Getting ready to sell your house in Louisiana? Our in-depth guide breaks the entire process down into 8 simple steps. Learn how to find a great agent, price your home, negotiate with buyers, breeze through closing, and more!
Now is a good time to be selling a house in Louisiana! According to Zillow Research, property values in the Pelican State rose 1.57% in 2019, and are projected to rise a further 4.43% over the next year.
Of course, even the best Louisiana properties will struggle to sell if you don’t price the home properly, do a poor job of marketing it, or don’t know how to handle the negotiations.
Read on to learn the eight steps to successfully selling your home in Louisiana!
» MORE: Get a free, instant home value estimate now!
JUMP TO SECTION
- 1. Finding a Louisiana realtor
- 2. Deciding when to sell
- 3. Pricing your home
- 4. Preparing, marketing, and showing your home
- 5. Fielding offers and negotiations
- 6. Appraisal and inspections
- 7. Paperwork and required Louisiana disclosures
- 8. The closing process
- Next steps: Sell your Louisiana home and save thousands
1. Finding a Louisiana realtor
Selling a home isn’t easy. It’s a high-stakes, complex transaction and requires a considerable amount of time and expertise to get a good outcome. If you’re looking to sell your Louisiana home for the best price — and minimize stress along the way — you need to find a top-rated real estate agent in your area.
The best Louisiana listing agents know exactly what local buyers want and how to reach them. They’ll offer expert advice, guidance, and support every step of the way, from the initial listing all the way through closing.
In fact, sellers who work with real estate agents net 33% more, on average, than those who list on their own. For a $166,764 home — the median home value in Louisiana, according to Zillow — that’s a premium of $55,032. In other words, hiring an agent is well worth the investment.
2. Deciding when to sell
Timing the housing market can really make or break the sale of your home. Sale prices fluctuate throughout the year because of seasons, holidays, job market performance or legislative changes. In Louisiana, homes tend to sell faster in June and will go for 8.3% more than average.
In states with harsh weather or areas that are prone to natural disasters, it might be harder to find a home during those peak seasons. In general, the springtime through early summer has shown to be a profitable time to sell a home.
Best time to sell a house across the U.S.
Source: 2019 Redfin Data Center
Best time to sell a house in Louisiana
| Best Month to Sell for Speed in Louisiana | July | 69 days on market | 12 days faster than average |
| Best Month to Sell for Price in Louisiana | June | $218,000 median sale price | 4% more than average |
If you're shooting for the fastest sale possible, listing in July is your best option. Homes listed in this month spend 69 days on market — significantly quicker than the Louisiana average of 81 days on market.
To get the highest sales price, put your house on the market in June. The median sale price of homes listed then is $218,000, which is almost $9,000 more than average.
Learn More: The Best Time to Sell a Home in Louisiana
3. Pricing your home
The price of your home is going to be the first thing potential buyers notice about your listing. Having an extremely high price on a home that can be found cheaper down the block is not going to help you with your sale. If you work with a local agent, they will run a comparative market analysis to determine the value of your home that won’t scare buyers away. Clever Partner Agents provide this service to their clients for free.
A comparative market analysis is going to establish the value of your home by comparing it to similar homes that are listed for sale or have recently sold in your area. It will take data about your home, find similar properties and then uses the selling and asking prices of those similar properties to determine a fair market value for your home. To sum up, it produces a price that is going to be very close to what potential home buyers would be interested in.
But if you're earlier in the process and just want a general idea of what your house is worth, a free online home value estimator is a great place to start. Enter your address below to see your estimated sale price, as well as useful local real estate market trends. Find out how much your house is worth now!
Discover the true value of your home with our Home Value Estimator!
4. Preparing, marketing, and showing your home
Getting your house ready for showings is probably one of the more crucial steps to take when selling your home. You have to stage it to make potential buyers feel like they want to spend the next few decades living in your home. Some easy things you can do are deep clean the inside, repaint some walls, make necessary repairs, and stage with some decor.
When you are ready to market your home, it’s best to get professional photos taken for your listing. Write intriguing listing descriptions with details that potential home buyers will want to know.
