4 Tips to Prep Your Home For Sale
I'm getting better at this Vlog thing! Check out my latest video on the top 4 Tips to Prep Your Home For Sale where I explain why I think these are the best things to begin working on when planning to sell your home. I always suggest starting the process early, as it will greatly reduce the amount of stress and anxiety during such a turbulent process.
1. Get a Pre-Inspection - Doing this one thing can save you thousands of dollars in repair negotiations. By having this info upfront you can research what it would cost to make these repairs. So you can make an educated decision on if you will get the repairs made and use them as selling points. Or you could simply use this info as armor during the repair negotiations so that you don’t get blindsided with bad news.
2. Clean! Clean! Clean! - I can’t overstate this. The more you clean the better. And I mean clean everything! All those nooks and crannies that you’ve overlooked for years, do it. If you have carpets, get them cleaned. Consider getting grout cleaned. Clean the walls, clean the doors, all the touch spots. Be obsessive about it and keep at it until it sells. This is one of those things that never gets fully completed, you've been forewarned.
3. Spruce Up the Curb Appeal - The front of the house is the first impression potential Buyers have of your listing, make it a good one. Trimming trees, shrubs and grass are great places to start. Consider repainting the house, or maybe even just the trim. Does the garage door look like it’s in good shape? How about the windows, do they need cleaning? Sometimes folks will remove the screens to let more light into the house. “Light equals money” so they say. Power washing the driveway and sidewalks might also be a good idea. Lastly, consider planting some flowers and refreshing the mulch in flower beds. Anything and everything you do will help with the sale of your home.
4. Declutter & Depersonalize - Less is more! Remember the saying “light equals money?” This definitely applies to the inside of the home too. Large pieces of furniture that aren’t absolutely necessary should go into the garage. The rule of thumb in decluttering your closets is to remove anything from the top shelf and from the floor. Clean out your cabinets, and make sure your pantry is nicely arranged. Remove any personal items including family portraits, religious items and please for the love of everything holy remove your taxidermy if you have it. Anything valuable, whether it’s monetary or personal value, hide it and/or lock it up - same with medication and weapons. Remember that you are getting ready to move, so be ready, start boxing up anything you don’t absolutely need on a consistent basis. Including clothes, toys, knick-knacks, kitchen tools, books, antiques, and furniture. I get the question all the time about how best to store your belongings while on the market. I always suggest using the garage. Don’t worry about how the garage looks, fill it to the brim if needed. The only things to worry about are repairing any obvious damage, and leaving a clear path to any mechanical equipment such as a water heater or air handler.
That’s the list! Of course there’s plenty more to consider when Selling your home, but this is a great place to start. For my listings I always bring in an interior designer to help stage the home with sellers furniture, or to provide us with quotes on various levels of staging. Every little bit helps when trying to stand out in the market. Folks see the stories that Austin listings are getting 30+ offers and $100k over ask, but that’s not always the case. Most listings are typical/normal and require strong effort on the part of the Seller to entice Home Buyers to place an amazing offer on the listing. We want home Buyers to have a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and the best way to do that is to go above and beyond when it comes to preparing the house and presenting the house online.
If you are considering Selling your home in the next 18 months, give me a call. I'd love to discuss your options and formulate a game plan specific to you. Because of all that’s involved in preparing your home for sale, It’s never too early to begin the process. Starting early can help reduce stress and anxiety that inevitably comes up when selling your home.
Thanks for reading!