Preparing Your Home For Sale Checklist
Do you need a checklist for getting your house ready to sell?
Over the years, many clients have asked me what to do before selling their houses. Who wouldn’t want to be prepared for their home sale? Right?
The hard work begins now that you have decided to sell your house. No matter how much deliberation went into the decision, the effort is nothing compared to prepping your home for sale.
What you do before the for sale sign goes on your front lawn is as vital as when it finally arrives.
This is why it is essential to make a list of things to do before selling a home and start as soon as possible.
It will take some time to prepare your home for the market and the buyers that will hopefully come pouring through your door.
When you want to sell your home, it is what you do before the process starts that can have a significant impact on your success.
Fortunately, if you do everything right, you should have a leg up on the competition.
Over the years, the clients that have asked me what things to tackle before selling their house and then proceeded to do them are the most successful!
Here are my best tips to get your home ready to sell.
How to Get Your House Ready to Sell
Want to know how to get a house ready to sell? We will be covering in-depth thirteen things to do before selling a house.
Before putting your home up for sale, get organized and pay attention to what is essential. Taking the time to prepare for a home sale is critical.
For most people selling a home is one of their most considerable assets. When you take the necessary time to get it spruced up, you will increase the odds of realizing the maximum return possible.
1. Get Your Paperwork Together
One of the essential things before selling a house is gathering the necessary paperwork. This may seem like a tedious first step, but it is surprisingly relevant. Whoever buys your home will come into a complex system designed for comfortable living.
A lot goes into a modern home, from HVAC systems, utility bills, plumbing systems, electrical systems, and numerous appliances.
Keeping it all up and running is usually not too difficult if you know what has been done before and how it was done. If you don’t, though, it can be a real headache.
Buyers want to know about maintenance schedules, what companies you used to do the maintenance, what utility bills have been throughout the year, and anything else that pertains to the home.
Not only does it show how the house functions, but it also makes it easier for the new owners to take over the reins.
One helpful thing you or the Realtor you hire could do is put together a real estate marketing booklet showing how to maintain your home and providing the buyer with other helpful info on your property and the community.
Your real estate agent will probably ask you for additional items, such as a plot plan of your lot, the deed, and any other information that could help sell the house.
2. Check on The Little Things
One of the most vital steps is staging a home. It doesn’t need to be done by a professional. There are things you can do as part of a checklist to get the house ready to sell.
The longer you live in your home, the easier it is to get used to things as they are, even if the way they are is unappealing.
Also, if you are on an extremely tight budget, you should take a day and look around your home for the little things that are out of whack and easily fixed.
Does your mailbox look beaten up and rusted out? Install a new one. Are your kitchen light fixtures from 1973? Consider changing them out for inexpensive modern versions.
Try to see things as a buyer would and fix the things you can adjust.
Even things like touch-up paint can go a long way in making the buyer feel like they have less to do to get the property feeling like their home.
I have compiled a list of staging items to do before putting a home up for sale that should be pretty helpful in making the process go smoothly.
These are simple home staging and preparation tips that will go toward making your home look fresh. Take a look!
3. Get Some Additional Opinions
If you have resided in your property for many years, it may be challenging to appreciate its less desirable attributes. We all get emotionally attached to our homes.
Ask those close to you – like family members or neighbors – for their frank assessments. If you have a real estate agent selected, they can also be invaluable for candid opinions. What are the main drawbacks? Are there any significant flaws that need rectifying before selling it?
Significant renovations are not a wise return on investment, but some simple cosmetic changes could be beneficial. For example, touch-up painting or changing out some hardware could be helpful.
4. Erase Evidence of Pets
Most real estate agents will tell you how it’s necessary to erase evidence of pets in the house. Preparation for selling a home with a pet is vital!
If possible, you must make it look like you never had a pet. As pet owners, we all become accustomed to the smells and mess our dogs or cats create.
New buyers will not have this immunity, though. They will smell the smells and notice the fur, stains, and wreckage left behind by your animal.
Do whatever it takes to eliminate these signs, including shampooing or replacing the carpet, repairing sod and fences, and keeping the dog at a friend’s house during showings.
5. Clean up The Landscaping
You do not have to be a professional landscaper to clean your yard. Trim out dead branches and plants, cut the grass and pull weeds from where they do not belong.
You can also plant some flowers and lay down some mulch if you want to go the extra mile. This is the first thing buyers see, so it’s worth fixing up.
Real Estate agents constantly talk about curb appeal for good reason.
Another nice touch is to have some potted flowers at your front entry. If you have a sprinkler system and are out of the cold-weather season, get it up and operational.
Not only do you want your grass to look healthy and green, but it is a great feature to show off to a buyer seeking to purchase.
6. Make Things Less Personal
Part of the staging process in any home is to declutter and depersonalize.
It may seem weird at first to erase your personality from your home. Think about how customers will feel when looking at the property, though. Will they be able to see themselves living there, or is the “feel” of the place overwhelmed by your love of model cars, personal pictures, figurines, or whatever else you love?
Give them a clean slate to work with, and they will be more likely to buy.
If you have a thousand family photos scattered throughout the house, you need to cut back and make the rooms slightly less personalized.
However, you need to go overboard and remove all existence that you are part of a family like some home stagers will tell you to do. People don’t expect sterile anymore than they want to look at many photos of your kids. It is, after all, a home, not a house!
7. Gather Estimates on Repairs and Replacements
Unless everything in your house is brand new, you can expect a bit of bargaining from buyers and their agents over the replacement of necessary components of your home.
