WHAT TO DO BEFORE LISTING YOUR HOME
At the Young Team, we have been helping thousands of sellers all over Northeast Ohio for two decades. We have always stressed that the home preparation process is just as important as the process of putting your home on the market. This will ultimately impact the results and outcome of your home sale.
Before you list your home for sale, it’s important to make sure it is in the best possible condition. Take care of any necessary repairs, declutter, depersonalize and clean so that potential buyers can see the full potential of your home.
The most important recommendation we make to home sellers who are thinking about selling their home is to start talking with your agent in the early stages. An expert real estate agent will look at your home with a fresh set of eyes and have a different perspective on potential repairs, improvements and cleaning that is necessary. They could potentially save you time and money based on their recommendations.
To take this a step further, we always recommend that sellers who are certain they are ready to sell their home get a pre-sale home inspection. This will allow you to get ahead of any objections a buyer may have once you go under contract.
If you do not want to make the investment of time and/or money to get your home “market ready”, you should explore our Upfront Cash Offer that we mentioned in the previous step.
MAKE REPAIRS
Take a close look at your home and make a list of any necessary repairs. These repairs may include fixing leaky faucets, patching holes in the walls, and replacing any broken light fixtures. Although these are seemingly small tasks, they can make a big difference when buyers view your property. It’s also important to note that some repairs have a much bigger return on investment than others!
DECLUTTER
This is the easiest way to show your home in its best light without spending more money. Remove unnecessary items from your home to make it appear more spacious and organized. This may include removing personal items, extra furniture, and excess clutter from countertops and other surfaces. Consider renting a storage unit to store any items you don’t need while your home is on the market. Here is a checklist of decluttering
depersonalize
Do you have family photos from your honeymoon hanging out? Pictures of your kids and dogs? Diplomas or lifetime achievements hanging on the wall? These are all things that distract buyers while they’re looking at your home and they may struggle to envision themselves living there. There is an art to having a home feel warm and inviting without having personalized items that distract buyers. Here is a checklist for depersonalizing your home.
DeEP CLEAN
Give your home a thorough cleaning to make it look its best for potential buyers. This includes cleaning floors, windows, and surfaces, as well as deep cleaning any carpets or upholstery. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which are often key selling points for homes. If you don’t have the time or resources to do so, we recommend hiring a cleaning company to do the job for you.
STAGE YOUR HOME
Consider hiring a professional home stager to help you make the most of your home’s potential. They can provide advice on furniture placement, decor, and other aspects of staging your home to appeal to potential buyers. See a before and after from one of our listings that utilized a staging company to sell.
If your home is going to be vacant, and you don’t want to invest in partnering with a staging company, you can explore the option to have your home virtually staged. While do not generally recommend it, as in certain instances it may appear inauthentic.
curb appeal
Make sure the exterior of your home looks its best. Trim overgrown plants, mow the lawn, and clean up any debris or clutter from the yard. Consider adding a fresh coat of paint or updating your front door to create a welcoming entryway for potential buyers. Here are the least expensive curb appeal improvements with the biggest impact on the sale of your home.
By following this comprehensive checklist, you’ll be able to prepare your home for sale and make a great first impression to potential buyers. In the next step, we’ll talk about pricing your home and how to arrive at the right asking price.