What goes into preparing a home for the market? First things first, you need to create a home selling plan with an emphasis on properly staging your house. Staging simply refers to the work that goes into transforming your home as you know it (comfortable, highly personalized, reflective of your specific lifestyle) into a property that’s show-ready (depersonalized, clutter-free, minimally furnished). It’s all about removing unnecessary items, finding the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement for furnishings, and maximizing your home’s space.
Statistics have shown that a staged home will sell faster and for more money than its unstaged competition. If you don’t have a professional stager on speed dial, reach out to us and we’d be glad to help you with that.
You should also start decluttering your home as soon as possible. Whether you’ve been in the home for three, five, or 30 years, you’ve likely accumulated stuff that you don’t need or seldom use. Pack up seasonal items, donate usable stuff you no longer need, and throw away junk. Again, the goal is to make your home look as clean and open as possible.
Perhaps what’s even more pressing than clearing the inside of your home is updating its curb appeal. The exterior of the home is obviously what buyers will see first, and if that first impression doesn’t reel them in, your home selling journey will be a rough one. Make sure your lawn is mowed, the flower beds are weeded (and there’s actually flowers in there), and the shrubbery is trimmed.
“If you can repair something in the home yourself before you list it, always do so.”
After you’ve cleaned your home’s siding and improved your landscaping, head back inside, roll up your sleeves, and do a deep clean of every room. This would include getting the carpets cleaned, wiping down the baseboards, tackling dust in every nook and cranny, clearing out the filter vents, and addressing any small stains or spots on walls. Make sure you also clean out the grout between your tiles, too! If your carpet is in pretty rough shape, either have it professionally cleaned or replace it altogether.
Noticing way too many little stains on the walls? The best way to make them vanish is to add a fresh coat of paint! Painting is something you should be doing anyway if your walls aren’t already neutrally colored (e.g., whites, off-whites, beiges, grays, etc.).
Lastly, it’s time to finally tackle that ever-growing to-do list that we all keep as homeowners—fixes or replacements around the house we’ve been meaning to do. If you can repair something in the home yourself before you list it, always do so; it will save you some headaches down the road when your property undergoes an inspection.
Hopefully, these tips provided a good roadmap for you to get started on your home selling journey. If you have questions about anything mentioned in this blog or other real estate topics, please feel free to reach out to us via phone or email. We’re always happy to help in any way we can!
