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Imagine this scenario: A buyer plans to see two seemingly very comparable homes for sale. On paper, both are four bedrooms, three full baths, 2800 square feet, both built in the same year, by the same builder, in the same community. Both are even listed at the same price.
However, when the buyer goes to see these houses, the first has fresh, neutral paint, and new carpet and is staged so that it looks like a model home. Outside, the grass is cut, and everything is clean and tidy. Personal items are minimized so the buyer can envision themselves living there.
At the second house, the sellers didn’t want to do anything special to get it to ready to sell, so it is presented just as they live in it; each room is painted a different vibrant color with family photos and knick-knacks everywhere. The house smells a bit like wet dog. The exterior of the house has mildew on the siding and the grass and hedges need to be cut back.
On the market, these two houses are competing against each other. Home Buyers usually buy based on an emotional connection to a house. The house that has been made to look its best and “feels” like it could be their home will likely sell much more quickly and for a higher price.
If you are looking to sell your home quickly for the most money, there is more to do than stick a “For Sale” sign in the yard. Read on for a checklist to get your home ready to sell!
1. Hire a great Real Estate Agent
Selling your house by yourself may seem straightforward, and an easy way to save money, but there are so many moving parts to selling a home that you might want to rethink this one. Who is going to confirm the proof of funds of people wanting to see your home to ensure they can buy it? Who is going to be home to let people in for showings? Who is going to negotiate for you to get you top dollar? Who will ensure that the house shows itself in the best light for photos and showings? Who is going to provide the legal documents required by your state to make sure that it is a legal and binding contract with less room for litigation?
Think of great Realtors as shock absorbers for your car…without them, you may get to your destination, but it might be a far bumpier (and more painful) ride!
VIDEO: Why should I stage my home when I go to sell it? I love it how it is! https://fb.watch/jPVa0TLsgg/
2. Improve Curb Appeal/Exterior
If your house looks run down, cluttered and messy on the outside, chances are that potential homebuyers are going to assume that the inside looks the same way. Cut the grass and pressure-wash your home exterior and driveway. Add some flowering or pretty plants,
either in the ground or in pots to add a little beauty and visual interest. If you have a dog, make sure your yard is toy-free and poop free. If you have lots of children’s toys, stow them away to make everything look as tidy as possible.
3. Deep Clean
Potential home buyers are nosy! They will open drawers, go into closets, and look at every square inch of your home. It is worth it to either deep clean or have your home deep cleaned before listing it so that windows are sparkling clean, and all baseboards, fixtures and surfaces are dust and dirt free.
CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE A FREE "PREPARING YOUR HOUSE TO SELL CHECKLIST"
4. Declutter/Depersonalize
You only get one chance to make a first impression. You may have loved your home over the years and made it your own, but when you go to sell it, you need to try to look at it objectively, through the eyes of a buyer. You have to try to no longer see it as your home, but as a house; that someone else will make their home. Now is the time to either do a purge of unwanted/unused items, start pre-packing, and store extra stuff in a short-term rented storage space. Get on Zillow and take a look at photos of homes near you. You will likely be able to tell the difference between homes that have been staged nicely and those that haven’t.
Potential home buyers want to be able to see themselves in your house and visualize it as their own. If you have lots of family photos, knick-knacks, funky art, bold wall colors, magnets, magazines, stuff on the counters, dog beds, and kids' toys… and that is not their style or how they would live their life, it will be much harder for them to see themselves living in your house than if it was depersonalized and made neutral through staging furniture, painting walls a neutral color and taking down photos, knick-knacks and general clutter. Plus, rooms with too much furniture and clutter feel smaller regardless of their actual size.
As a side note, if you have a particular attachment to a chandelier that is a family heirloom, or that one-of-a-kind bathroom mirror that you picked up in Bali; it is much easier to take them down now and replace them with something else; before photos and before potential home buyers see them and fall in love with them and expect them to be there when they buy the house.
5. Make repairs ahead of time
You may know of some things in your house that haven’t been functioning in quite some time,
but you just haven’t gotten around to fixing them. Now is the time. Whether you get an inspector to do a “pre-inspection” so that you have a list of items to repair, or you just repair what you know needs it, a home buyer wants to buy a home that is as close to move-in ready as possible. So, go ahead and fix that doorbell that doesn’t work. Fix the leak under the guest bathroom sink. Replace the GFCI outlet that hasn’t worked in years. Fix the things that have probably bugged you for a long time, but you’ve just dealt with and gotten used to.
After picking the appropriate listing price and time to list, you’re ready to have professional photos taken of your house and list it for sale!
All of this being said, some people just don’t want to deal with the headaches of repairs, decluttering, and cleaning. It is not absolutely necessary to do any of this. You can certainly sell your home “as-is”, but just know that it may take longer to sell, and you may not get as high of a sale price. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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