Get Your House READY to List A Seller’s Checklist

A seller shouldn’t just list their home without doing some thinking and planning first. The better the home appears to potential Buyers, the better chance the seller will have in selling the home for as much money as possible. Below we have put together a checklist of things we suggest every seller should think about prior to Listing their home for sale.

Sell Your House for Top Dollar

Buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home, so it’s super important to declutter and stage your home to make it look its absolute best. This means removing personal belongings, decluttering closets and cabinets and staging each room to make it look as inviting as possible. Oftentimes you can use your own furniture, etc…and do it yourself. Just remember, less tends to be more. When I sold my last home, for instance, I rented a Pod, filled it up with all of our excess furniture and items we didn’t have to have and had the Pod shipped off to be stored. (Oftentimes, I’ve seen sellers using their Garage as a Pod, for the storage of clutter, toys, etc…) I used what was left to stage my home, again making it as inviting and neutral as possible so each potential buyer could picture themselves living in my space. Also, keep in mind that over time, we tend to accumulate a whole bunch of stuff. Much of it, stuff we don’t really need. Use moving as a great excuse to downsize and get rid of junk you don’t really want or need. Not taking excess stuff with you from house to house will save you time and money over the long run!

Buyers are much more likely to make an offer on a home that is in good repair.

Take extra time to make any necessary repairs and improvements, such as fixing leaky faucets, painting walls or replacing carpeting. I always tell my clients to leave the big improvements for the new buyer to make but the minor, average, everyday stuff that’s annoyingly visible, take care of. Buyers tend to see a lot and they seem to focus on negative things. As a general rule, large fixes or updating will cost you money that you won’t get back from the sale. We’d much rather you keep that money in your pocket!

Make sure you clean your home, and keep it clean, from top to bottom while your house is on the market. Buyers will be paying close attention to how clean your home is, so you must clean thoroughly and often, keeping it clean and fresh at all times. Buyers often associate the level of cleanliness to how well the house itself has been maintained. You just never know when the “right” buyer is coming through. All rooms in the house should be clean and smell great, including and especially the Kitchen and Bathrooms. Scents should be neutral, the last thing you want to do is trigger a potential buyer’s allergies. I prefer clean smelling scents or candles that make the home feel clean and fresh.

Pay very close attention to the exterior front of the home.

Curb appeal is not just a cheesy Realtor saying. It’s very important and experts say that most people make up their mind about the house as they walk up to the front door. The lawn should be mowed, shrubs trimmed, fresh mulch put down, flowers, doors painted and siding should be clean (powerwash if necessary). The house needs to appear well maintained and it can be super simple. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. The last thing you want after listing your home on the market for sale, is a potential buyer not even making it out of their car after pulling up to your home! There’s nothing worse than receiving feedback from a potential, qualified buyer that they didn’t even make it into your house.

How do Buyers first come across your home on the market? They find your home from viewing pictures of it online. Professional photos can be the difference maker in how many showings you get and subsequently how many offers you receive. We highly recommend hiring a professional photographer to take photos and video of your home. Real estate photography has a very specific look and if your pictures don’t have it, it’s going to stand out like a sore thumb. I think that having a good photographer shoot your home, highlighting its best features, is absolutely imperative to attaining top dollar for your home and afterall, that’s what we’re selling for, right?

Competitive Home Pricing Is A Key To Success

Finally, our most important tip for getting your home ready to list is to price your home competitively for your market/neighborhood. You can very easily do some research for yourself using many different online tools available to anyone out there. However, you cannot beat hiring a good agent, who comes highly recommended from people you trust. That agent will be able to use tools you may not have access to, to see data that he or she can present to you, to paint a picture of what range your house should sell in. There are many different strategies when determining price and much of that is dependent upon the current market, which literally changes as often as the weather. (Stay tuned for an upcoming blog where we discuss in detail the strategies of pricing and listing your home for sale.) Having a professional help you navigate the data, the market and the numbers is integral to being happy with the process and the outcome.

Finding The Best Company to Sell Your Home

Selling your home is a complex undertaking that requires lots of work and planning to pull off successfully. The list above will help you navigate the process a bit easier. If you’re thinking about listing your home for sale follow us on social media or check us out on our website at www.mrlisterrealty.com. Good luck preparing your home for sale! Following these steps will get you ahead of your peers and on track for getting top dollar!