Selling your home can be overwhelming, especially if you are doing it for the first time. It involves more than just putting a ‘For Sale’ sign on your front lawn and waiting for potential buyers to show up. To ensure a smooth and successful sale, there are several things you need to do to your house before selling it. This blog post provides a comprehensive checklist when selling your home.
What to do before selling your house?
Completing items on this list will certainly make an impact on the success of your home sale. When you decide to sell and are preparing, the first important step is hiring a local real estate professional to work side by side with you throughout the process.
1. Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal
First impression matter a lot when selling a house. The exterior of your home is the first thing potential buyers see, either online or in person. Therefore, enhancing curb appeal should be at the top of your checklist when selling your home. Here’s a list to get you started.
- Tidy up the yard.
- Mow the lawn.
- Trim bushes and trees.
- Plant flowers if necessary.
- Repair any visible damages on the exterior walls and roof.
- Repaint the front door
- Replace old house numbers and mailbox if they look worn out.
- If needed, power wash the driveway and sidewalks to make them look new.
2. Declutter and Depersonalize Your Space
The next step in preparing your house for sale is decluttering and depersonalizing your space. Potential buyers need to envision themselves living in that space. Therefore, personal items like family photos or children’s artwork can be distracting.
Start by removing unnecessary items from each room to make them appear more spacious. Organize closets and cabinets because buyers will likely look inside to assess storage space. Renting a storage unit might be necessary if you have too many items.
Depersonalizing also involves neutralizing decor. Consider painting walls with neutral colors like white or beige that appeal to most people.
3. Make Necessary Repairs
Before listing your house for sale, ensure everything is in good working condition. No buyer wants to inherit problems from a previous owner. Therefore, making necessary repairs is an essential item on your checklist when selling your home.
Start by fixing leaky faucets, replacing burnt-out light bulbs, repairing broken windows, and ensuring all appliances are functioning properly. If there are significant issues like a faulty HVAC system or a leaking roof, consider hiring professionals to fix them. Although it might cost you some money upfront, it will increase the value of your home and attract more buyers.
4. Stage Your Home
Home staging is the process of arranging furniture and decor in a way that showcases the space’s best features and potential. It helps buyers visualize how they can use different spaces within the house. Consult with your local real estate professional to decide the changes that will make the biggest impact.
If you already have good furniture, you can do it yourself; otherwise, consider hiring professional home stagers. They know how to make rooms look larger, highlight unique features of your house, and create a welcoming environment that appeals to buyers.
5. Get a Pre-Listing Inspection
A pre-listing inspection is not mandatory but is a good item to add to the checklist when selling your home. It involves hiring a professional home inspector to check for any hidden issues in your house before listing it for sale.
The inspection report gives you an opportunity to fix any problems beforehand and provide a clean bill of health to potential buyers. It also prevents surprises that could derail the sale during the buyer’s inspection.
6. Set the Right Price
Pricing your house right is crucial in attracting potential buyers. If you set the price too high, your house may stay on the market longer than necessary; if too low, you risk losing money.To determine the right price for your house, research recent sales of similar homes in your neighborhood. Your real estate professional knows the local market and current conditions. Rely on them for helping set a price that will attract the right buyers.
Selling a house involves more than just listing it on real estate websites or putting up ‘For Sale’ signs. It requires careful preparation to ensure success. This comprehensive checklist when selling your home will guide you through the process and help you prepare your house for sale. Remember, the goal is to make your house appealing to as many potential buyers as possible, and every detail counts. Download a comprehensive home seller’s guide, including a seller timeline to follow for a smooth transaction.