You’re thinking about selling your home? Congratulations! If you’re relocating, you’ve outgrown your home, or you’re just ready for something new, selling your home can be a challenging and complex process. It can be difficult knowing where to start when you get ready to sell your home, but we’re here to help you navigate getting your home open-house ready.
The first thing to look at is your “honey-do” list. If you have a list of little things you’ve been meaning to fix up, now is a great time to start. Looking at carpet stains, stained ceilings, cracked or missing tiles, scratched floors, and dings on walls is going to be the first task you want to tackle. Outside your home look at landscaping that is easy for you to maintain on your own. Pull up weeds, fill in flower beds, and look at your driveway, walkways, and paint. Once you have a list of the small things that need to be done, you can move on to exploring larger projects you may want to have done by a professional before selling your home. If you don’t know whether you should remodel before you sell, check out this blog post on remodeling before you sell your home.
Your home is very personal. You have pictures of your family everywhere, arts and crafts projects your kids made hanging on the fridge, and probably a “catch-all” table or countertop that has a little bit of everything on it. When you get ready to sell your home you want to depersonalize and declutter your home. It can be difficult for a potential buyer to see past your personal items and the normal clutter of your home. You might even think about relocating that statement piece of furniture you bought at an estate sale. While having your home staged so buyers can visualize what it will look like you also want to create a blank canvas for them so they can see themselves at home. Having bold artwork, walls, or furniture can cause them to focus on your life there rather than imagining themselves living in the space.
Cleaning is another extremely important task when getting your house ready to sell. While continuing with your everyday cleaning, you may also consider moving appliances away from walls and looking in every nook and cranny that isn’t a part of your normal cleaning routine. It’s also best to start at the top and work your way down so you don’t drag dirt through places you’ve already cleaned. In addition, start with rooms you don’t use as often, then clean the most lived-in rooms like bedrooms, living rooms, and the kitchen last. If you have pets you may want to make sure you give your furniture and carpet a good cleaning. Pet odors can be hidden from you if you’re used to the everyday smell. Remove pet hair, and get rid of litter boxes before open houses start.
One of the most important things you can do before selling your house is finding a real estate agent to work with. They can answer any questions you have and offer advice on how to get your house ready for potential buyers to view. At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, our real estate experts are here for you every step of the home-selling process. If you’re looking to sell your home contact us today. We even have an outline of what the selling process is like. We’re ready to guide you through selling your home and buying a new one.