Every sale is different, but most follow the same shape. Here is the plan I give sellers at our first meeting. Timing shifts with the season and with how much work the house needs.
Week 1: walk-through and pricing
We walk the house together, room by room, and make a short list: what to fix, what to leave, what to store. I bring recent sales from your neighborhood and we talk price. You decide; I give you my honest read.
Week 2: repairs and decisions
Handle the small things buyers notice: dripping faucets, sticky doors, burned-out bulbs, peeling paint at the porch. Consider a pre-listing inspection if the house is older or you have not lived in it recently. It removes surprises later.
Week 3: clean, declutter, stage
Pack up a third of what is in each closet and on each shelf. Deep clean, including windows. If staging makes sense for your house, this is the week it happens.
Week 4: photos and the listing
Professional photos, a floor plan, and, when the house suits it, video. I write the listing and you review it. We agree on showing rules: notice, times, pets.
Week 5: on the market
Showings and the first open house. I send you feedback after every showing. Most of the interest in a well-priced house comes in the first two weeks, so this is the week to keep the house ready at all times.
Week 6: offers
We review every offer side by side: price, financing, contingencies, closing date, and what each one asks of you. Price is only one line. Then we negotiate and you sign the one that fits.
Weeks 7 to 9: under contract
The buyer's inspection, then repair negotiations. The appraisal. The buyer's lender works toward final approval. Virginia sellers provide the required residential property disclosure statement; I help you get it right.
Closing week
The final walk-through, then the settlement. You hand over the keys and the proceeds are wired to you.
How long it really takes
Some houses move faster, some slower. Ask me for current figures on time to sell in your neighborhood, and I will build the calendar around your move.