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So you have decided to sell your home! While you may be eager to get your property on the market as soon as possible, there are several things that you can – and should – do prior to listing.
Reading through the tips below will help ensure that the process of selling your home is as smooth as possible, keeping in mind that hiring a real estate professional to guide you through this process is always advisable.
Declutter
When you’re selling your home, the less clutter you have, the better. Not only will it make your home look more spacious and inviting to potential buyers, but it will also make the process of photographing and staging your home much easier.
Start by going through every room in your house and removing anything that is not absolutely essential. This includes excess furniture, knick-knacks, photos, and even wall hangings. The goal is to remove as much visual distraction as possible so that buyers can focus on imagining themselves living in your home.
If you have a lot of items to get rid of, consider holding a garage sale or donating unwanted items to a charity organization. By decluttering your home before putting it on the market, you will make it look larger and allow buyers to envision themselves living in your home.
Declutter Some More
Many times people think they have adequately decluttered their home, however, chances are there are still many things that can be removed. Consider going through every room again and looking for anything that does not have a designated spot, is broken or old, or is something you no longer use.
Even things that you may still be using or keeping for sentimental reasons can be packed up in order to make additional space. Remember that you are trying to make your home as generic and neutral as possible so potential buyers are able to picture their belongs in the space.
Fix Everything That Is Broken
The last thing any buyer wants to do when they purchase a home is spend time fixing and repairing things that should have been fixed and repaired prior to putting the home on the market.
To save yourself from future headaches after selling your home, make sure you fix anything that is broken. This includes leaky faucets, broken railings on stairs, poor lighting, loose floorboards or tiles, cracked window panes and more. In addition to making your home safer, this will also make it easier to photograph and stage.
Quick fixes should get more priority than large home improvement projects to shoot up home prices. This is a great way to ensure that you receive top dollars for your property and buyers don’t have any potential complaints post-purchase.
Repaint
Painting your home is one of the easiest and most effective ways to give it a fresh new look, which in turn will increase its value.
Take some time to go through each room and paint any areas that need refreshing or repair; while some painters may be able to match existing paint colors exactly, others may not be able to do so. In this space case, repainting the room may be the answer. Remember to choose neutral colors that best represent the current trends in home decor.
Replace Old Fixtures
Whether it is outdated handles in the kitchen or a poorly functioning showerhead, things that have been around for a while often lose their value.
Make sure to replace any old fixtures with newer ones so your home is equipped with up-to-date appliances and accessories. This will not only increase your home’s appeal but also its resale value.
In addition to being more aesthetically pleasing, these updates will also make your home feel more modern and comfortable to buyers.
Tidy Up
One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your home is to tidy up; leaving a messy house for buyers (or even real estate agents) won’t give them a very good first impression.
Make sure you: clean the windows, vacuum the carpets, wash the floors, clean up any spills and scrub away visible dirt. Not only will your home look the best it will also smell fresh and clean for showings.
Stage Your Home
Sellers should stage their home in order to make it more attractive to potential buyers. If you are not confident in your ability to do this, hiring a professional may be worth the money. Staging your home is the process of creating a more inviting and appealing look with the help of furniture, lighting, wallpaper and color.
By staging your home in an attractive fashion, you will be able to highlight its best features while downplaying any issues that may otherwise be noticeable.
Get Your Home Inspected
While many times buyers are the ones most interested in a home inspection, more and more sellers are having one done prior to listing. The reason for this is to be fully prepared for any potential issues that arise. Being fully informed on the current condition of your property will allow sellers to either make necessary repairs or adjust their asking price.
Clean Up the Yard
If you want to stand out from other homes on the market then it’s important that your lawn is well maintained. Not only will this make your home look better when buyers visit, but it will also be a good signal to buyers that you take care of property and location is important to you.
In addition to looking presentable, keeping your lawn mowed and your bushes trimmed makes your home look well maintained and cared for which is essential when trying to attract the attention of potential buyers.
Along with routine maintenance, sellers should also make sure to clean out gardens, remove weeds, and tidy up the exterior of their homes. This should also include cleaning siding, exterior windows, garage doors and shutters.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many things sellers should do before putting their homes on the market. These tips will help make your home more appealing to buyers and increase the chances of a quick sale. With a little bit of effort, you will be able to prep your house in no time!