If you’ve considered selling your home, then chances are you’ll want to get as much for your home as possible. Working with a qualified real estate agent will obviously play a large role in making sure that happens, but there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your home is properly positioned to all potential buyers.
When you work with Lion Crest Real Estate, we will help you to make sure your home is presented properly. We believe it’s part of our job to make sure you’re always well taken care of! However, we believe that everyone should have the right advice and the right knowledge, we’re here to shed a little light and help those who want to get a head start or didn’t get the advice they were hoping from their Realtor.
1. Disassociate from Your House
This is not an easy task, especially if you’ve never moved before. Letting go of your home can be challenging and that’s perfectly okay. Detaching from your home means letting go of the emotional connection to your home and realizing that wherever you call home is not what you’re in but who’s in it. Think about the new memories you will create in your next home. After all, a house isn’t a home without the people in it.
2. Depersonalize Your House
Again, this can be challenging but putting away personal photographs, family heirlooms and other objects that might distract a potential buyer will help you in the long run. You want to allow a potential buyer to feel like they are walking into their future home and unfortunately, having photographs of your family there will not help them do that. Ultimately, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to see themselves living in your home.
When it comes to furniture, you want to leave pieces that are not overwhelming. Again, having a bright yellow polka dot couch might be a bit hard for a potential seller to see them living there with their grey leather furniture. Having furniture that isn’t distracting is really the goal here.
3. Declutter Your House
If you’ve never moved in 20 years, chances are you’ve collected a few things. It’s in our nature, over the years we will pick up items that have an emotional attachment and we have a hard time parting with them. However, you probably have some items that you haven’t used in years. Consider this stage the “pre-packing” stage. Get rid of items that you haven’t used in a long time by donating them to a local non-profit or someone you know who may be able to use them or repurpose them. Essential items that you still use can be tucked away and out of sight in a space where you can still easily access them as needed.
4. Organizing Closets
Any potential buyer is going to be curious about the storage in your home. The last thing you want them to do is to open a closet and see stuff everywhere. If they open a closet and it’s cluttered with things falling in it, it doesn’t allow them to focus on the storage space but really only how messy you are. When a potential buyer sees everything organized down to the last detail, it shows that you care and take good care of the home.
5. Make Minor Repairs
In some markets, like the current market you can probably get away with not having to do much to your home in terms of overall repairs. However, in a neutral market or a buyer’s market small imperfections might make or break a sale. However, as housing prices go up people can be pickier on certain things that might turn them away, so we always say it’s better to be safe than sorry. We’re not talking about redoing an entire floor, but fixing a chipped or cracked tile can make a difference – especially if it’s in plain sight.
Another thing that seems super obvious, but make sure all of your light bulbs are functional. Lighting your home is one of the most important things when it comes time to sell, not only for potential buyers but when your home is being photographed, good lighting is always key.
6. Cleaning
Last but certainly not least, cleaning your home is going to make all of the difference when preparing your home for sale. All of what we mentioned above goes along with this category but having a clean and tidy home will be sure to impress any potential buyer. We aren’t just referring to the inside but also the outside. Inside, be diligent to vacuum daily – especially if you have showings booked. Make sure you wipe down all of the countertops , windows and mirrors. Any surface that is highly reflective will show dirt very easily and can be discouraging to a potential buyer.
On the exterior, especially in the summertime, keep windows cleaned and your gardens and lawn well maintained. This might mean having to water more than what you typically would but having a lush green lawn and well-manicured gardens will make your house pop out more. If cleaning is too much on your plate, ask about our cleaners we have in house!
This is where we say, that’s it! But the truth is, this can be just the beginning. The above-mentioned steps will definitely help you to get you on the right path for a successful sale of your home, but the truth is preparing your home for sale involves a lot more. We highly recommend you work with a realtor who will help you through this process to make sure that your best interests are always taken care of. We always suggest staging a home professionally and we have a built great relationships with staggers and cleaning companies that will allow you to sleep easy knowing that you’re in good hands. If you’ve considered selling your home and want an expert opinion, make sure to contact us for some friendly advice.
