A handy guide to sell your house

The sale of a house requires a lot of energy and expertise: you can do it yourself, if you have a lot of time to devote and are willing to pay attention to even the smallest detail.

Are you ready? We know, you can’t wait to meet the new owner of your house, but you’ll have to be very patient. Keep reading to find out our recommendations.

Step 1: Collect and check the documents for the sale.

Gather all the paperwork and study them. Preliminary checks are essential to make sure the house can actually be sold. The most important documents are:

  • deed of sale (rogito originale or atto di provenienza in Italian);
  • cadastral surveying (visura catastale storica in Italian);
  • cadastral plan (planimetria catastale in Italian);
  • energy performance certificate (attestato di certificazione energetica in Italian);
  • housing code inspection reports (certificazione degli impianti in Italian).

If you don’t have all the necessary documents you will have to get them, because they are the first thing the buyer’s notary will ask to see. If you have done some renovations or filed for building amnesty, you should also collect the papers relating to all the building permits. You also need the condominium rules, the report of the most recent meetings and, before the deed, the condominium administrator’s statement that you are in good standing.

Do not underestimate this aspect because if hidden defects or anomalies pop up in the final phase of negotiations, they could create big problems (and disappointments!).

Step 2: Set the price

Now that you have verified that your house can be sold, you can decide the asking price. To find out the exact number you need to take into account the neighborhood and what similar properties sold for.

The price is not what you want to get but how much the buyers are willing to pay.

Step 3: The marketing strategy

  1. Define your buyer profile;
  2. determine your home’s strengths and weaknesses;
  3. choose the right marketing channels to let people know about your home;
  4. stage your home to make it more appealing to prospective buyers;
  5. always have a photo shoot, whether a DIY or a professional one;
  6. write an ad that highlights the reasons for choosing your home;
  7. if you are able to, invest in targeted social media campaigns.

Step 4: Manage viewings

Now you’re all set and at any moment the phone may ring or an email may arrive, so the next steps are:

  • answer call and emails and make appointments;
  • welcome prospective buyers, show them the house, answer their questions;
  • provide all the necessary information;
  • in case of an offer, put the information and agreements in writing (e.g. the amount of the deposit).

A very important step is to being able to understand if the person who will come to view your house has what it takes to buy it and if your house can be adapted to their needs and budget.

Selling your house on your own is possible, as long as you want to do it. If, on the other hand, you have other things to think about, we can take care of everything.

Give us a call or send us an email.