How to Sell a House in Nine Steps

What Is the First Step in Selling a House?

The first step is finding out what the house is worth, in writing, with the comps behind the number. That figure tells you whether the sale will fund the next place, whether a kitchen refresh is worth the money, and whether you can afford to hold out for a strong offer.

Online estimates rely primarily on public records, and public records have no idea that you replaced the roof or finished the basement. The free Kelley Blue Book Homes valuation report asks about condition, upgrades, layout and remodels first, then combines those details with comparable sales from your neighborhood. It's designed to land within 3% of the final sale price, so the first step doesn't rest on guesswork. The report is free, and it's ready in minutes.

The Nine Steps to Selling a House

Think of this list as your checklist for selling a house. The order matters more than any single item on it, because each step sets up the one that follows.

1. Get a valuation. You want the realistic sale range in writing, with the comps that support it.
2. Decide how you'll sell. Your choices are a listing agent, for sale by owner, or a cash offer.
3. Choose your agent. Interview candidates on performance data you can check for yourself.
4. Handle repairs and disclosures. Fix whatever a buyer's inspector is likely to flag.
5. Prepare and photograph the home. Declutter, deep clean, and hire a real photographer.
6. Set the asking price. Price the house against the evidence from closed sales nearby.
7. List and show. The first two weeks usually bring the most serious traffic.
8. Review offers and negotiate. Read the financing and contingencies alongside the price.
9. Close. This stage covers the appraisal, inspection resolution, title, signing and funding.

For a day-by-day walk through each stage, see the home selling process.

Different Ways to Sell a House

Listing with an agent is by far the most common route. According to the National Association of Realtors 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 88% of sellers used an agent or broker. You pay a commission, and in return you get MLS exposure, a pricing strategy, showings and someone to handle the negotiation for you.

Selling it yourself is the second option. For sale by owner accounted for 6% of sales in the same report. You keep the listing-side commission and take on the marketing, showings, paperwork and negotiation yourself. Pricing is the hardest part of that job, which is why the for sale by owner page exists.

Taking a cash offer is the fastest and most certain of the three. You skip the showings and the financing contingency, and you largely get to pick the closing date, though the price often lands below what the open market would bring. In select markets, you can request a competitive cash offer through Kelley Blue Book Homes and see it next to your free valuation, so you can compare both numbers before you decide anything.

How to Choose a Real Estate Agent

Interview three agents and judge them on numbers you can verify, in writing, for your ZIP code over the last twelve months. Ask each one for the following.

• Sale-to-list ratio, meaning what percentage of asking price their listings close at.
• Median days on market for their listings in your price range.
• Price reductions, as in how many of their last ten listings needed one.
• The marketing plan in writing, including photography, floor plan, open houses and syndication.

Keep in mind that the highest suggested price isn't automatically the best one. Ask every agent to walk you through the comps behind their number, and read how real estate agents value your home to see how that opinion gets built. Every Kelley Blue Book Homes report also connects you with a local agent, so make that agent one of your three.

Which Repairs Are Worth Doing Before You Sell?

Start with the repairs that will show up on the buyer's inspection and turn into a credit request. Roof leaks, plumbing problems, electrical hazards, a failing HVAC system and rotted trim all belong on that list, and a deep clean of the whole house belongs right next to them.

The next tier is worth considering if the budget allows for it. Fresh neutral paint in the main rooms, new carpet if yours is visibly worn, light staging and a clean front entry all help a house show well. How curb appeal impacts home prices covers what moves the needle out front.

Think hard before you take on a full kitchen or bath remodel right before a sale. You may not get the money back, and you're guessing at a buyer's taste. If you're downsizing, the better spend is usually a dumpster, a donation run and a storage unit.

How to Set the Asking Price

Start from the evidence, then pick a position inside the range based on how fast you need to move. Your house tends to get the most attention in its first two weeks on the market, when every buyer already watching your neighborhood sees it appear. Pricing inside the range brings showings and competing interest, while pricing above it sends those same buyers scrolling past, and the cut that follows tells everyone that something might be wrong with the house.

• Price against closed sales in your immediate neighborhood, since closed sales show what buyers actually paid. You can pull them at real estate comps.
• Decide before you list what you'll do on day 30 if the house hasn't drawn an offer.
• Remember that buyers price your house off the comps, so what you paid and what you owe don't enter into it.

