items.

On average, a house takes between 55 and 70 days to sell. That’s about a month on the market and 30 to 45 days for closing. But many factors will impact the actual amount of time, such as current market conditions, the time of year, the condition of your home, and how the buyer is financing the purchase.

The final amount depends on many factors, but in general, you can expect about 90–92% of the sale price.

As the seller, you’ll be responsible for paying your agent and the commission of the buyer’s agent through your sale profits. You won’t need to worry about writing personal checks or making fund transfers to pay, because a closing agent will handle the distribution of funds when you close. They hold money from the buyer in an escrow account and will use it to pay everyone, including your agent.