If you’ve never sold a property before, the process may be both time-consuming and emotionally taxing.
When you’ve decided on selling your home, you’ll have to deal with people coming into your house and opening your cupboards and closets, so it might seem like an invasion of privacy at times.
They’ll even criticize a property that may have a deeper meaning to you, and give less money than you believe your house is worth. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for our eight essential steps you need to take, before starting the selling process.
- Selling Your Home 101: Highlight Curb Appeal
Buyers certainly tend to evaluate a book by its cover, for better or worse. A solid first impression of your property can entice prospective buyers to stop by an open house or arrange a tour, allowing you to show them more.
Investing a little time and money on simple improvements like planting flowers and repainting your front door may make your property seem more appealing to potential buyers.
Before selling your property, contact your real estate agent for suggestions on how others in your neighborhood have updated the outside before doing so.
- Eliminate Clutter in Your Home’s Interior Spaces
When it comes to preparing your home for a showing, less is more.
After cleaning all of the exposed surfaces, such as countertops and windowsills, move on to the more private corners of the home, such as closets and drawers, as no part of your home is safe from the prying eyes of potential buyers. Plus, don’t forget that you can get your furniture delivered for less to give your home a fresh and appealing look during the staging process.
Buyers may be concerned about the lack of storage space if the property is crammed with clutter. In order to get a mortgage, they’ll have to pay for a storage unit.
Donate anything you don’t need or keep it somewhere if you have more. Cluttering your property will not only make it more desirable to potential buyers, but it will also make it easier for you to relocate if you accept an offer on a new residence. If some of your belongings are already packed, moving out will be a lot simpler.
- Depersonalize Your Home Space
What’s next on your to-do list once you’ve listed your property for sale? In order for buyers to see themselves and their families living in the home, sellers should eliminate any potential sources of distraction.
In order to make the property more attractive to the general public, sellers should remove personal objects and family pictures, as well as bright artwork and furnishings.
The idea is to provide customers with a blank canvas on which to paint their own fantasies of what it would be like to live there and enjoy it. Otherwise, they might feel like your asking price is too much, and this can lead to negative equity.
- Take Care of Any Minor Blemishes
Keep in mind that even if you’re not undertaking a full-scale paint job on the home, you should still pay extra attention to cleaning and then touching up the baseboards, walls, and doors.
Selling any house may be challenging, but it can be more challenging to sell a house that has a slew of minor issues and requires minor repairs. When prospective buyers attend an open house or a home tour, they’re hoping to fall in love with the property, not discover a laundry list of maintenance issues.
Before placing your property on the market, do any necessary repairs to make a good first impression on potential buyers.
When you have a property that is in good condition and ready to move in, you are more likely to get offers from potential buyers.
- Fix Any Loose Handles
It’s a little detail, but it may have a big impact on a buyer’s impression of the property.
‘What else is broken here?’ might cause people to pause and wonder.
To a buyer, making an offer and then committing to a loan is a significant step. When you’re trying to sell your house, you don’t want any potential buyers to have any doubts about the quality of your property.
- Put in a Few Plants
Keep in mind that green is an excellent color to utilize when decorating your home: Plants generate a cheerful and pleasant atmosphere. Alternatively, a bowl of fruit or a bunch of flowers may be a nice addition to the kitchen or dining room.
Plants and other natural features may add a dash of color and vitality to your home’s design.
- Perform a Sniff Test
The difficulty with foul scents is that you may not even notice them until it’s too late.
He advises allowing a neutral third party inside your kitchen to see if they can identify any leftover pet aromas or scents.
Do some thorough cleaning if the odors are widespread. Many buyers are aware of sellers’ “masking strategies,” such as candles or plug-in room deodorizers. Because lavender or fake citrus smells might be off-putting to certain buyers, it’s a bad idea to cover up odors with harsher scents.
- Ensure Cleanliness at All Times
Once you’ve finished cleaning, go back and do it again. Even if you don’t care what potential buyers think about your home’s smell, you still want it to seem clean.
The greatest time to have professional photographs taken of your property is when it looks its best, so plan accordingly. Of course, you’ll want your home to appear just like the photos you’ve seen.
Your house has to be spotless for potential buyers, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll arrange a last-minute tour. Make sure the tile, countertops, shower, and flooring in the bathroom are sparkling clean.
Selling Your House: Simplified
Regardless of the reason behind wanting to sell a home, the actual selling process can be a huge deterrent to many homeowners.
We hope that our guide has shed some light on how you can start selling your home and prepare it for showing in eight simple steps. And, if you’re feeling shaky on the details, you should check out our real estate section for more tips and fresh strategies.
Also published on Medium.
