Sell Your Jacksonville Home with This In-Depth Guide

Need to sell your Jacksonville home fast and for market value? Are you wondering if it’s possible to do so and also make top dollar? It might seem like you have to compromise on one to get the other.

However, that’s not the case! Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - Phil Aitken Home Team Team has created this step-by-step guide to help you navigate the real estate housing market in Jacksonville and all of Northeastern Florida and sell your home successfully.

Our proven 12-Step Home Selling Guide will walk you through how to sell your Jacksonville home quickly and for the most profit.

Because your home is likely your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

In this in-depth guide, you’ll discover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment: your home. 

You’ll also learn how to reduce stress, take control of your situation, and most importantly– some of Phil’s key tips for selling quickly and for the most amount of money. 

Phil Aitken believes in the power of educating home sellers in the real estate process– that’s why the real estate information you’ll receive is completely free.

Be sure to check out our Video Learning Hub where we answer the most commonly asked Home Seller Questions.

First, you need to understand why you’re looking to sell your Jacksonville home. Knowing the reasons will determine how you approach the selling process. 

It influences everything from setting your asking price to how much time, money, and effort you’re willing to invest in preparing your home for sale. 

Check out our other guide on asking prices to learn how to sell your home for more. What is a Florida home worth?

There are many reasons why you may need to sell your home quickly. Some of these include:

• Transferring because of a new job
• Needing to trade up to a bigger house
• The home is too big, and you need to downsize
• The mortgage payment is too high
• You already put an offer in on another home and don’t want to be stuck with two homes
• You want a change of location or neighborhood
• Need to be closer to family or medical facilities
• Going through a divorce

Once you understand your motivation and reason for wanting to sell, it is essential to keep this information between you and your real estate agent. 

No matter how harmless you think the reason is, it could actually deter a buyer from your home.

Why Do You Need to Keep the Reason You’re Selling a Secret?

The reason you’re selling will affect how you negotiate your home’s sale.

When a potential home buyer asks why you’re selling your house,  it’s best to say your needs have changed and leave it at that.

Otherwise, you could find yourself at a disadvantage in the negotiation process.

If you disclose your reason for moving, things could run through the buyer’s mind that could be detrimental to selling your home fast and for top dollar.

Below, we’ll examine each reason mentioned above and what they could lead a potential buyer to think.

A new job is a good reason for needing to sell your Jacksonville home. 

But a new buyer might think that you’re desperate to sell, especially because you likely need to move by a specific date. 

These kinds of assumptions could result in them submitting a lowball offer.

You might think your home is too small for several reasons– but it doesn’t mean it won’t be a perfect fit for the new buyer.

However, if they hear you want a bigger home, they might ask themselves if your house is too small for them. 
If you want to move into a bigger home, check out our Moving Up Guarantee [link to move up guarantee proctor page] for more information on what to look for.

Whether you’re an empty nester, going through a divorce and need a divorce appraisal, or just wanting something easier to maintain, you could be thinking about downsizing to a smaller property.

This knowledge could lead buyers to question the home’s current condition and wonder how much upkeep and maintenance is involved in caring for it.

A potential buyer will see what you paid for the home. If it’s listed similar to the original price you paid, it may trick the buyer into thinking it’s overpriced. 
For this reason, knowing what your home is worth before selling it is essential.

Suppose a potential buyer knows you’ve already made an offer on another home. In that case, they’ll know you’re desperate to sell to avoid being stuck with two properties. 
This could lead to them giving you a low offer. One way to avoid this scenario is through our Guaranteed Home Sale Program.

Of course, this is nobody’s business. But if you choose to disclose this reason to buyers, they could sense the urgency behind your decision to move. As a result, they could give you a lowball offer.
The mention of medical facilities could also cause them to think of Covid-19. Check out our Covid-19 guarantee to learn more about selling your home during the pandemic.

You’ll need to do your homework before setting the perfect sale price to sell your home fast in Florida! When you set your asking price, you’re letting buyers know this is the absolute maximum they’ll pay for your home. 

