People often tell me they’d like to sell their home, but first they want to fix it up before putting it on the market. But exactly what should you do to prepare your house for sale?
There are many different suggestions ranging in expense as to what a seller should do to prepare for getting the most out of the sale of their home in the shortest time possible. The most important thing, however, is to hire a real estate professional to sell it for you and guide you through the process. Once you have selected the broker you would like to use, that person can help you decide from the following list, which of the following will help you maximize your ROI.
1. Get an Appraisal and/or Home Inspection
It is try that an appraisal is something required by lenders and paid for by buyers. However, sometimes finding comps on a very unique or rural property is challenging. You may net more money in the long run by paying for an independent appraisal prior to putting your home on the market. Likewise, paying up front for a home inspection will allow you to learn of potential deal breakers or major issues that need attention. As with an appraisal, the buyer usually pays for any inspections themselves, but by being proactive, you gain negotiating power, especially if you provide potential buyers of copies of the appraisal and the inspection report, along with a list of any repairs you have already taken care of.
2. Get Estimates for Repairs or Replacement
No matter how well you have maintained your home, the inspection will always list at least some items that need attention. If there is anything major that you know you do not have the funds for, go ahead and get estimates for the work and consider factoring those costs into your listing price.
3. Make Minor Repairs
Some of the suggested repairs will not cost much at all, such as leaky faucets, cracked caulking, missing GFCI outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms, so go ahead and fix those. They may seem trivial, but they often give buyers a sense that your home has not been well-maintained.
4. De-personalize, De-clutter and Purge
If you have a lot of furniture, remove some and put it in storage. Consider hiring a stager to assist with deciding what to keep and what to store. Remove family photos and personal items from sight. If you have your child(ren)’s name displayed anywhere, particularly their bedroom, remove it as well. In today’s age of technology, a predator who views your listing online can then have your child’s name and address. Remove or hide as much evidence of pets as possible for both photos and showings.
5. Do a Thorough Cleaning
Cleanliness, or lack thereof, can be a dealbreaker. If your house is not tidy and clean, a buyer may be too distracted to notice all of the great things your home has to offer and may also feel like the home has not been well-maintained.
If you can, hire someone to do a very deep cleaning before putting your house on the market. It will allow you to spend less time on that and more on other details that need attention.
If not, open and wash interior and exterior windows to air out your rooms. Vacuum and clean carpet and mop and wax floors. Also clean curtains and upholstery. Wash light fixtures, mirrors, moldings and baseboards and clean and remove fingerprints from all appliances, doorknobs and light switch plates.
Attention to detail is important, too. Clean and organize inside closets and cabinets and make sure to clean your garage and basement, too.
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