10 Easy Steps to Listing Your Home

You might be asking yourself, why should I sell my house with CentralWI By Owner? Well, for starters, you'll save thousands of dollars. Money that can be put toward your new home. It really is easier than you think. By following the steps listed below and doing a little research you can sell your own house. And who knows your house better than you? Potential buyers will want to know not only about the house itself, but the neighborhood and area schools.

Step 1 Choose Services

Step 2 Determine Asking Price

Step 3 Take Pictures

Step 4 Pick Location For Yard Sign

Step 5 Prepare Home

Step 6 Complete Required Forms

Step 7 Print Brochures

Step 8 Show Home

Step 9 Print Offer To Purchase For Buyers

Step 10 Accept Or Counter Offer

Step 1 Choose Services
Your first step is to check out what we have to offer and decide what options work best for you. You can review our services before signing up.
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Step 2 Determine Asking Price 
There are a several ways to determine your asking price.

• Look at your property tax bill for the estimated fair market value. This is the value the city has determined your property is worth. If the city assessment is more than a couple years old this number may not be accurate. Caution: The assessed value is not the fair market value.
• Explore recent property sales in your area. This information can be obtained from your city assessor's office. Many communities have an online database. Look for houses similar in square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, garage, etc.
• Explore the web.
• Hire a property appraiser. An appraiser will estimate the value of your property. A fee of approximately $250 - $300 may be charged for this service. Some appraisers we recommend are listed on our Real Estate Services page.

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Step 3 Take Pictures
Up to eight pictures are include in our basic package. You'll want to include outdoor and indoor photos with your listing. Pictures can be taken with a digital (recommended) or 35mm camera. The photos can be emailed or mailed to us for us to scan. (Mailed photos will not be returned.) For a small fee, $25, we can take the photos for you when your yard sign is installed.
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Step 4 Pick Location For Yard Sign
Part of our package is to provide you with a yard sign. Determine the best location for your sign by looking for a spot that can be easily seen from the road as cars drive by. Indicate this location on the worksheet. Please contact Your Local Digger's Hotline (800- 242-8511) to determine if any buried electrical or gas lines are present in the selected location. (We are not responsible for any damage to buried electrical, plumbing or gas lines.)
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Step 5 Prepare Home
It has been proven that well maintained, clean and clutter free homes sell faster and for more money. Reducing the amount of clutter can make the rooms appear larger. Cleaning and organizing (including the garage and yard) will make for a good first impression. Cutting the lawn, trimming the hedges, and painting touch-ups will make the home look fresh and new. These are all items that require little time and effort and can greatly affect the sale of your home. Try to look at it from the buyers perspective; what will they see when they walk in the front door?
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Step 6 Complete Required Forms
List your house with CentralWI By Owner by filling out online registration forms or sending in your information and we will place your sign within 5 days. As the seller, you are also required to fill out several forms as part of the process of selling your house. The Property Condition Report discloses any known defects of your property to the buyer. This form should be shown to the buyer upon viewing the property. For homes built prior to 1978, a Lead Based Paint form must be filled out. When filling out any legal documents it is recommended that an attorney review or complete the forms.
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Step 7 Print Brochures
As part of our service you are able to print brochures to hand to buyers or place in brochures tubes, which may be rented and attached to your yard sign.
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Step 8 Show Home
Showing your home can include both individual appointments and open houses. Have brochures and completed forms (see Step 5) ready to hand out to potential buyers. Be sure to answer all questions honestly. On the day of the appointment make sure your home is clean and presentable.
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Step 9 Print Offer To Purchase For Buyers
Offer to purchase forms are available for you to print out to present to perspective buyers, should they need one.
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Step 10 Accept Or Counter Offer
Once you receive an offer to purchase from the buyer you have two options; accept the offer to purchase or counter the offer. If you counter the offer due to price, terms, etc. a counter offer form is required.

When you accept an offer you may want to collect a deposit. This shows the buyers interest and deters them from backing out of the offer. The deposit can be any amount you agree upon, but typically ranges between $500 - $3000. The money can be held by the seller or in escrow. An escrow account can be opened through title companies, attorneys, banks, or an escrow service.

In the offer the buyer may have included some contingencies. Contingencies are items such as home inspections, termite, well and septic, financing, appraisals and others.

To provide evidence that the property is free and clear of any liens and encumbrances you will need to purchase title insurance. The insurance can be purchased through your local title insurance company. Obtaining title insurance may take a few weeks so you may want to do this as soon as possible.

The closing of your property may be held at a title company, the buyers mortgage company or an attorney's office.
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This was written as a helpful guide to selling your house and may not include all the steps required based on your specific situation. If you have any questions regarding the sale of your property, you may want to contact a real estate attorney.