Knowing that you’re ready to sell your home and actually listing it for sale are two different things – with the latter action often being delayed by your desire to find the perfect time to move.
“But actually,” says Gerhard Kotzé, the new managing director of the RealNet estate agency group, “it is unlikely that such a moment will ever arrive, because property markets are constantly shifting, so you need a different approach to decide whether selling now would be a good decision for you, your family and your finances.”
The following, he says, are some of the most important factors to consider and questions to answer before you decide to sell:
*Why are you thinking of selling? Perhaps you need to move for work, move to a smaller home before retirement, or to a bigger home to accommodate your family. All are good reasons to sell, but if you’re just considering a change of scene, selling your home might be a bit drastic.
*Are you emotionally ready to sell? It’s often hard to detach from your home because of the associated memories, especially if you have lived there a long time. But that’s what needs to happen before you list, or you may well find yourself wavering half-way through the selling process.
*Probably the most important part of the selling process, is planning for all the possible scenarios and outcomes that could arise when putting your property on the market, such as not finding a buyer, or receiving multiple offers, or even receiving a great offer on the first day.
*Are your finances in order? You need to know how much you still owe the bank, for example, and whether you have enough equity in your property to cover the deposit on a new one. You should check your credit score and find out if you will qualify for a new home loan. And you should also ask your agent to list the various fees involved in selling your home.
*Is the market favourable? It pays to be aware of buyer demand or lack of demand, so you can pick a period of strong demand when your home is likely to sell more easily.