As a seller, you’ll want to sell your Jacksonville home for as close to this price as possible. 

If you price too high, you run the risk of not being taken seriously by buyers and their real estate agents. 

But pricing too low can result in you receiving much less for your home than you hoped. 

Our Seller Satisfaction Guarantee can protect you and help you come away with a price that makes you happy.

There are a few things to consider when setting the listing price for your home. Knowing what other homes in your area recently sold for will give you the knowledge you need to set the best home listing price. Learn more with Tips On How To Find The Selling Price of Your Home

When living in a subdivision, it’s easy for a potential buyer to look at recent sales in your neighborhood. 

Based on those figures, they may assume your home is comparable to similar floor plans in that subdivision.

As a result, they could lower the offer on your home because they haven’t yet seen any of the differences that set your home apart and makes it worth more.

As neighborhoods change over time, each home may differ in substantial ways. Because of this, you’ll probably find that there aren’t many homes truly comparable to your own. 
In this case, you may want to consider seeking an expert real estate agent to help you with the pricing process.

While it’s technically possible to sell your Jacksonville home without a real estate agent, it’s much more challenging to price it in a way that guarantees it will sell fast. 

An experienced real estate professional in your area will have the knowledge it takes to navigate the market successfully.

One way to establish the value of your home is to check the sale prices of all the homes sold in your Northeastern Florida community over the past six months. You should also consider the ones currently on the market. 

Visiting the city hall in your town can provide you with the home sale information you need.
If you decide to sell your Jacksonville home without an agent – FSBO, check out our report on How To Sell Your Home Without A Real Estate Agent And Save The Commission!

Be Sure to Visit Our Video Learning Hub Where We Answer The Most Commonly Asked Home Seller Questions

The best way to learn about your competition in the Jacksonville area real estate market and discover what turns buyers off is to check out other open houses. You will want to look at things like:

• Floor plans
• Condition of the home
• The appearance
• Size of the lot
• Location
• Extra features

In particular, take note of the homes’ asking prices and compare them to what they actually end up selling for. 

If you’re serious about selling your home fast, don’t price it higher than your neighbor’s unless you have more to offer.

How do you choose a realtor to sell your home quickly?

When choosing a realtor, you’ll want to consider common real estate agent selection factors. Having an idea of the qualities you’re looking for can help you out when interviewing agents in your area. 

If you’re looking for a real estate agent that knows how to sell your home fast in Jacksonville, Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - Phil Aitken Home Team is your best choice in the Jacksonville area.

Phil Aitken is an expert in selling homes in all of Northeastern Florida. He can help you avoid the stress that usually plagues home sellers. 

In fact, stress is one of the main reasons people dread selling their homes. The National Association of Realtors surveyed people who sold their homes without an agent. 

The survey found that two-thirds of respondents said they wouldn’t do it again. The primary reasons included:

• Setting a price
• Marketing handicaps
• Liability concerns
• Time constraints 

But not all realtors are the same! Our post on Questions Real Estate Agents Hate will help you find the perfect agent who puts your needs above their profits.

We are an award-winning real estate team with years of experience in the Jacksonville housing market. We have a proven track record for selling homes fast and for top dollar. 

That’s not an empty promise or braggadocio– our selling speed is legendary. Whether the market is hot or slow, we can get the job done. 

• We sell houses at least 4 times faster than average agents 
• Our database has over 3,300 pre-qualified buyers looking for a home like yours
• Your home may sell before even listing it on the market

You can’t sell a home any faster than that! You can get started by using our free home evaluation tool to estimate your home’s value, or check out our video “What’s My Home Worth?” to learn more.

Appearance is critical if you want to sell your Jacksonville home and get the most money possible.  What should you do to prepare your home to sell?

The look and feel of your home will generate a more significant emotional response than any other factor. 

Prospective buyers react to what they see, hear, feel, and smell. Buying a home is an emotional buy, and they need to envision themselves living there.

