Selling · Middle Tennessee
How selling actually works
From the first conversation to the closing table, in order, with an honest account of what each step is for. No promises about outcomes, because anybody making those is guessing.
Pricing is the whole ballgame
Everything else on this page matters less than this. A house priced correctly attracts attention in its first two weeks, which is when the most motivated buyers see it. A house priced above the market sits, gets stale, and eventually sells for less than it would have if it had been priced right on day one.
The temptation is to hire whoever tells you the highest number. That agent is not helping you. I would rather give you the honest number and the evidence behind it, and let you decide.
Preparation, in the order that pays
Not every repair returns its cost. The ones that consistently matter are the ones a buyer can see and the ones an inspector will find anyway.
Deep cleaning and decluttering return more than almost any renovation. Paint is the cheapest visible improvement there is. Beyond that, I would rather walk your specific house and tell you what to skip, because the most common way sellers lose money before listing is spending it on the wrong things.
Photography is not a formality
Nearly every buyer sees your house on a screen before they see it in person, and the photographs decide whether they ever do. This is not the place to save money.
Get everything done before the photographer arrives, not after. Photos taken mid-preparation are the ones that stay on the internet for the rest of the listing.
Showings, offers and what to actually compare
The highest number on the page is not always the best offer, and sellers get burned by this regularly.
What matters alongside price is the financing, the size of the earnest money deposit, which contingencies are attached, the proposed closing date, and whether the buyer needs to sell something else first. An offer twenty thousand higher that falls apart in three weeks costs you far more than the twenty thousand.
- Price, and how it compares to what the appraisal is likely to support
- Financing type and whether the pre-approval is underwritten
- Earnest money, which tells you how serious they are
- Inspection, appraisal and financing contingencies
- Timing, and whether it fits when you actually need to move
Inspection and appraisal, the two places deals wobble
After a contract is signed, the buyer inspects and the lender appraises. These are the two points where an agreed deal most often has to be renegotiated.
Having built, I read an inspection report differently than most. When repair requests come back, I can tell you quickly which items are genuine and which are a buyer taking a swing. That conversation is where a deal is saved or lost.
Common questions
What should I fix before listing?
Less than you think, and specifically the things a buyer sees and the things an inspector will find anyway. Cleaning, decluttering and paint outperform most renovations on return. Before you spend on anything larger, let me walk the house. The most common way sellers lose money is spending it in the wrong room.
How long will it take to sell?
That depends on price, condition and where the house is, and anybody who gives you a number without seeing it is guessing. What I can give you is what comparable homes in your specific area have actually been taking recently, which is a real answer rather than a comforting one.
Should I sell before I buy?
It depends on your finances and your tolerance for moving twice, and there is no universally right answer. There are ways to structure it in either order and each carries a different risk. This is worth an hour at your kitchen table before you list anything.
The bottom line
I would rather give you the honest number with the evidence behind it than the flattering one that costs you money in month three.