Preparing the home for viewing prior to listing for sale is a great way to receive an offer shortly after the home is listed. The longer a home remains on the market, the harder it can become to sell.
Repairs, staging and cleaning, can help you get a better deal, but can also be a time consuming and expensive process.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of the preparations to sell your home so you can get the most out of your efforts.
- Identify the repairs
The day to day wear and tear adds up, particularly if this property was your main resident for a long time. From squeaky doors to stuck windows to toilets that don’t flush properly, it’s easy to ignore small problems that seem like quirks.
To people looking to purchase the house these are bargaining chips when it comes time to close. Too many repairs can make buyers concerned about whether there’s a more serious problems awaiting them, which can keep you from getting a good deal.
Examine the house room by room and write down any repairs that require your attention. Look for cracks, holes, chips or dents in the walls and floors.
Kitchen appliances should be in good working condition. Inspect cabinets and drawers to make sure they open and close with no issue. Fixtures and drains in the kitchen and bathroom should be tight and functional. The tiles in the bathtub and shower should not be cracked. Also, watch for signs of water damage.
Check your heating system, the ventilation, and air conditioning systems should be functional and leak-free. So are water heaters, smoke detectors, control panels and circuit breakers.
Once you finish inspecting the inside of your house, start looking at your outdoor area, check your canopies, balcony and windows. Look for damage such as flaking, cracking, or rotting. Decks and patios must be in good condition. The fence must be free of rot, rust and other damage. Landscaping should be cut back from the house to eliminate the possibility of damage.
Some repairs can be simple do-it-yourself projects possible with rented tools from HomeDepot, like patching holes in drywall or cleaning slow drains. If you’re new to this type of repair, you might need to hire professionals.
Repairs and upgrades can add value to your home, so the impact on your home’s value and the associated time and costs should be weighed.
A pre-sales inspection ensures that all necessary repairs to the sale have been made before the buyer enters. If the inspection reveals costly issues such as a new roof being needed, you can choose to have the repairs done or the price of your home slightly reduced to account for the necessary repairs. increase. According to HomeAdvisor, an inspection typically costs between $200 and $483.
- Declutter and clean – To make the home look more spacious.
Having big spaces is often a great selling point, a big kitchen, bathroom and bathroom are what buyers are looking for. Professional staging agents advise to remove 50% of items, this might require you to rent a storage unit.
Once you finish decluttering hire a cleaning crew to give your house s sparkling finish. Cleaning services can be quite expensive depending on the size of your home and the amount of work required, but it will definitely increase your chances to give the buyers a good impression of your home.
- Repaint and redecorate in a neutral way.
In addition to decluttering, consider de-personalizing your home. The goal is for the buyer to fall in love with your home, imagine living in it, and imagine what their things in it. I have.
De-personalize the space by removing things such as family photos, souvenirs, religious icons, diplomas and certificates, hobby items, and collections such as CDs and DVDs.
Also repaint your walls in neutral colors, a fresh coat of paint can give your home a fresh and new look. In fact, re-painting is the most common recommendations realtors make to sellers before listing their home for sale. Color can help make small spaces look bigger and can accentuate architectural details. But be careful with your color choices. Experts recommend warm, neutral colors such as beige, tan, white or grey. These shades go with anything and help buyers visualize what they have in their home.
For best results, prep the room by cleaning the walls of dust and dirt, repairing damage and holes, applying painter’s tape, and covering furniture and floors with a cloth. It’s not difficult, but painting can take some time.
You don’t want the buyer to feel like they’re intruding on you. You don’t want your buyers to get distracted by their belongings and miss out on the home’s key features.
- Set the right price.
Setting the right price requires a certain knowledge of your local market. Set the price too high and you might not be able to sell for a long time, set it too low and you might miss out on a few thousand dollars. In addition, it is important to know that most buyers filter their search based on price, size and location. A realtor will you determine the cost of your home. Generally speaking realtors take 6% commission on the sale price.
If the requirements to prepare your home for sale are too time consuming or too expensive you always have the option of selling your house to a cash-buyer which will take it “As-is” this can be great way to sell your house hassle-free.