Your home will need to be spotless. Scrubbing, scouring, and tidying up will be your new daily routine. In fact, you should probably consider hiring a professional cleaning company to do a deep clean. 

Here is a list of just a few things that should be taken care of:

• Get rid of clutter
• Shampoo carpets
• Repair squeaks
• Make minor repairs
• Fill in cracks 
• Add fresh paint
• Hire a landscaper

Remember, you’re not just competing with other resale homes in your Jacksonville neighborhood. You’re also going up against brand-new ones.

You never know which one of these issues could be deal-killers. No two buyers are alike, and you’ll never know what turns each of them off. Don’t take any chances here.

Nobody enjoys the smell of nasty odors, period. You may not realize it, but odd smells like traces of food, pets, and smoking odors can kill deals quickly.

If prospective buyers know you have a dog or that you smoke, they’ll start being aware of odors and seeing stains that may not even exist. 

Don’t leave any clues behind– a professional cleaning service can help you take care of stains and smells.

When you understand the motivation behind a potential buyer, you can control the pace and duration of the negotiation process.

Generally, buyers are looking to purchase the best affordable property for the least amount of money. 

For example, does your buyer need to move quickly? If so, this puts you in a better position to sell your home in Jacksonville, while still getting top dollar.

It’s no secret selling an empty home is more challenging, because it looks more forlorn, forgotten, and unappealing. If you must move out before selling, then staging a home is another way to help sell the appeal and value.

Understanding how much your buyer can afford and their closing timeline will give you an advantage and make it easier to sell your Jacksonville home.

You’ll also want to know how much money the buyer is borrowing to make the down payment.

If their offer is low, ask the buyer’s real estate agent about the buyer’s ability to pay what your home is worth.

Often, buyers would prefer closing on their own schedule. Knowledge of their deadlines creates a negotiating advantage for selling your house fast.
Selling your home in your time frame with no risk can make this process easier.

It’s typical for the buyer’s first offer to be lower than the listing price. If you’re emotionally invested in your home, this can sometimes provoke an emotional response. 

First of all, keep your emotions in check during negotiations– you don’t want to get tied up in your feelings. Otherwise, it can slow down the sale of your house.

It’s important to detach yourself and use a business-like manner in your negotiations – this will give you an advantage.

Invariably, the initial offer is below what both you and the buyer expect will be paid for the property. If you get a lowball offer, here are two things you should do.

If your first offer is low, the last thing you want to do is panic or take it personally. Evaluate the offer objectively by looking at:

• How close the offer is to the original asking price
• There is a sufficient deposit on the down payment
• The mortgage amount
• A closing date
• Special requests

This will provide a starting point from which you can negotiate.

You can turn that low offer around with a counter offer. Negotiate an offer that’s just under your asking price. This lets the buyer know that you’re not taking their first offer seriously.

Sticking close to your original listing price will ensure that you’re only negotiating with serious buyers. Focusing on serious buyers will allow you to sell your home quickly. 
However, if your home still does not sell, reach out to Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - Phil Aitken Home Team for the answers you need to sell your home fast in Florida.

People that have sold a home in the past know that calculating a reasonable listing price is not a flippant choice in any market.

When it comes to selling a home, the number one question sellers ask is, “How much can I sell my house for, and how fast will it sell?
The answer to this question lies in asking your real estate agent to help you calculate the sale price of your home.

Selling your home for cash is a great way to sell your house fast and get the most out of your property. It also gives you the freedom to buy a new home without taking on any debt.

However, the dilemma is, where do you find those cash buyers? 

Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - Phil Aitken Home Team has the cash home buyers you need to get your Jacksonville home sold fast. We can match your home up to our buyers instantly. 

Our marketing systems and consumer programs automatically sort out the best-qualified prospects for your home. 

We will not ask you to leave your home unless we show it to a pre-qualified buyer who is genuinely interested in your home and is ready to buy now!

Have more questions about selling your Jacksonville home? Please fill out the form below for more information on selling your house step-by-step with our professional team on your side.

Get ready to start packing!