Are you wondering how to sell your house in Seattle and move to Tacoma? You’re not alone. The median home prices in Seattle are nearly double what they are in Tacoma. Seattleites selling their homes in Seattle often have enough equity to buy a home in Tacoma that is larger, or has a view. Sometimes Seattleites are able to pay for their home outright with the equity from their Seattle home.
In this video, MovetoTacoma.com creator Marguerite Martin sat down with her friend and regular collaborator Seattle Real Estate Agent Roy to talk about what you need to know about selling your house in Seattle and moving to Tacoma.
There are a few major things you’ll want to consider as you plan ahead, and Roy shares his pro tips for being a smart seller and a savvy buyer which include:
1. The importance of timing.
Not only do you need to time selling your home in Seattle just right, but you’ll want to make sure that you’re buying a home in Tacoma at an opportune time as well. In Roy’s experience, the timeline for buying and selling is much more strategic than just “waiting until spring”; it can come down to identifying the right week. There are seasonal markets and micro markets to account for, and on that note…
2. Finding a real estate agent with hyper-local expertise is crucial.
The Seattle real estate market can vary a lot just neighborhood to neighborhood. It’s important to find a real estate agent who can bring tried and true experience and hyper-local expertise to the table. If you’d like an introduction to a Seattle Real Estate agent that specializes in your neighborhood, MoveToTacoma.com creator Marguerite is happy to make a recommendation.
3. Even in a hot market where everything seems to sell, preparation is key.
For some sellers, it can be tempting to list their home “as is” since it may seem like homes are selling like hot cakes in some markets. However, it’s important to invest the time, money, and resources into thoroughly preparing your home to sell so you don’t leave money on the table. For some people, prepping their home to sell might just be painting and staging. For others, it might involve more extensive changes. Either way, an experienced Seattle real estate agent will be able to advise you on the best course of action to ensure that you get the most money possible for your home. If you’d like to go into more detail about how to sell and buy, check out Marguerite and Roy’s video How to Sell a House and Buy another one here.
4. Having a professional marketing strategy is incredibly important.
To jump off of that last point, not only is it essential that you have your home in prime condition and ready to show off, but you’ll need a robust marketing strategy in place to attract buyers.
“If you want to sell your house for the most amount of money and get the most amount of people through the door, we believe that every house needs professional video, professional photography, professional staging,” shares Roy. “We believe so much in the importance of video and photography that we pay for it,” he adds.
5. Selling a house in Seattle and buying in Tacoma? Don’t use the same agent.
The Tacoma and Seattle real estate markets are completely different. In addition to the differences in home prices there are differences in taxes, laws, inspection norms, and even LIDs. Check out this post from Jessica Dally about, “Why I Sold my House in Seattle and Moved to Tacoma.” She talks about how she sold her house in Seattle with a Seattle seller’s agent and bought her house in Tacoma with a buyer’s agent. As Roy and Marguerite say above, working with a seller’s specialist in Seattle and a buyer’s agent in Tacoma is in your best financial interest- because then you’re working with two experts. And no one has to drive over an hour to show you a house.
Are you ready to sell your house in Seattle and move to Tacoma? Tacoma Real Estate Agent Marguerite Martin is ready to connect you with local experts.
