You may be ready to sell your home, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your house is ready for the market. Being in the real estate industry for more than 30 years, here are my top 10 proven methods to prep your house to sell, and get it sold faster.
- Disconnect from Your Home: This is the hardest, but the first thing every seller should put time into. Letting go of your home can be challenging, and it’s easy to attach your house to your memories. Remember, home is where the heart is, and you can take your memories with you wherever you go. Selling your house will allow you to move forward and create new, wonderful memories.
- Declutter Your Interior & Garage: Remove unnecessary furniture and bulky items to create an open, airy floor plan. This allows buyers to envision their items and see the potential your home can provide to them. Instead of storing items in your garage, opt for renting a storage unit. You’ll be moving in the near future, and this will help expedite the process. If you’re ready to part with some items, consider dropping them off at your closest donation center.
- Organize Closets and Cabinets: Cluttered closets give the appearance that your home doesn’t offer enough storage. You want to maximize your opportunity with buyers and show off every square foot of your home. Clean out the junk drawer, organize linen closets, and pack away items in overcrammed closets.
- Pack Away Your Favorite Things: After decluttering, pack away your special decor items, pictures, and other sentimental belongings. This speeds up the moving process, helps you further disconnect from your home and protects your valuables from damage while people are touring. You’ll also provide buyers a clean perspective and a blank slate for them to envision themselves in your house.
- Repaint Your Walls to Neutral Tones: Bold colors often deter buyers. If you can, repaint walls with neutral tones. Lighter walls also create the illusion of a larger floor plan.
- Fix Minor Repairs: Maximize your home value by making small repairs. Fix the leaky faucets, doors that jam, and patch any holes in the walls. This allows buyers to see the home is move-in ready.
- Make Your House Shine: Buyers need to envision themselves in your home as soon as they walk through the door – not what needs to be cleaned. Don’t distract buyers and lose a potential sale with dirty floors, layers of dust, and cluttered countertops.
- Pay Attention to Landscaping: Ensure your yard is free of weeds, dead plants, and debris. Trim overgrown plants to create the best first impression of your home.
- Heighten Curb Appeal: A few touches to the exterior can greatly improve your curb appeal. Add a welcome mat, potted plants and sweep your walkway to create a welcoming environment for potential buyers.
- Stage Your Home: A fresh perspective can see opportunities for reorganization that may have been missed. Consider having a home stager evaluate what you own and help reorganize your furniture to make your home look bigger. This is a free service I provide, and an area I truly enjoy helping my clients with.
By following these 10 steps, your house is ready for professional photos and a for sale sign. If you’re ready to list your home and need advice on the real estate market, call me 928-486-3731 or email me at [email protected] to get started.