Some features that might appeal to potential buyers in Louisiana are double-paned windows with vintage shutters and a nice set of French doors leading out to a patio. All of these should be clearly advertised in your listing with pictures that emphasize your home’s natural beauty.
If you want to sell your home quicker, consider planning for some open houses. These are a way for buyers to tour your home without needing to make an appointment and wait for someone to contact them. Having a lockbox on your door will also help make private showings run smoother. This allows for the agent to safely access your home, with your permission, to give buyers the chance to see your home in private.
Learn More: The Best Paint Colors For Selling A House
5. Fielding offers and negotiations
Once you have a buyer that is ready to make an offer, they will have their agent submit it to yours. After reviewing what they are willing to buy your home for and under what conditions, you have a certain amount of time to accept, reject or negotiate the offer. In some states, you have as little as 72 hours from the time the offer was sent to make a decision.
Learn More: Real Estate Counter Offer Etiquette
6. Appraisal and inspections
After an offer has been accepted, it’s time for the appraisals, home inspections, and possibly more negotiations. The appraisal is going to make a very specific determination of home value. This is going to help the lender when securing the mortgage amount.
Home inspections are conducted to ensure the buyers are going to be purchasing a safe home, and to determine any flaws that might not be listed in the disclosure. It is highly recommended that all buyers have a home inspection done on any house they are buying.
After the home inspection, buyers might learn new information about the condition of a house and start requesting repairs. Sellers who want to avoid the suspicion that comes with a buyer backing out of a deal might decide to make these repairs.
Learn More: Can the Seller Back Out of Contract Before Closing?
7. Paperwork and required Louisiana disclosures
Seller disclosures are what you are required by law to tell potential buyers about your house. These can be factors that could affect the value of the home or the health of future occupants.
In Louisiana, you are required to fill out a disclosure form that asks you questions like contains harmful chemicals or materials or if it has ever been infested by pests.
Disclosures are just one type of paperwork you'll need to deal with when selling your home. Always consult your agent or attorney before signing or filing paperwork. A licensed professional should walk you through all the paperwork and ensure you have everything you need for your situation.
Forms and Documents for Selling a House in Louisiana
Required for All Real Estate Sales in Louisiana
- 2 Forms of ID
- Copy of Purchase Agreement and Any Addendums
- Closing Statement
- Signed Deed
- Bill of Sale
- Affidavit of Title
Possible Additional Documents
- Loan Payoff Information
- HOA Forms and Guidelines
- Survey Results or Survey Affidavits
- Home Inspection Results
- Proof of Repairs or Renovations
- Home Warranty Information
- Copies of Relevant Wills, Trusts, or Power of Attorney Letters
- Relevant Affidavits (Name Affidavits, Non-Foreign Affidavit Under IRC 1445, etc.)
- Closing Disclosure (for certain seller concessions)
- Correction Statement and Agreement
Louisiana Disclosure Forms
- Residential Property Disclosure Form
- Flood Zone Statement
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
Find the mandatory Louisiana real estate transaction forms here.
Learn More: Disclosure Requirements in Louisiana
8. The closing process
After all of the previous steps have been completed, it’s finally time to seal the deal. In Louisiana, after the offer has been made and all the disclosure forms are approved, your agent will contact a title agency to schedule a closing. The title agency will contact all the required parties and then will have the buyers, sellers, and agents go to the title company on closing day.
Learn More: How Much Are Closing Costs for the Seller?
Next steps: Sell your Louisiana home and save thousands
Whether you’re looking to list your Louisiana home immediately or 6-12 months from now, it’s never too early to start looking for an agent, getting advice, and making a plan.
Clever is here to help guide you through the home selling process — and save money along the way!
Want to find a top local agent without overpaying on realtor fees? Clever negotiates 1.5% listing fees with top-rated realtors from trusted brokerages like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Berkshire Hathaway.
Get guaranteed full service for a fraction of the 3% rate agents typically charge. Schedule a free, no obligation consultation with a top local agent today!
Top ways to sell your home in Louisiana
- Discount real estate agents in Louisiana
- We Buy Houses for Cash companies in Louisiana
- Flat-fee MLS companies in Louisiana
Additional resources for Louisiana home sellers
- Average cost to sell in Louisiana
- Average time to sell in Louisiana
- How to sell by owner in Louisiana
