7 Steps to Prepare Your House to Sell
Seven Steps to Prepare Your House to Sell
The traditional home selling season is just around the corner and if selling your home is your goal this year getting a jump start on this preparation can help your home be ready sooner.
1. Decide on a listing date
One of the first steps is to decide when you want to put your house on the market and create a timeline for all the tasks that you need to complete. Work backward from the listing date to establish deadlines for each task, these deadlines can be a great help for getting all of the to-dos done.
2. Hire a REALTOR®
A REALTOR® will guide you through the selling process and provide a plan for attracting potential buyers. REALTORS® use data, intuition, and experience to create a thorough marketing plan and list price recommendation to maximize your home's appeal.
3. Give the house a deep clean
Deep cleaning goes beyond vacuuming and dusting. Giving your home a deep clean means getting carpets steam cleaned, mopping floors, cleaning windows inside and out, washing walls to remove stains, and scrubbing bathrooms. Consider using professional carpet cleaning and maid services to make your house sparkle and shine.
4. Get rid of all the clutter
De-cluttering will make your house seem more spacious and make it easier for potential buyers to envision themselves in the house. Start the de-cluttering process by cleaning out closets, cabinets, and garages. Donate clothing and other items of use and throw out items that are broken or cannot be used.
5. Make needed repairs and updates
Leaky faucets, chipped paint, running toilets, and squeaky doors may seem minor but really signal to potential buyers that your home has not been well maintained. To help attract buyers and get top dollar for your home, take the time to make needed minor repairs and consider updates such as repainting rooms with neutral paint colors, replacing worn carpeting, and modernizing bathroom and lighting fixtures.
6. Spruce up curb appeal
Sprucing up the curb appeal of your home is an important step to take before putting it on the market. In fact, among REALTORS®, 94% have suggested sellers improve their curb appeal before listing a home for sale. This recommendation is so common simply because the outside of your home is the first thing buyers see when they pull up to the curb and as the saying goes - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Painting or replacing the front door, keeping the lawn mowed and weeded, trimming overgrown shrubs and trees, and repairing cracked walkways are just a few things that can go a long way to sprucing up the curb appeal of your home.
7. Stage it to sell
Staging your home can show it in its best light. The National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Staging found that 40% of buyers’ agents cited that home staging affected most buyers’ view of the home, and 83% of buyer’s agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Staging a house can involve things like adjusting furniture layouts to make rooms appear larger, repainting rooms, opening curtains and blinds to let light in, and adding extras like fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fruit in the kitchen, and folded towels in the bathrooms.
If selling your house is on your list this year, make sure you follow these tips to get it ready to sell. The Roanoke Real Estate Team is here to give you advice and data based information to help you make an informaed decision. Reach out to us at 540-537-9281.
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