How to price a home for sale goes deeper on the number, and when to lower the price on your house covers the adjustment.

What to Expect Once Your House Is Listed

Once the listing goes live, you can expect showings, then offers, then a negotiation over price and terms. Leave the house during showings, because buyers talk more freely when the owner isn't standing in the kitchen. When an offer arrives, read past the price to the financing, the contingencies, the closing date, the earnest money and any repair credits. A slightly lower offer with cash and no contingencies is often worth more to you than a higher offer with three ways out. If your buyer is financing, the lender orders an appraisal next, and a home priced on real comps is less likely to run into trouble there.

What Selling a House Costs and How Long It Takes

Plan for agent commission, seller closing costs such as title and transfer taxes, repair credits after the inspection, prep work, carrying costs for every month the house sits on the market, and the move itself. The split varies by state and by what you negotiate, so ask your agent for a written net-proceeds estimate before you accept an offer. Our guide to how much it costs to sell a house walks through every line item.

On timing, it helps to think in three blocks, which are prep, market time and closing. Prep runs a few weeks for most sellers, market time depends on price, condition and local demand, and closing takes longer when the buyer is financing. How long does it take to sell a house breaks the timeline down stage by stage.

Paperwork and Taxes to Plan For

Gather your deed, mortgage payoff quote, property tax bills, insurance records, HOA documents, permits, warranties and receipts for improvements early in the process. Those receipts can matter at tax time, so don't toss them.

Under IRS Publication 523, 2024, if you owned and used the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain if you file single, or up to $500,000 if you're married filing jointly. An inherited home generally gets a stepped-up basis to fair market value at the date of death under IRS Publication 551, 2024, which often means less taxable gain than heirs expect. Confirm your situation with a tax professional, and with an attorney if the sale involves an estate, a trust or a divorce decree.

How Kelley Blue Book Homes can help

Step one in selling a house is a number you can defend, and that is where we come in. Enter your address and answer a few questions about your home's condition, upgrades, layout and remodels. In minutes you get a free valuation report with a custom value range, comparable homes from your neighborhood and local pricing trends. It's the closest thing to an appraisal without ordering one, and it's designed to land within 3% of your final sale price. Kelley Blue Book Homes has valued more than 500,000 homes, powered by True Footage, and every report comes with a connection to a vetted local agent who has already seen your valuation.

The report is free, it's ready in minutes, and there is no obligation attached. Get your free valuation report and start the sale with the right number.

Key Points to Remember

• Find out what your house is worth before you paint, repair or interview agents, because every decision after that depends on the number.
• Interview three agents and judge them on sale-to-list ratio, median days on market and how often their listings need a price cut.
• Fix what a buyer's inspector will flag, and think hard about a pre-sale remodel you may not recover at closing.
• Your first two weeks on the market tend to bring the most serious buyers, so the asking price has to be right on day one.
• Read every offer past the price, since the financing, contingencies and timeline decide whether it closes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to do when selling a house?

Get a reliable valuation of the home before you do anything else. That value determines whether the sale funds your next move, which repairs are worth making, and what asking price is realistic. The free Kelley Blue Book Homes valuation report accounts for condition, upgrades and remodels, and it's ready in minutes.

What are the steps to selling a house?

There are nine steps, taken in order. Get a valuation, decide whether to list with an agent, sell it yourself or take a cash offer, choose your agent, handle repairs and disclosures, prepare and photograph the home, set the asking price, list and show, review offers and negotiate, then close.

How much does it cost to sell a house?

Sellers pay agent commission, closing costs, any repair credits, prep, carrying costs and moving expenses, and the amounts vary by state and by what you negotiate. Our guide to how much it costs to sell a house walks through every line item and includes a net proceeds worksheet.

Do I pay taxes when I sell my house?

Possibly, depending on your gain. Under IRS Publication 523, 2024, if you owned and lived in the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, you may exclude up to $250,000 of gain filing single or up to $500,000 married filing jointly. Confirm your situation with a tax professional.

Is it better to sell to a cash buyer or list on the market?

That depends on whether speed or price matters more to you. A cash sale skips showings and the financing contingency and closes fast, usually at less than an open-market sale would bring. Listing typically brings a higher price over a longer timeline. In select markets, you can request a competitive cash offer through Kelley Blue Book Homes and see it next to your free valuation.