If you’re thinking about selling your home, you probably have a lot of questions.
Where do I even start? What should I fix before listing? How do we decide on a price? What happens when an offer comes in? And maybe the biggest question of all—how am I supposed to keep my house showing-ready while actually living in it?
The good news is that you don’t have to figure all of that out before calling a REALTOR®. In fact, I’d rather you call me before you start painting walls, replacing flooring, or tackling a long list of projects you think buyers might expect.
Selling a home has quite a few moving parts, but when you know what’s coming and have a plan in place, it becomes much more manageable.
Here’s what the home-selling process typically looks like for my sellers in the Kansas City metro and surrounding Missouri communities.
Step 1: We Start With Your Plans—not Your House
Before we talk about pricing, staging, or putting your home on the market, I want to know what you are trying to accomplish.
Are you moving across town? Downsizing? Looking for more land? Relocating out of the area? Do you need to sell this home before you can buy the next one?
Your answers matter because there isn't one perfect selling strategy that works for every homeowner.
We’ll talk about your ideal timeline, what needs to happen before you move, whether you’ll be buying another home at the same time, and any concerns you already have about selling.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. That’s part of what I’m here for.
Step 2: I Come See the House
Online home values and comparable sales are helpful, but they don't tell me everything I need to know about your home.
That’s why I like to walk through a property before giving a seller my final pricing recommendation.
Two homes can look very similar on paper and still be very different in person. Updates, maintenance, layout, condition, outbuildings, acreage, views, location within a neighborhood, and even how the property feels when you arrive can affect how buyers perceive it.
This is especially true with rural properties and homes on acreage, where finding a truly comparable property isn't always as simple as looking at the house next door.
During my walk-through, we'll also talk about anything I think could help your home show its best.
And no—I am not going to walk through your house and hand you a giant remodeling list.
Sometimes a seller needs to make a repair. Sometimes fresh paint or a good deep cleaning will make a noticeable difference. Sometimes we simply need to declutter, rearrange a room, trim some landscaping, and get the porch looking inviting.
And sometimes the best advice is don't spend the money.
My goal is to help you decide where your time and money will actually matter.
Step 3: We Determine the Right Listing Price
This is one of the most important decisions we’ll make.
I’ll prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and look at recent sales, current competition, your home's condition and features, location, acreage or lot size when applicable, and what buyers are currently doing in your part of the market. You can learn more about a CMA in my previous post "What Is a CMA?".
Then we'll talk through it together.
Pricing isn't about picking the highest number we can justify and hoping someone pays it. It's also not about pricing low just to get a quick sale.
The goal is to position your home where buyers see its value while protecting your interests as the seller.
For a closer look at how we choose a list price, read my guide to pricing your home in the Kansas City metro area.
The first few days a home is on the market can be especially important because that’s when a new listing often gets the most attention. We want to take advantage of that rather than spend the first few weeks trying to convince the market that an overpriced home is worth more than buyers believe it is.
Step 4: We Get Your Home Ready for Market
Once we know when we're listing, I'll help you work backward from that date.
This is when you'll finish any agreed-upon repairs or touch-ups, declutter, clean, work on curb appeal, and prepare for photos.
My pre-listing checklist walks through those preparation steps in more detail.
One thing I remind sellers is that we're not trying to erase every sign that a real family lives in the house.
We are trying to make it easy for buyers to picture themselves living there.
That may mean clearing kitchen counters, putting away some family photos, removing extra furniture, organizing closets, freshening up the front entrance, or finding temporary homes for a few things during the listing period.
If you've lived in your house for years, it can be difficult to see it through a buyer's eyes. That's one of the reasons having someone walk through with fresh eyes is so helpful.
Step 5: Your Home Goes Live
This is the exciting part!
Once the home is ready, professional photos are completed and all of the listing details are in place, we launch it to the market.
Your home’s online presentation matters because, for most buyers, the first showing happens on their phone or computer.
Before they ever walk through your front door, they're looking at the photos, reading the description, checking the location and deciding whether they want to see more.
That's why good marketing isn't simply putting a listing in the MLS and waiting.
I want the photos, description and marketing to tell the story of your property and highlight the things a buyer may love about living there—whether that's a great backyard, a beautiful kitchen, room for the kids, a workshop, acreage, mature trees, or a quiet country setting.
Step 6: Showings Begin
I'll admit it: this is probably the least-favorite part for most sellers.
Living in a home that's for sale can be inconvenient, especially when you have kids, pets, work schedules and everyday life happening at the same time.
