Selling your home can be a daunting process, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to list your home and make a successful sale — and potentially fetch a higher price. Here are seven things you should do before listing your home to make sure you’re ready.
Clean and Declutter
It’s important to make sure your home is spotless and clutter-free before you list it. Cleaning up and removing any extra items will make your home look more appealing and make it easier for potential buyers to envision themselves in the house.
Make Necessary Repairs
Walk through your home and address any minor repairs, such as squeaky doors, leaky faucets, or loose cabinet handles. These small fixes may seem inconsequential, but they contribute to the overall impression of your home’s maintenance level.
Enhance Curb Appeal
The exterior of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see, so make sure it leaves a positive impression. Invest time in landscaping, trim the lawn, and add fresh plants or flowers. Repair any visible exterior damage, and consider a fresh coat of paint for the front door and shutters. A well-maintained exterior creates a positive initial perception.
Stage Your Home
Stage your home to highlight its best features. Rearrange furniture to create inviting spaces and showcase the functionality of each room. One of the simplest ways to aid in staging if it’s not in your budget is going back to step one - cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing. By staging your home, you can give potential buyers a better idea of how your home could look with their own style.
Hire a Realtor
Working with a real estate agent makes the process of selling your home much easier and often gets you a higher return, even after paying commission. A real estate agent’s job is to make the process as seamless as possible, so the importance of their work can sometimes goes unnoticed. A Realtor helps you with pricing strategy, marketing, scheduling and attending showings, fielding phone calls from agents and potential buyers, correctly filling out contracts and addendums, negotiations, and more.
Set the Right Price
It’s important to get the right price for your home. While it’s tempting to list high just to see if you can get a certain price, that often ends up backfiring and ending with your home sitting on the market, and buyers wondering what may be wrong with it. An experienced real estate agent can help you determine the right price for your home in the current market.
Refresh Your Living Spaces
A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for your home’s appearance. Talk with your Realtor as to whether painting may help in the sale of your home, as this is a cost-effective way to update your home and make it more attractive to buyers. Stick to neutral colors that appeal to a broad audience. Pay attention to high-impact areas like the living room, kitchen, and primary bedroom.
Taking these DIY steps before listing your home can significantly increase its market appeal and potentially lead to a faster and more profitable sale. Remember, preparation is key, and a well-presented home can make a lasting impression on potential buyers. Good luck with your home-selling journey!