When it came time to sell our family home this year, we wondered whether it might be something we could do ourselves. But what became quickly evident, is that there was a lot more involved than we first thought - and we decided we wanted the help of a professional for such an overwhelming process.

What was our house worth?

We had been living in our home for 20 years, so what we had paid for it all that time ago was going to have no relevance on the value of it today.

Of course over the years there were a few updates too - new carpet in the main living areas, a minor kitchen upgrade and some landscaping outside. All of which confused us even more when it came to knowing what it was worth, especially compared to our neighbour’s homes and the average price of the suburb.

Our agent was a local, and had been selling property in the area for more than ten years. This meant she knew what else was on offer, and what people were willing to pay to live in the neighbourhood. She was able to give us a detailed insight into the true value of our house, and we were able to feel comfortable with her advice due to her knowledge and expertise in the local property market.  

How would be the best way to sell it?

We had never been to a property auction in our lives, and had only seen on television that they were a stressful process that didn’t always result in a sale.

We also didn’t understand the benefits of a tender, or deadline date, so it was confusing to work out which way would be the best way to sell our home in order to achieve the highest sale price.

We took great comfort in our agent being able to explain everything in detail, and she helped us to decide on which would be the most effective way to place our property on the market.  

Read more: When it's time to move on: Selling the family home 

Was there anything we needed to do to achieve the right buyers?

Our home was where our children grew up, and while it was kept tidy and clean, there was some wear and tear, and we hadn’t really spent a lot of time or money on upgrading it.

So the question was - should we invest in a renovation? And if so, where? We certainly didn’t want to overcapitalise by spending too much, but we also knew that buyers in our suburb would be looking for a certain type of home, we just didn’t know what. Thankfully our real estate agent could advise us on possible options of upgrades, and the right place to put our money.  

What kind of marketing would be required?

When we bought our home, we found it in the local newspaper. Since then of course online has become the main place to advertise, however it was something we had no idea about. What would it cost? Where was the best place to put market the house? Did it mean newspaper advertising was no long relevant?  

It was a relief to not really have to think about it, and to take the agents lead on where she thought was the most important place to be featured.

When would people want to view our home?

We knew we would have to open up our home to potential buyers to view, but the thought of organising all of that would have been way too difficult for us with full time jobs. It was something we had no knowledge or experience in - the process, what people would expect, how to make sure they were successful and worthwhile.

Our agent was able to look after all of the aspects of open homes, meaning we could just tidy up and walk out the door every weekend while she showed people through our property.

Bridging the transition to buying a new house

As we were selling up, we also had to consider buying a new home, so it was important for us to have the time to spend on that. If we were having to take care of the marketing and dealing with potential buyers of our house, I just don’t know when we would have been able to concentrate on where we were going to head to next.

How does the negotiation process work?  

The last part of selling was the aspect we were most worried about. From negotiating on the sale price, to dealing with conditions of contracts, and the legalities of it all - we really just didn’t have a clue of how it all worked.

We certainly weren’t confident enough to go back and forwards when it came to offers! So luckily we had our agent on board to help us understand when to push back for more, and when we may be risking losing an offer. She guided us every step of the way so we never had to panic that we were making the wrong choice - as together we would weigh up the pros and cons. This meant we could make an educated decision.

We are very glad that we didn’t sell our home by ourselves. I guess it works for some people, but for us, using an experienced real estate agent was the correct path to take.

Carol & Greg - Tauranga

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Ready to sell up? Check out our guide on how to prepare your home for sale.