If you are looking for guidance on how to sell a house in California, then you have come to the right place. The California real estate market is booming in the US. As per the data shared by Redfin, the real estate website, the prices of the property in the city rose by 30% recently. You also need to know that the total number of homes that were available for sale declined by 36%.
The same report also shares that the average days on market or DOM were found to be 21 days. Knowing the data will help you understand how prime and dynamic California real estate market is! So, to know how to sell your house in California, here provide you with a detailed process of selling a house in California.
Selling the house on your own in California
When you begin selling a house in California, you broadly have two routes. One option is to stick to the For Sale By Owner or FSBO and the other option is to work with top real estate agents. There are no laws in the state of California that make it mandatory for homeowners to sell their property involving a real estate agent. Some people work with real estate brokers during the process of selling a house in California while some may not.
Selling a house as-is in California may need you to incur some costs to make the property ready. This cost may include the things like landscaping, home staging, marketing, painting, remodeling, cleaning, etc.
Though a real estate agent helps you navigate the entire home sale process with ease and takes care of all the complexities of selling a house, you may also sell your property independently without needing the realtor’s services. You can search for where can I list my house for sale by owner for free.
Here is why selling your home without a realtor must be considered a good option:
- The biggest advantage of not needing a realtor is that you can save a lot of commission or fee that you would give to the realtor for closing the sale deal. The real estate agents usually charge a commission of around 6% of the sale price. So, if your home is sold at $500,000, you will have to pay as much as $30,000 in commission. If you go ahead without an agent, you can save this money
- Since you must be familiar with your house as well as your locality, you will know more about your house and area than the realtor at times. So, you can market the property better than a realtor. You can narrate your experiences and memories to the buyer and know what to do to catch their interest.
- When you sell the house by yourself, you have all the freedom to steer the control of the sale process. You can set the price as per you want while a real estate agent may suggest to you a home price that may be difficult for the buyer.
How to sell a house in California without a realtor? Steps by Step
To know how to sell a house in California, here is a step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Price the Home
Setting the right price for the home is crucial for the sellers. To get an idea of what your home is worth, you can view comparable listings or real estate comps in your locality. Find recently sold homes in your area, similar to your home having the same size, features, age of construction, number of rooms, and amenities. Then set the price of the home accordingly.
Step 2: Listing Description
Once you know the price, now comes the time to draft a listing description that will go on the MLS. The listing description should be such that it captures the attention of potential buyers. You need to write the details such as the listing price, highlight the best features of the home, upgrades done to your home, school districts, amenities present in the area, etc.
Step 3: Take professional images of the home
A photo is worth a lot. It can actually push the prices of the properties up. The description of the listing must be accompanied by professional and high-quality photos that showcase the best parts of your home. Take a good smartphone or high-resolution digital camera to click pictures in good lighting.
Step 4: Advertise your home
To start with, you can keep the FSBO sign in the front yard of the home. Also, add your phone number to it so that potential buyers can get in touch with you. You can start things like property showings and advertising information. You can advertise your home on listing sites too such as Houzeo, Zillow, Trulia, FSBO.com, etc. Houzeo reviews are one of the best, hence consider listing on it.
Step 5: Arrange the Paperwork
Once you find a buyer, then begin the closing process by arranging all the paperwork and keeping the documents ready. While selling a house in California, you may need the documents such as 2 types of ID, a closing statement, a copy of the purchase agreement, a Signed Deed, other addendums, a Bill of sale, an Affidavit of title, a California transfer disclosure statement, Natural hazard disclosure report, and other legally binding agreements.
Step 6: Know the Laws
You need to know California Laws for selling a home to ensure that all the legal requirements for selling a house in California are met. Here are the procedures to ensure a smooth real estate transaction and prevent any case of legal liability.
- As per Civil Code 1102, California sellers need to disclose everything in a Transfer Disclosure Statement about their home so that the buyer’s decision of purchasing the home is right
- Sellers also need to present a hazard disclosure statement in which they need to disclose if their property is in an earthquake zone or in a neighborhood that has forest fire risk, in a flood-prone area, etc.
- There are taxes on selling a house in California which is called the transfer tax. When property moves from the seller to the buyer, then it needs complete paperwork to be filed with the local government. The statement of ownership and transfer tax details must be mentioned clearly. You can have a word with the buyer on who will bear the cost of the tax.
This was all about how to sell a house in California. Selling a house will become an easier process for you if you use a Flat MLS listing. Houzeo reviews share that the sellers were able to sell the home efficiently due to the MLS listing. You can also consider that option.
