The Complete Checklist for Preparing Your Home to Sell
It’s come time to sell your home, and you have a lot of work to do. So much work to do that it may feel nearly impossible to get it all done. Plus, you could always forget to do something which could leave your home on the market much longer than you would like.
To prevent any forgetfulness and to reduce your stress levels during this hectic time, look over the checklist below to ensure that you’ve done all you really need for a quick sell. Some of these tips are super easy. You’ll wonder why you didn’t think of them. Others require a little more work, but the payoff is worth it.
With this complete checklist, and others like https://getlistedrealty.com/how-to-get-house-ready-to-sell/, your house will be ready to sell in no time.
Find The Right Real Estate Agent
You may be tempted to try to sell your home by yourself and pocket a little extra cash, but a “For Sale by Owner” transaction almost always ends in a disaster. Selling on your own can lead you to sacrifice both time and money—two things that could be better used towards your new home.
While you shouldn’t try to sell your home yourself, you shouldn’t just pick up the first real estate agent you see. Do your research. Find a real estate agent that is knowledgeable about your area and the market. Find a few of them. Before hiring one, interview them. See who is the best fit to take on the job.
Curb Appeal Is Everything
The first impressions buyers have of your home is the exterior. It’s your job to ensure that the first thing they see is something that entices them to see more. Invest in some effort that makes your front lawn look more appealing. It can be as easy as planting some colorful flowers or applying a fresh coat of paint to your front door.
Declutter Your Space
When you have open houses, you don’t want potential buyers to see clothes thrown on a chair or kids’ toys strewn about the living room. The less you show, the more that they’ll be tempted to buy your place.
Before you show your house, be sure to clean the counters, tables, windowsill, and all other visible areas. After you’re completed with what they can see, clean where they can’t see too. When people walk through a house, they look inside drawers, cupboards, and closets. If your home is overflowing with things, they might not be able to see how much the home can hold of their own stuff.
Depersonalize Your Home
This tip goes with the one above. When removing things from your home for showings, take away anything that is too personal. You want your buyers to envision themselves in the property. Personal items like family photos, bold artwork, and unique furniture pieces can make your home less appealing to the general public.
Repaint Walls to Neutral Colors
You might love that wall you decided to paint teal, but it could be a potential buyer’s least favorite color. You want your walls to be safe colors. People rarely hate neutral colors, and they allow buyers to envision what color they want to paint the wall.
Touch Up The Scuffs
You don’t have to repaint your whole house for it to do well on the market. You do need to focus on the spots that are scuffed up. Scrub the spots that are a little dirty and touch up the doors, walls, and baseboards to make the house look as new as possible.
Fix Loose Handles
This seems like such a small thing, but any little negative thing a buyer can experience can influence whether they buy or not. One small broken thing will have them wondering what else may be broken or wrong with your place.
Do A Smell Test
Bad smells, even ones that are barely detectable, can be a deal breaker. If you don’t have a sensitive nose then it can be hard to notice them. Invite someone you know over and have them give you an unbiased opinion. Have them do a full walk of the house, looking for any lingering pet smells or other odors from your rooms. If there is a detectable smell, do a deep cleaning. While having deodorizers can be a nice addition, you don’t want to use them to mask the smell. You don’t want someone’s sensitive nose preventing you from selling your home.
Consider Staging
Sometimes it’s okay to ask for a little help. If you think that your style is just a little too out there or old-fashioned, consider getting your home staged. When you get a professional home stager, they’ll evaluate what elements can elevate the look of your home. They can help you re-organize your space and can suggest where you can find items to rent or buy to help you sell your home.
Putting some or all of the above tips into action will help you ensure that you aren’t sitting on a house for too long.
