Can I sell my house if I already moved?
Yes. A lot of sellers are already in another city, or another state, by the time their home hits the market. The part that matters is having one person here running the house for you, with a plan you can follow from wherever you are.
We start with the numbers. I'll show you what your home is worth right now, what it could be worth with the right updates, and every option you have for selling it. We call that the EPIC® Report, and you can request it here from anywhere. Then we plan everything else around your move date.
Should I sell before I move or after?
It depends on your move date and whether you need the money from this sale for the next place. Listing while you're still here means you can make the big decisions in person. Listing after you leave means the house is empty, so we can paint, clean, and stage it without working around your packing.
If your start date gives you the room, I'd do the planning and prep decisions while you're still here, then list once you're out. Buyers see a clean, staged house instead of moving boxes. If you're moving because you're retiring, my retiring page covers the money and timing side.
How do prep and showings work if I'm not there?
I run them for you. My S-R-S® Concierge coordinates the contractors, cleaners, staging, and media, and I send you photos and updates as the work gets done. You're not managing vendors from another time zone.
Once we're live, showings happen through a lockbox, and I keep you posted on who's coming through and what buyers are saying. You'll know how the listing is doing without having to chase anyone for an update.
Do I have to fly back to sign the paperwork?
Usually not. Most of the paperwork is signed electronically on your phone or laptop. Anything that needs a physical signature can be coordinated wherever you are, and we'll set that up early so it doesn't hold up closing.
What should I do about the house while it sits empty?
Keep it looking cared for. Leave the utilities on so buyers can see the rooms and inspectors can test the systems, and keep the yard maintained so the outside matches the photos.
Call your insurance agent before you move out. Some homeowners policies treat a vacant house differently, and you want to know that before the house sits empty, not after.
I'd also stage it. An empty room is hard for buyers to size up in photos, and a few pieces of furniture show them how the space works.
My company is paying for the move. Does that change anything?
It can. Some relocation packages help with selling costs, and some come with rules about how the home gets listed, or a buyout offer if it hasn't sold by a certain date.
Read your relocation policy, or send it to me, before you sign a listing agreement with anyone. I'd rather work inside the rules from day one than find out at closing that something doesn't qualify.
How fast can I sell my house?
It depends on how much prep we do and how the house is priced. Prep usually takes a few weeks, and once we accept an offer, escrow in California commonly runs about 30 days. We'll build the timeline backward from your move date.
On a tight deadline, I'd put the effort into pricing it right from the first day. Most buyer attention comes in the first two weeks, and a house that sits costs you time you don't have. If speed matters more than price, selling as-is is an option, and I'll show you what it costs so you can decide.
