Sample Timeline for Selling Your Home
If you’re thinking about selling your home, you’re likely wondering just how long it will take. When do you start? HOW do you start?
Like most big tasks in life, selling goes smoother when you start early. Even though some people are able to list their home in just days, the truth is that unless you have to sell your home immediately (e.g. you just got a job in another city and need to start in a week!), most people take months and sometimes even years to go from thinking about sale, to a completed transaction.
The following sample timeline walks you through the steps involved in selling a home, and gives a suggestion for the time you should allot to each one.
Preparing to sell: what to do, when
12 months before listing your home
Meet with a realtor
This is one of the first steps because putting a meeting with a realtor first will save you a lot of time (and potentially money) down the road. This is because your realtor can give you a sense of what your home is likely to sell for on today’s market. But more importantly, how to best prepare your home to get the maximum return. This can include which repairs and upgrades to perform, which items to pack away, etc.
They can also provide you with recommended service providers, from contractors to HVAC to home inspectors and home stagers and beyond, so you can start shopping for quotes and building a better idea of how much it may cost to get your home market-ready.
Start taking photos of property exterior
Although spring and fall are the most popular times to list a home, sometimes you’re selling in the dead of winter. When you live in an area like London, Ontario, where it tends to get snowy and cold, the ground cover can prevent potential buyers from understanding the true splendour of your property throughout the seasons. That’s why I always recommend gathering as many beautiful photos of your property throughout the seasons as possible. These are often displayed in photo albums left on display at home showings/open houses.
Get quotes and meet contractors/suppliers for any updates and upgrades you hope to make
Once you’ve met with your realtor and have a sense of the priority work that you need to take on, now’s the time to start calling around to obtain quotes from any service providers you’d like to use (for anything you don’t want to DIY). Giving yourself some time to gather quotes can save you a lot of money, as you’re not in a rush or desperate to simply find the first provider that’s available.
Start gathering and organizing paperwork
What kind of paperwork do you need to sell your home?
Well, at a bare minimum, you’ll need your deed and info on any mortgage you may hold. However, other documents, like information on home upgrades, maintenance and repairs, as well as warranties on this work can go a long way when it comes to making your home attractive on the market. Check out Getting Ready to Sell: 5 Documents to Gather Now (plus I’ve included a downloadable home seller’s documentation checklist too)
Make a plan for where you’ll go next
This is perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of planning to sell: looking forward to the next phase. Granted, not all home sales are happy events, but quite often, selling can offer closure and be a catalyst to a new beginning.
If you’re looking to sell your current house and buy a new property, it’s worth it to refamiliarise yourself with the process of buying a home.
6 months before listing your home
Start decluttering
Six months in advance of selling may seem early to start decluttering, but I’m a fan of ‘slow and steady wins’ the race when it comes to tackling the monumental task of going through everything you own.
Note: You may wish to start this earlier if you've been in your home for many years or decades.
Book contractors for maintenance/repairs and upgrades
By this time, you should have received a few quotes and have a good sense of which repairs, upgrades and maintenance you’ll be prioritizing to make your home sale go smoothly. Because this type of work often comes with delays, such as those on materials or available labourers, it’s recommended to get this work done far in advance so that you’re not stressing about renos getting completed at the same time as staging your home.
So if you haven’t already, now is the time to ensure you’ve booked the work and that there’s plenty of time on the schedule to get it completed.
3 months before listing your house
Meet with your chosen realtor
If you’ve interviewed a few realtors over the past months and have found someone that connects with you as the right fit, now is the time to welcome them back and sign a listing agreement (if you haven’t already).
This is also another opportunity for the realtor to complete a walk through of your home and review any progress that’s been made since the last visit. You can expect to get similar information as the last time (listing price, suggestions on how to best prep the home for sale, etc). However, now you may also start talking about listing timelines (e.g. scheduling photography, when the listing will go live, open houses etc), what info on the home and neighbourhood should go on the listing and more.
Things are starting to get real!
P.s. If you’re still on the fence on which realtor to choose and comparing realtor fees, I’ve made a free realtor fee calculator for you to use. Plus, on that same page I also do a deep dive on the value you’re getting for those fees (and where they go!).
Enquire with home staging companies
Home staging is an expense, and as such, many home owners can feel leery about investing in it. However, there is research that points to home staging as offering an incredible advantage to home sales, including:
Homes that are staged sell faster.
Homes that are staged sell for more.
Plus, staging doesn’t have to be for your whole home. Home stagers can offer services to cover a few key rooms (likely the primary bedroom, living room, bath and kitchen). And if your style supports it, many home stagers can use much of your own furniture and decor, supplemented with other materials and rentals in order to make your home aesthetic pop.
It’s worth it to get a few quotes!
Tackle deferred home maintenance
If you’ve been waiting to (dreading, avoiding etc) get around to cleaning your gutters, trimming the hedges, recaulking that tub or more, now is the time to step up to the plate and tackle that deferred maintenance.
Continue decluttering and begin depersonalizing your home
In the coming month or two, it will be time for professional photos and videos of your home. Pat yourself on the back for all of the decluttering you’ve done over the past
Continue to assemble paperwork
Enough said. Hopefully, you’ve been organised with your paperwork over time and aren’t storing all your utility bills in a reusable bag like we do in our family!
Repaint rooms. Lighten and brighten your home.
1 month before listing your house
Move bulky/unused items and furniture into storage
Your realtor and/or home stager would have given you advice on this already. Paring down furniture is one way to make your home feel lighter and more spacious. Now is the time to begin moving those items into storage.
Home should be decluttered, depersonalized and ready for staging
You’ve done all the hard work. It’s been intense, but it’s all been leading up to this moment. You did it!
Boost curb appeal
Tidy up your exterior and add welcoming touches. Clean or replace your lighting fixtures, update rusty house numbers/mailbox, add a welcome mat, and some greenery/a planter.
Be ready for professional photos/videos to be taken
Usually, your realtor will arrange and pay for professional photos and videos. Somewhere between one month to one week away from listing is usually when this happens. The key is to be ready with a decluttered, well-maintained and/or a well-staged home so that these photos will entice prospective buyers to want to see the home in person.
1 week before listing your house
Safely store away valuables in anticipation of beginning home viewing appointments.
Make a plan for where you will go during home viewings & arrange for care of any pets as well
Pat yourself on the back - preparing was a lot of work!
Tidy up any loose ends and complete any preparation tasks that you haven't been able to complete yet
Ensure that you have a plan for self care during this exciting but stressful and possibly emotional time!
Day of listing
Share the listing with friends, family and social network if you feel comfortable doing so
Be open to answering questions from interested buyers, and lean on your agent for any questions/concerns that you may have too
Remember to keep home neat and tidy for potential viewings. Keep cleaning supplies near, and have fresh flowers and scented candles on hand for ambiance (if desired).
What happens after your house listing goes live?
You’ve just spent a lot of time preparing your property to become an attractive product on the local market. Hopefully, this means that your house sale will move quickly. Throughout 2020 to 2024 in London, Ontario, ‘quick’ has tended to be anything between days to just over a month or so on the market. It’s good to set expectations of what the average is, so make sure to ask your realtor about the latest market stats and trends.
Generally, after listing your home, you should be preparing for:
Private showings
Open houses
Meetings with your realtor to review feedback on the home from prospective buyers
Offers, negotiations and (hopefully!) a firm sale
Your own home search (if you haven’t secured the next home/place to live yet)
Questions?
If you’re looking to sell your home in the Ontario market, feel free to reach out and contact me at any time.
Happy house selling!
P.s. You may also find this free downloadable, printable moving checklist helpful too.
