Reading Time: 3-4 minutes
In this blog you will learn 8 things to do before selling/showing your home. These simple and cost effective tactics will help put your property above the pack.
So before you put your house on the market, peruse this checklist of things you must do in preparation. Some of these tips are surprisingly easy, while others might require a bit more elbow grease. But they’re bound to pay off once buyers start oohing and ahhing over your place—and hopefully ponying up a great offer.
- Find a great real estate agent
Think you can sell your home yourself, and pocket the cash you would otherwise pay an agent? It can be tempting, especially in a hot market, but resist the urge, says Jon Sterling, a real estate consultant with Keller Williams Realty in San Francisco. He’s found that a “For Sale by Owner” transactions is almost always a disaster, leading you to sacrifice both money and time.
That said, don’t just blindly hire the agent who most recently sent you a flier or the one your uncle’s friend’s co-worker’s cousin used. Do some research to find a real estate agent (or ideally a few) who is knowledgeable about your specific market, and then interview him or her to make sure he/ she’s a good fit. Ask the agent these five questions and this will provide helpful information in your selection process. How much real estate have you sold this year? What type of advertisement will you provide for my property? Will you do open houses (don’t let them tell you they are not effective)? What is your game plan once the home is on the market? How many listings do you have (if the agent says 40 plus it going to be challenging for them to know the details about each home).
- Consider your curb appeal
Make sure the first thing prospective buyer’s see of your home entices them to want to see more. Yes, for better or worse, buyers do tend to judge a book by its cover. By investing some effort in relatively easy fixes like planting colorful flowers and repainting your front door, the outside of your house can beckon them to come on in.
- Declutter/ organize living areas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyEYc0XmHpA short video explaining how to organize on a budget.
Less is definitely more when it comes to getting your house ready to show, notes Boris Sharapan Fabrikant, a real estate broker with Triplemint. Buyers feel more comfortable about a home if everything is organized.
Do a clean sweep of counters, windowsills, tables, and all other visible areas, and then tackle behind closed doors: closets, drawers, and cupboards—since virtually nothing is off-limits for curious buyers. And if the house is overflowing with stuff, they might worry that the house won’t have ample space for their own belongings.
Take the excess and donate or pack it up for a storage space. The bonus to taking care of this now is that it’s one less chore you’ll have to do when it’s actually time to move.
4.Repaint walls to neutral tones
You might love that orange accent wall, but if it’s your potential buyer’s least favorite color, that could be a turnoff, warns Sharapan Fabrikant.
“You’re pretty safe with a neutral color because it’s rare that someone hates it, but the other benefit is that a light color allows [buyers] to envision what the walls would look like with the color of their choice,” he points out.
5.Patch holes in walls and add covers to outlets
Even if you’re not doing a full-on repainting project, pay special attention to scrubbing and then touching up baseboards, walls, and doors to make the house sparkle and look cared-for. Also patch holes in walls( and then paint it to match) add covers to outlets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K37G2j0K8BA short video how to patch a wall.
6. Conduct a smell test
In my opinion this is one of the biggest deal breakers when I’m showing homes. If a buyer smells smoke, dogs, or even sewer they start heading towards the door. Maybe your use to the smells but the buyer isn’t. I recommend inviting an unbiased third party to try to detect any pet smells or lingering odors from your kitchen.
If the smells are pervasive, you might need to do some deep cleaning, because many buyers are on to your “masking techniques” such as candles or plug-in room deodorizers.
7.Deep Clean
You want your property to look spotless. Buyers senses are ultra focused when they are looking at a home. Take special care with the bathroom, making sure the tile, counters, shower, and floors shine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Pu7jKBKvM Bathroom cleaning hacks
8.Be realistic about your homes value and have some flexibility.
Don’t undercut yourself on your homes value but don’t over price it out of the market. Curious about the value of your home call me (740)352-5949 or email me [email protected] and I will give you a CMA( Custom Market Analysis) on your homes value. Buyers have useful information on home values and they quickly realize if your property is overpriced. Also put yourself in a position that allows you to have wiggle room for negotiating offers.
