From prepping your property for sale to moving into your next home, here are the basic steps of selling a house.

If buying a house wins the crown for “Most Difficult Adult Thing You’ve Ever Done,” then selling a house must be runner-up.

Completing a home sale can require a lot of time, planning, paperwork and yes, money. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting it done. We'll start with a quick overview, then dig deeper.

How to sell your house: The basics

  1. Prepare your home for sale. Real estate pros call this “staging,” but it can mean a simple decluttering, or perhaps giving your walls a fresh coat of paint.

  2. Analyze your market. Do you live in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? What are comparable homes in your area selling for?

  3. Determine whether you need a real estate agent. Some sellers start out listing their home for sale by owner and then use an agent if they’re unsuccessful.

  4. Set a competitive price. You want to determine what you’ll net from the sale, accounting for marketing, closing costs and possible broker commissions.

  5. Market your property. From magazine-quality photos to a compelling listing description, you want your home to make a great impression from day one.

  6. Get ready to negotiate. This is where a good real estate agent can really add value. A tough negotiator can make a thousands-of-dollars difference.

  7. Prepare for the closing. You may have contingencies to deal with, as well as repairs identified by the home inspection.

  8. Plan your move. There may not be much time to celebrate your sale as you box up your belongings and relocate.

1. Prepare your home for sale

Teeing up your home for sale might be the most important part of the process. From enhancing your curb appeal to decluttering, make a commitment to set aside sentimentality and focus on maximizing your home’s marketability. Family photos should be boxed up, walls may need painting, and that cushy-but-worn recliner might have to be retired.

Professional stagers help prepare a home for sale for a fee, and the results can be dramatic. Pros will often remove half the furniture in a home to make it appear larger. The International Association of Home Staging Professionals says such services can dramatically reduce a home’s time on the market — and that staged homes can sell for as much as 20% more than nonstaged homes.

2. Analyze your market

In the meantime, taking an objective view of your local real estate market will help you manage your expectations, as well as price and market your home properly. In a seller’s market, you might expect multiple bids above your opening listing price. But in a buyer’s market, you may have to discount your asking price.

Gathering information on recently sold homes — otherwise known as comps — can help you get a ballpark price. Look at homes that are as similar to yours as possible in terms of age, style, location and size. Homes that are currently for sale won't give you as reliable a picture as sold homes, since the asking price isn't necessarily the final price.

3. Determine whether you need a real estate agent

While the temptation to sell the house yourself may be strong, sometimes an objective voice can make a real difference. Whether you hire an agent or go the for-sale-by-owner route, you’ll want honest feedback along the way regarding your proposed price, how well the house will show and other matters involving the sale.

Just showing the house yourself can be awkward, especially hearing candid — and sometimes painful — comments about your home.

A listing agent will provide you with a comparative market analysis (serious comps!). Their local market knowledge can also be a major advantage. An experienced real estate agent will guide you away from making rookie mistakes.

If you have the time, marketing savvy and people skills, a FSBO transaction may be for you. But if you decide to hire a real estate agent, interview at least three contenders to find the right fit.

4. Set a competitive price

When determining the list price of your home, give yourself a little cushion for negotiation, unless you live in a hot seller’s market. But don’t overprice your property. Generally, the longer your house stays on the market, the less you’ll get.

There also will be some expenses, including a broker’s commission of 5% to 6%, to deduct from the proceeds of the sale.

Even if you go it alone without an agent, you’ll have marketing expenses (signs, flyers, listing costs, photography, etc.) and any closing costs that you're willing to offer in order to motivate potential buyers.

5. Market your property

You’ve probably noticed homes that have a little extra sizzle in their online listings, with photography that really pops and descriptions that are easy to read yet packed with info.

National Association of Realtors data from 2020 found that of home buyers searching online, 89% found photos very useful. Detailed written information came in a close second, with 86% of buyers finding it very useful. And these days, it's really all about online listings. The same NAR data found that 43% of buyers looked at online listings before even contacting a real estate agent.

The value of professional-quality photography cannot be overstated. After all, the featured photo on your online listing could very well be a buyer's first impression of your home.