Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
Think Like a Buyer
Think back to when you bought your home. Remember how you reacted to homes that didn’t have curb appeal or just didn’t show well. Think of what moved you to buy your current home. Buyers visiting your home will have the same experience as you did.
Consult an Experienced Real Estate Agent
Every home is different. Before you spend any time or a dime freshening your home up, ask an experienced real estate agent you trust for advice. A true pro knows what buyers in your area want and can help you maximize your home’s appeal without busting your budget.
Some of the basics preparations will include the following:
Declutter
Most of us tend to have more items in our homes than we actually need. Removing what doesn’t add appeal to the home should be the first step in preparing your home for sale and the sooner you get this step underway the better. There are several reasons for this. Let’s explore just a couple.
First, it will help you prepare for the move and you will be ready when the time comes. As you declutter for selling, not only are you making more space in the house, but you are also packing away items that you don’t need until after the move. You may even realize you won’t need some items anymore, thus, leading you to get rid of them.
Second, it helps buyers focus on what’s important in your home for them. If your home is filled with your personal story, then there’s no room for theirs…
Make Necessary Repairs
Someone said, “one of the disadvantages of owning a home is that no matter where you are sitting you may be looking at something you ought to be fixing”. It is common to allow deferred maintenance to creep into our homes and we can live with it. When we decide to sell is when we need to catch up with all those repairs if we want to get the most money for our homes.
Not doing needed repairs may be costly. Repairs that may cost you a few dollars will cost hundreds in the mind of buyers. Repairs that may cost you a few hundred will cost thousands in the minds of buyers and they will seek to reduce their offering price by at least that amount.
Clean
Clean, clean, and then clean again.
Cleaning your home for home showings is common sense. Yet many sellers underestimate just how clean it needs to be. Cleaning for selling isn’t run-of-the-mill weekend tidy-up. Think of it as deep cleaning on steroids. You’ve got to think about what buyers look for and get down to the nitty-gritty so that even the smallest details shine. You may want to hire a professional cleaning service to do this for you as they are normally experienced in this kind of cleaning for selling procedure.
Remember, you only get one chance to make a first good impression.
An experienced agent will help you evaluate what else needs to be done in your home to make it as attractive as possible to buyers.
Want a detailed list of things on how to prepare your home for sale?