When Should I Sell My House in New York?

A Timeline for Selling Your Home in Texas

In the best circumstances, selling your home isn't something you do in a rush. It calls for planning and preparation. But if you're like most homeowners, you probably aren't sure exactly where to start. Try following these steps:

• Now

• Before listing

• Listing day and beyond

Now

1: Pick a date

Assuming you don't have to get across country for a new job next month, you should first decide when you want to sell. The world is full of advice about the best and worst times to sell. All too often it's contradictory.

Do you listen to the sage advice that says "Don't list in December - no one buys houses in December!" Or do you trust the counterargument, "But no one lists houses in December - you'll have the market to yourself!" How about neither?The Zillow Owner Dashboard tells you which month is the best to list a house, based on analysis of thousands of home sales in your area. So check out your dashboard and, if you can, aim to list at your optimum month.

Two months before listing

2: Research your local market

Again, the Owner Dashboard can help by giving you some basic comparable properties to look at. Start getting a ballpark price in mind. You can even explore a Make Me Move price to get a feel for your market and target price. Visit some open houses and get ideas fo staging and what's for sale near you.

Six weeks before listing

3: Consider hiring an agent

If you are hiring a real estate agent to handle your listing, start interviewing candidates now. Don't just pick someone who sent you a postcard. Ask friends and family for recommendations and research agent reviews. Once you find someone you feel comfortable and confident with, you can sign a listing agreement and start working out a marketing plan. Discuss any additional fixes or remodeling work the agent believes will pay off.

4: Get your house ready

Start sprucing the place up. Paint (or at least wash) interior walls. Fix any cosmetic or functional items that will turn off buyers. Be brutally honest with yourself.

This probably isn't the time to do an extensive kitchen remodel, but if you have cabinets that don't close

One month before listing

5: Start moving out - really

If you can, get a storage pod or unit and start packing up, a little at a time. Not only will this help you with the eventual move, but a home that isn't overloaded with furniture and personal items just shows better. If you've been using rooms for storage, time to move the storage offsite. Pack up as many personal items as you can. Those wedding pictures on the wall may look great but potential buyers will want to envision their own wedding pictures up there, not yours.

Talk with your neighbors about your plans. Not only is it nice to give them a heads up that you're leaving, but they can help market the property. They may have friends looking for a house who already love your neighborhood.

Two to three weeks before listing

6: Check your financial picture

Get your loan payout information for your mortgage.

You're going to need to know how much you owe so you can figure out what your sales proceeds will be - or if you are going to be doing a short sale in which the sales price won't satisfy the mortgage. Clear up any liens on the property.

7: Keep cleaning and decluttering

If you are using an agent, they will probably have advice on staging. If not, remember you want it to look as much like a model home as possible. Remove personal items. Make sure furniture makes sense for the space. You don't want potential buyers looking at a room and trying to figure out a function for it............