Selling Your House in 2026? Do These 4 Things Now
Written by
Rebekah Evans
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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If you’re planning to sell your home, there are crucial steps you must take beforehand to make sure that someone buys it at the price you’re asking for.
GOBankingRates reached out to experts to get the best steps to take before you put your house up for sale on the saturated real estate market.
Many experts agreed that the best thing you can do is start now, and here are the immediate steps you should take now to sell your house in 2026.
1. Get an Appraisal
“If you are considering selling your house next year, the best thing you can do at the moment is to know your neighborhood,” said Dillon Cass, owner and CEO of True Home Offers. He said getting an appraisal can help your home sell faster. “Professional valuation informs you of the precise value of your house today and compares it with the recently sold houses in your area. It also assists in establishing a realistic selling price that is equal to that of buyers in your region.”
2. Find a Realtor
Jennifer Long, a realtor with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, said that interviewing realtors early is imperative.
“They will guide you through the process on what to plan for renovation-wise, if any, what renovations may be a waste of money and time, and [which will] set you up for success in prepping the property for sale with a timeline,” she said.
Don’t just settle for the first realtor you meet with. Keep interviewing agents until you find one you’re really comfortable with.
“You’ll learn a ton from meeting with multiple agents,” said Scott Harris, founder and associate broker at Magnetic. “Ask them what they’d do if it were their house. You need to make sure they’re not just being nice, but telling you the truth!”
3. Go To Open Houses
To find out how to best stage your home, get inspiration from houses in your neighborhood that are already doing it.
\”You may be surprised by what you see if you haven’t been in the game for a while,” Harris said. “Notice what jumps out to you. You may be able to make some notes that will save you time on the market and make you more money, too.”
4. Declutter
Once you’re at the point where you’re staging your home, you’re going to have to reduce the amount of stuff that’s in it. This will be helpful for making your home look more presentable and simplifying your moving process, too.
“Have a couple of friends who will tell you the truth, stop by for an hour and ask them what catches their eye,” Harris advised. “If a room feels like too much, remove at least one piece of furniture.”
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