Right now is a great time to sell your home! But you may be thinking, how do I even begin to get my house ready to sell? There are a few first steps that you can take to really make your house shine and give you your best shot at getting your home sold fast and for a higher value.
Fix any Known Issues
Once you are under contract, the buyer(s) will most likely perform an inspection, but you can save yourself time and money by fixing anything that you know is an issue before listing. An inspection report with a ton of findings can often scare off a buyer. So when you are thinking about selling your home, go around and see what needs some repairs and have them fixed on the front end!
Make Any Updates Necessary
When you have a realtor come to look at your house, ask them if there are any updates you can make to help you get more value out of your home. Sometimes there are no updates that will be financially beneficial and therefore not necessary. One update that is always a good idea is fresh paint in a neutral color throughout the house. Realtors are in houses all the time and have a good grip on what is selling and what is not selling in the current market. So before you go and buy all of Home Depot to re-do your entire house, talk to a realtor and let them save you some time and money by focusing only on what will give you a good return.
DE-CLUTTER
This is by far the hardest but most important task to get your home ready to list. When buyers enter your home they need to be able to see their own decor and furniture there and not be distracted by too much of your personal stuff. A good tip for de-cluttering is to go ahead and pack it away in the moving boxes. The rule of thumb is anything you do not need to live in the house on a daily basis should be packed away. Trust us, when you are under contract and only have a few weeks to get all of your belongings out of the house you will be so glad you got a head start. Furniture can stay if needed so buyers can see how it all fits in each room, but you can also start to sell any furniture that you do not want to take with you to your next place! An empty house shows much better than a cluttered house!
Talk With a Realtor to Make a Plan
Once you have your house ready to list it is time to make your plan! You and your agent will go over the comps and come up with the best listing price for your house. After that, it is time for professional pictures and then the house will hit the market! While there are showings, it is important to keep your house as clean as possible. Think about all of the things that you would like/dislike when seeing homes and try to make your house the best shown house possible!
If you are ready to list your house, or you have some questions about the process let us know! We have 2 packages with different commission structures, the basic (everything you need to sell your house) for 1.5% and the concierge for 2.5%. If you buy and sell with us those commissions drop to 1% and 2%. For more information on these packages go to our listing tab or send us a message on social media or call us! 615-467-8000.