You do not have to live in a museum.
We’ll come up with a realistic plan for keeping the house reasonably showing-ready and talk about scheduling, pets, how much notice you need, and anything else that could make showings easier on your family.
A basket you can quickly toss everyday clutter into before leaving? Completely acceptable.
And yes, in most cases I recommend that sellers leave during a showing. Buyers tend to look more carefully and speak more freely when the homeowner isn't there.
Then we wait for the feedback—and hopefully an offer.
Step 7: An Offer Comes In
Seeing that offer arrive is exciting, but the first number on the page isn't the only number that matters.
We need to look at the entire offer.
That includes the purchase price, financing, earnest money, requested seller-paid costs, inspection terms, appraisal provisions, closing date, possession and any other contingencies.
Sometimes the highest-priced offer really is the strongest offer.
Sometimes it isn't.
I'll walk through the terms with you, explain what they mean, and help you understand the advantages and potential concerns so you can decide whether you want to accept, reject or counter.
You make the decisions. My job is to make sure you're making them with good information.
Step 8: You're Under Contract—but We're Not Finished Yet
Once you've accepted an offer, you'll hear the words "under contract."
That's a big milestone, but there are still several things that typically need to happen before closing.
Depending on the contract and the buyer's financing, this may include inspections, repair negotiations, an appraisal, title work and final loan approval.
This is also the point where sellers sometimes get nervous.
An inspector's job is to inspect the house, so don't be surprised when the report contains a list of items—even if you've taken wonderful care of your home.
If the buyer requests repairs or other concessions, we'll go through those requests together. We'll talk about what they're asking for, what your options are and how you want to respond.
Then I'll continue keeping track of deadlines and communicating with the other people involved in the transaction as we work our way toward closing.
For more detail on this stage, read what happens between going under contract and closing in Missouri.
Step 9: Packing, Final Walk-Through and Closing
As closing approaches, you'll be doing what most sellers are very ready to do by this point—packing!
You'll also need to complete any repairs you've agreed to, keep the utilities on as required, gather things such as garage remotes and door codes, and make sure the property is left in the condition agreed upon in the contract.
Shortly before closing, the buyer will typically do a final walk-through.
This isn't another inspection. It's generally an opportunity for the buyer to make sure the home is in the expected condition, agreed-upon repairs have been completed, and items that were supposed to remain with the property are still there.
Then comes closing day.
Documents are signed, the transaction is completed, and ownership transfers according to the terms of the contract.
And just like that, the house you've called home becomes part of someone else's story.
What If I'm Selling and Buying at the Same Time?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns I hear from homeowners, and it's completely understandable.
Where am I supposed to go between selling this house and buying the next one?
There isn't one answer because it depends on your finances, your next home, current market conditions and how much flexibility you have.
That's another reason I encourage homeowners to contact me early.
We can talk through the possibilities before the house ever goes on the market and create a plan for both sides of your move instead of trying to figure it out after an offer arrives.
If you're also planning your next purchase, my guide to what to expect when buying a home in the Kansas City metro area walks through that side of the move.
How Long Does Selling a Home Take?
There isn't a universal answer.
The total timeline includes more than just the number of days your home spends on the market. We also need to consider how long you'll need to prepare the property, current buyer demand, how quickly you receive an acceptable offer, the buyer's financing and the closing timeline negotiated in the contract.
If you have a specific date you need—or hope—to move, tell me that at the beginning. We can work backward and build a realistic timeline around it.
Thinking About Selling? Start the Conversation Early.
One of the biggest things I want homeowners to know is this:
You don't need to wait until your house is ready to sell before calling me.
Actually, I'd prefer that you don't.
If you're thinking, Maybe next spring, possibly this summer, or even we're not sure yet, that's a perfectly good time to start talking.
I can walk through your home, help you understand what it may be worth in the current market, point out what I would—and wouldn't—spend money on before listing, and help you make a plan without putting pressure on you to sell before you're ready.
I work with homeowners throughout Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, Lone Jack, Independence, eastern Jackson County, Johnson County, Missouri, and surrounding Kansas City communities—including plenty of homes outside the subdivisions and on a little more land.
Selling a home is a big financial decision, but it's also a personal one. My job is to make sure you understand what's happening, know what comes next, and have someone in your corner from our first walk-through all the way to the closing table.
If selling has been on your mind, let's start with a conversation.
Jennifer "Jen" Case, REALTOR®
Jen Case Homes | Premium Realty Group
Serving the Kansas City metro and surrounding Missouri communities.
