Are you thinking of selling your home but don’t know where to start? Karen Mella, Realtor® with Spears & Co can help! It takes more than luck to sell a house quickly and for top dollar, but there are several steps you can take to make sure your home is prepared to convince buyers to pull out their checkbooks. Here are some key takeaways:
- To sell your home quickly and for as much money as possible, you need to plan carefully and prepare to show it off to buyers.
- Preparing your home to show to buyers requires careful planning to make necessary repairs, clean everything well, and present an organized house.
- Your goal should be to make it easy for buyers to envision themselves living in your home.
Here are some practical tips to prepare your home:
- Disassociate from Your House: Letting go of your home can be difficult, but you need to realize that the house is just a shell to be filled by other occupants. Look to the future and make new memories in your next home.
- Depersonalize Your House: Pack up personal photographs, family heirlooms, and other objects that might distract potential buyers and hurt a possible sale. You want to present buyers with an impersonal, clean environment so they can imagine the home decorated with their own photographs, furniture, and art objects.
- Declutter Your House: Discard items you haven’t used in over a year by donating them to a charity or nonprofit organization such as Goodwill. Remove books and knickknacks from bookcases, and clean everything off your kitchen counters. Essential items you use daily can be tucked away in small boxes you can place in a closet when they’re not in use.
- Organize Bedroom Closets and Storage Cabinets: Ensure your closets and cabinets are organized, as it sends a negative message if they are cluttered with items falling out. When a buyer sees everything organized down to the last detail, it shows that you take care of your possessions and likely took good care of the house.
- Consider Renting a Storage Unit: Remove pieces that block or hamper paths and walkways, and put them in storage, along with distracting furniture, artwork, and empty bookcases. Leave just enough furniture to showcase the room’s purpose with plenty of room for buyers to move around.
- Remove or Replace Favorite Items: If you plan on taking certain window coverings, built-in appliances, or fixtures with you, remove them prior to showing the house. If a buyer sees an item they love and you plan on taking it with you, it could hurt the sale.
- Make Minor Repairs: In normal markets or a buyer’s market, repairs can make or break a sale. Replace cracked floor or counter tiles, patch any holes in the walls, fix leaky faucets and doors that don’t close properly, as well as kitchen drawers that jam. Consider painting walls neutral colors, especially if they’re currently bright and bold.