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11 Things to Consider Before Selling Your Home

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11 Things to Consider Before Selling Your Home

 

The real estate market is still heating up in much of the country. With everything going on in the world, you might be thinking that it is a great time to consider selling your home. So where do you start?

We have house selling tips, simple updating ideas, and more to help your home sell quickly, and for more money. Let us dive in and get your home sold.

1. Does Your Home Need Work?

Before selling your home, you are likely taking a look around at the state of things. Does your house need work, cleaning, and repairs before you list it? Before putting your house on the market, it is helpful to get a to-do list together for projects.

Your to-do list can include anything from deep cleaning to painting your kitchen cabinets. Anything you can do to give your home a fresh, clean appearance will help it sell faster. Buyers want to see a fresh space that they can picture themselves living in.

Your punch list does not have to include spending a lot of money. Sometimes cleaning and freshening up paint will go a long way. Think about the pictures of homes you look at online. You probably skip over photos where homes are messy and cluttered and do not look well kept.

Put yourself in a buyer’s shoes when you look around your home. This will help you come up with a to-do list and give you a starting point. From here you can determine what you and your family can do and what you will need professional help for. 

2. Check Your Curb Appeal

The front of your home is your first chance to grab a potential buyer. Buyers want to feel welcome and at home when they first pull up, so make a good impression by boosting your curb appeal.

To help improve your curb appeal, there are a few quick and inexpensive things you can do. Start by cleaning up landscape beds and removing dead plants. Freshen them up with seasonal plants and flowers to give them a fresh new facelift.

Buy a new doormat and a seasonal accessory such as a wreath, a lantern, or a pumpkin to help give guests a good feeling as they walk up. If your budget allows, a new front door can make a big impact on the front of your home. If it is not in your budget, then a fresh coat of paint can go a long way. 

3. De-Clutter and Purge

One of the best things you can do before selling your home is to declutter. Buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home. If all they see is clutter, this will be hard for them to do.

Go through each room and toss or recycle anything you do not need. Anything you want to keep but do not use often can be packed neatly out of sight so it is ready to move when the time comes. Anything else can be donated to someone in need.

Even personal items such as photographs, collections, and toys can be minimized. While you want the home to feel warm and inviting, too much clutter and personal items can give buyers the wrong impression. You want them to feel at home, not as though they are trespassing.

Make sure to give your home a good cleaning during this process as well. Buyers do not need to see piles of mail and homework. They want to see your home’s architecture and all the things you fell in love with when you first purchased it.

4. Start Packing

Once you have gone through some of your personal items, it is helpful to get a jump on packing even before you list your home. Kids' toys, seasonal clothing, collections, and other personal items can be packed away for the move.

If you have a lot of extra furniture or items you are not using anymore, consider getting a portable storage unit or putting them in temporary storage. This will clear a ton of space in your home for photos, virtual tours, and showings.

The more you can get out of your house, the bigger your home will feel. You want buyers to see all the great things about your home. You do not want them to only see your stuff.

5. Re-Paint

A fresh coat of paint will do wonders for your home. Think calm and neutral when you choose your colors. You want buyers to feel like they can just move right in.

If your home has too many taste-specific colors, buyers will likely want to re-paint. This means money being spent. The fewer projects a buyer sees, the better.

New paint will also help your home feel larger and more updated. Your rooms will be brighter, and everything will have a fresher feel. This is also a relatively inexpensive update compared to a full renovation.

If you are unsure of what colors to choose, stick to white or variations of white. A white with some gray or off-white will give the room some warmth without overpowering it.

6. Consider Small Updates

Small updates can have a big impact on how your home shows to buyers. Little updates, such as changing kitchen hardware or light fixtures, for example, will make a big difference. They will help your home appear more updated without costing you a lot of money.

Changing hardware, painting cabinets, and even re-finishing some furniture will help give your home a fresh new look. These inexpensive updates will make your home look completely different.

This is also a good time to update or fix anything that may be broken. While you may not want to spend thousands fixing your home to sell, a few hundred dollars to change broken lightbulbs or fix broken stairs will leave buyers with a good feeling. Buyers do not want to walk into a lot of projects.

7. Do Not Forget Outdoor Space

Outdoor space is more important than ever in a home. If you have a great patio or backyard, show it off. Spruce up your landscaping with a few inexpensive planters or flowers. Give it some seasonal touches to help it show well.

Make sure you clear your yard of kids' or pet toys, and stuff that can accumulate outside. Show how buyers can entertain friends and family outside. Set up your outdoor table and furniture to maximize the space.

8. How Has Real Estate Been in the Neighborhood?

Before you list your home, it is also helpful to take a look at what is happening in your neighborhood. Go to some open houses or look online at nearby homes for sale. Check out prices and the condition of their homes.

You want to spend a little money to help your home show better without overspending for the neighborhood. It is helpful to see what homes you are competing with and how long homes have been on the market.

Many areas have real estate markets that are busier than ever. You will likely see how quickly the good houses around you are selling. The more you can do to help your home show better, the quicker the process will be.

9. Consider When You’d Like to Move

Before you sell your house, you are likely figuring out your next move. Whether you have a house picked out already or you are just getting started, take the time to consider when you want to move.

If you have small children in school, for example, you will likely want to wait until the spring or summer when school is over. The season also makes a big difference when it comes to the traffic in the real estate market.

10. Speak with a Real Estate Agent

The next step before selling is enlisting the help of a professional realtor. A professional real estate agent knows the market and understands what your home needs to sell.

Real estate agents who work with companies like Hommati also have amazing marketing tools at their fingertips. From virtual tours to renderings, virtual staging, and professional photography, you want this technology to help your home sell quickly.

11. Is Your Home Photo and Tour Ready?

After all your hard work, it is time to take a look around. Is your home photo-ready? Is it ready for in-person and virtual home tours? If the answer is yes, you can feel good about getting your home on the market.

Any small update or clean-up project you do will go a long way to helping your home show better. Remember to keep things light, neutral, and bright.

The Checklist for Selling Your Home

Selling your home is an exciting time. These easy tips will help you prepare and feel confident in listing your home. Any small project or update you make will help make the process quicker and more seamless.

If you are ready to get your home ready for sale, fill out the contact form here. You will be put in touch with a real estate agent who can help get your home sold quickly.