Is there a great job opportunity taking you to a new city? Upgrading or downsizing? Or are you just looking for a change? Whatever the reason, moving houses can be an exciting and stressful time. It can be hard for beginners to know where to start.
To help you navigate the process, we’ve compiled seven tips to get you started. It should be easy to get your house on the market as soon as possible.
1. Decide if you want to sell independently or with an agent
Both options have their pros and cons. Selling independently will keep more money in your pocket after the sale, and gives you more control over the entire selling process. However, selling independently will leave you with all the paperwork, including the deed, bill of sale, tax documents, etc. Some might find this overwhelming, and selling with a realtor can take some of this burden off.
On the other hand, selling with an agent gives you access to their expertise. They know how to market to potential buyers and negotiate to get you the best offer. Working with a realtor also gives you access to their social media and professional network, which in turn gets more people interested in your house.
The downside? They’ll charge a pretty penny for their services. The standard commission rate for real estate agents is 5-6% of the selling price.
2. Research the market
There’s no point going through the effort of staging and showing your home if the housing market is ice cold. It’s worth putting in some time to research the market in your city and neighborhood. Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? What are similar properties currently going for in your area?
Finding the answers to these questions will help you decide if selling is the right choice right now. If you do sell, figure out how much you could get from the homes for sale.
3. Do a quick walkthrough of the house
Living in a home for so long can make us blind to its imperfections. Do a walkthrough of your home and look for any small repairs that can be done. Those nail holes in the living room or that peeling corner of wallpaper in the bedroom might seem minor to you. Yet, they could potentially turn off buyers coming through to view the property.
Minor imperfections like these can easily be fixed. These repairs will really help your home shine and come across as well taken care of.
4. Declutter the house
Preparing to sell your home is the perfect time to declutter. Not only will it make things easier when moving, but it’s an important step that will make it easier to stage and show your home. In fact, when asked what the most important home improvement project before selling a home is, 93% of realtors answered with decluttering.
Decluttering will create more space in your home, making it easier when it comes time to stage the space. During an open house, a clutter-free home will allow potential buyers to focus on the home itself and visualize what the space will look like when they move in.
5. Deep clean the house
Buyers expect a property to be in “lived-in” condition, but that doesn’t mean a deep clean won’t blow them away when they come for a walk through! Think steam cleaning carpets, polishing wood floors, washing walls to get rid of any marks, and maybe even replacing yellowed plug and light switch covers.
Just like with the home repairs mentioned earlier, these are relatively quick chores. They’ll definitely elevate your property and impress potential buyers.
6. Stage the house before selling
Staging refers to the arrangement of furniture and other interior elements to appeal to the largest pool of buyers. Rather than putting your personal twist on your home, you’ll be showing off its best features in a neutral way. Staging also helps to hide any imperfections in your home that can’t be fixed before you need to sell.
Staging is important in getting you the best offer possible; research shows that 23% of realtors reported higher offers (between 1% and 5%) compared to similar homes that were not staged. Whether you stage your home yourself or hire a service, the money you spend will find its way back to you when you sell your home.
7. De-personalize the house
You might think having photos or knickknacks around will make your property welcoming and cozy. For potential buyers, these items can feel like they’re walking in on someone’s private home rather than a property for sale. To avoid this, take any family photos off the walls.
If you’re worried about the walls seeming too bland, consider replacing these items with some art pieces or non-personal photographs like landscapes or nature. Things like personalized décor and souvenirs should also be put away to make it as easy as possible for buyers to envision themselves living on the property.
There are many steps to take when preparing to sell your home. It can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into steps like we’ve done above can make the process smoother.