5 Steps You Must Take Before Selling a House in Ohio

If you’re planning to sell your house in Ohio, there’s good news: Redfin reports that home prices in the state rose by 8.6% from November 2023 to November 2024. Even though the market is strong, you still need to put in some work and plan to get the best price for your house. To get your house ready to sell, follow these five steps.

1. Understand the Market

To sell your home successfully, you need to know what’s happening in the local real estate market. Things like location, the time of year, and the overall economy all affect how quickly homes sell and at what price. Here’s how you can get a better sense of the market:

Check Online Listings: Websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin can help you see what homes in your area are selling for. Look for houses similar to yours in terms of size, location, and features to get a feel for how your home compares.

Work with a Real Estate Agent: A knowledgeable local agent can provide valuable insights about your home’s value. So that you can set a good price, they will look at recent sales and market trends. Plus, real estate agents know what buyers want and can help you make your home more appealing.

Pay Attention to Timing: Always keep in mind that spring and summer are best times to sell because more people are looking. If you can, try to list your home during these busy times to get more attention. The warm weather, longer days, and end of the school year make these times of the year especially appealing to families who want to move. With nicer grounds and more natural light, this time of year also makes homes look better. That said, you also look at selling trends at other times of the year and decide on the right selling time.

Understanding market conditions helps you set realistic expectations and develop a competitive pricing strategy.

2. Prepare Your Home

Your house should be in the greatest possible state before you list it. A house that is well taken care of not only attracts buyers, but it also makes it more likely that you will get multiple offers.

Declutter and Clean: Get rid of extra furniture, clutter, and personal items to make your home look bigger and better. Put away family photos, trinkets, and other personal things to make the space look like a clean canvas where buyers can imagine their own life. Sort shelves, cabinets, and pantries to make the best use of the room you have.
Make Repairs: Fix things like cracked tiles, chipped paint, or taps that leak. These little things could make buyers think the house hasn’t been taken care of. People will be more likely to buy your house if you fix these small problems. It shows that you care about it. You could make bigger fixes if you need to, like updating old appliances, fixing a broken roof, or updating an old HVAC system.
Enhance Curb Appeal: The way your house looks is the first thing people see, and in some cases, it can make or break a deal. So, curb charm is a big part of getting people to buy something. Regularly mow the grass, trim any bushes that are getting too big, and pick up any trash. You could add seasonal flowers to your garden beds and cover them with new mulch.
Stage Your Home: Putting together furniture and decorations to show off the best parts of your home during an open house session is called staging. This approach can involve carefully arranging furniture to maximize space, including neutral decor to appeal to a broad audience, and improving lighting to make spaces seem brighter and more friendly.

3. Determine the Right Price

Attracting buyers and getting a good sale depend on your home being properly priced. While underpricing could leave money on the table, overpricing can discourage possible purchasers.

Use a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA): A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) looks at your home along with similar recently sold homes in your area. It does this by looking at things like square space, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot size, and any unique features your home may have. It offers a comprehensive picture of the market value of your house right now
Consider a Professional Appraisal: Hiring a licensed appraiser can give you an unbiased valuation of your home’s worth. By using objective criteria such as market trends, similar sales, and property condition, hiring a qualified appraiser can provide you an unbiased estimate of the value of your house.
Be Flexible: Your first asking price for your house is not permanent or irreversible. If you are not getting an expected level of response, you should review and change the price. This change should consider the present situation of the real estate market as well as the insightful comments of possible buyers.

A home that is priced correctly gets more interest, which usually means that it sells faster and with more bids.

4. Hire the Right Professionals

It takes more than one person to sell a house. A group of pros work together to make it happen. Here are professionals you need to hire in your team:

Real Estate Agent: The best way to sell your home will depend on how much it’s worth, how buyers usually behave, and how well you know your area. A competent real estate agent will help you get serious buyers interested in your home by making it look its best.
Home Inspector: A pre-listing check is one thing you can do to make sure there are no problems with your house before you put it on the market. Hiring a certified home inspection to carefully look over your property will help you find problems like structural damage, electrical problems, plumbing issues, or old appliances that buyers might not notice when they do their own checks.
Real Estate Attorney: In Ohio, you don’t have to have a real estate lawyer to sell your home, but they can be very helpful during the process. A good lawyer will look over contracts to make sure that all of the terms are fair, legally binding, and easy to understand. They can warn you about legal risks you might not be aware of, such as unclear rules or words that could hurt you in the future.
Professional Photographer: Most people who are looking for a house start their search online, so the pictures you use will be the main thing they see when they first look at your home. Professional shooters can take pictures that are clear and look good. They are skilled at using editing tools, lighting, and angles to give your home a nice, well-kept look that can attract buyers.

Hiring the right people makes the selling process go more smoothly and lowers the risk of making mistakes that cost a lot of money.

5. Prepare for the Closing Process

The closing step starts when you accept an offer. This is the last step in the process, and if you carefully plan for it, you can avoid delays and problems.

Review the Purchase Agreement: Before signing any deal related to selling a home, you should carefully read it and make sure you fully understand what it says. Pay special attention to contingency conditions. Spend some time also looking over the part on closing expenses.

Disclose Property Details: Salespeople under Ohio law must fill out a Residential Property Disclosure Form, a legal document including comprehensive information about the state of the sold real estate. You need to disclose any flaws of the property you know of in this document. Be honest and thorough to avoid legal disputes later.
Coordinate with the Title Company: The title company greatly affects the home-selling process by means of management of the ownership transfer from the seller to the buyer. Their main job is to make sure that the land’s title is clear, which means that there are no legal disputes or claims that could stop the sale.
Prepare Necessary Documents: Before you go, make sure you have all the papers you need. You can speed up the closing process by making sure all the necessary paperwork is in order and easy to find. If some paperwork is missing or not complete, they could cause delays.
Be Ready for Inspections and Appraisals: Buyers often arrange a home inspection and an appraisal during the closing process to make sure the property is in good shape and that its value fits the purchase price.

By staying organized and proactive, you can ensure a successful closing and transition to the next chapter of your life.

Final Thoughts

You need to make a specific plan and pay close attention to every detail if you want to sell your Ohio home. Find out about the market, get your house ready, set the right price, hire the right people, and get ready for the close to improve your chances of making a sale. These five steps will not only make the process easier, but they will also help you get the best result.

Last Updated: January 2025