When a home inspection is done, the inspector will point out items in disrepair or past their life expectancy.
Anything that is aging or in need of repair will be on the table, including your HVAC system, appliances, and any rooms that need serious renovating – such as the bathroom or kitchen.
Getting your estimates on these costs will allow you to bargain more efficiently.
These items will likely be on a buyer’s home inspection checklist.
One of the most common home inspection items that can become a bone of contention is your roof. The roof is an area you will want to pay closer attention to.
If your roof is getting up in age, it may make sense to evaluate it by a qualified roofer to see how much life you have left. If there is not much, getting an estimate will be necessary so you know what you are dealing with financially.
Preparing for a home inspection should be a crucial part of your checklist for being ready to sell.
8. Remove The Clutter
For most people, space invites clutter. Your garage, basement, and perhaps even your bedrooms or living room may be full of junk.
One of the things almost any Realtor or home stager will tell you is to get rid of your clutter. Now is the time to go through it and donate, sell, or throw it away.
My favorite recommendation is to have a charity visit your home for a donation pick-up. Not only will you get rid of unnecessary clutter, but you will be helping a family in need.
Anything left over should probably be taken to a storage unit if possible.
Keeping the home filled only with the essentials will make it seem bigger and provide visual room for buyers to fill with their belongings.
There are a couple of ways to get rid of your clutter. Some people like to do it themselves and just rent a large dumpster they can toss it all into, and others would rather pay someone else to do it.
If you don’t mind spending the dough, a company like 1-800-got-junk will come with one of their trucks and take it away for you. A nationally recognized company like 1-800-got-junk is often more expensive than some lesser-known local businesses.
You might want to call around to shop the price a bit.
9. Clean Your Home From Top to Bottom
Cleaning should be the easiest and least expensive before selling a house. There is no way around this one. No one intends to buy a dirty house.
Whether you do the cleaning yourself or hire someone to do it – it needs to be done. Before listing your home for sale is time for deep cleaning.
The carpets, windows, floors, garage, basement, bathrooms, kitchen, yard, and any other space or surface in your home must be cleaned as thoroughly as possible.
If cleaning a home is not your thing, then be sure to hire a professional. If you are looking for one of the more prominent brand-name companies, Merry Maids is very well known.
Again you might save yourself a few bucks by hiring a local cleaner.
A local real estate agent is always an excellent resource for both people to recommend for cleaning and junk removal. Most people do these everyday things before selling a home, so Realtors are asked for help in this regard all the time.
10. Make Repairs to Glaring Items
The importance of making repairs that stand out cannot be understated. Unless you’re selling the house as-is, which is usually a significant mistake, making necessary repairs is vital.
The buyer’s home inspection will catch the items that may go unnoticed, but you don’t want to turn off a buyer on things they can see.
Of course, making repairs you know a buyer will demand is crucial. You don’t want the inspection to cause the sale to fall through.
11. Hide The Kids
Children can do a substantial amount of damage to a home – something the buyer will probably be aware of. It is vital to repair all the kid damage just like you do the pet damage.
It is also a good idea to take the kids out of the house when you are showing it if you can. Even teenage children can be a distraction to a buyer if they are hanging around playing video games or even loud music.
It sounds like common sense to make sure they are not around but believe it or not, Realtors experience many sellers who do not think about these types of things.
While having kids around isn’t as bad as having a seller who needs to follow a buyer around their property, pointing out everything the customer can see with their own eyes, it is a close second.
12. Get Professional Photography
When everything is cleaned up and looking nice, break out the camera and take some photos for marketing purposes.
Better yet, hire a Realtor that will hire a professional photographer to take photos.
The better your pictures look, the more people will want to come and see the house in person. It will be the first thing a buyer looks at on the most popular home-buying websites.
Pictures are fantastic tools to bring in buyers, but they need to be done well to work. If you know you’re going to be selling off-season, it will be helpful if you can’t take some pictures yourself.
One of the things that can be helpful, for example, is when you are selling a home in the Winter and give a buyer what the yard looks like in Spring and Summer when everything is in full bloom!
Even if you have gone to the trouble of doing all of these things before selling a home and, for some reason, you don’t end up listing for sale, at least you will have some good photos to provide your Realtor.
Outstanding photography makes the presentation of your home that much better. Quality photos also help the Realtor get their job of selling done easier.
The above items are essential considerations to tackle before selling your house. Scratch each one off your list for better results.
13. Pick The Best Time of Year to Sell To Maximize Profits
Ask most real estate agents when you should sell, and the answer will be now. Do you know why that is? The majority think about what’s best for putting a commission in their pocket as quickly as possible.
If you want to sell for the most money and are under no time constraints, then pick the best time to sell. In most areas of the country, that will be the Spring.
If you find a Realtor you can trust, they should be able to guide you about the local real estate market.
14. Plan For Showings
Preparing for showings is the finishing touch on getting ready to sell a house. You only get one chance for first impressions.
Make sure the showing day is memorable in a good way. Your home should be spotless. Remember to be as flexible as possible with showings. Turning away a showing is never a good idea, as it is a lost opportunity to sell your house.
Final Thoughts to Get a House Ready to Sell
It cannot be understated how vital the process is to get your house ready for the market. Those who take the time and effort will be in the best position for a quick sale for the most money.
If you’re selling a home in the Metrowest Massachusetts area, feel free to reach out for assistance. Getting a house ready to sell in Massachusetts will be easy with a pro in your corner.
More Home Selling Resources
- Tips for selling a home in any real estate market.
- Six great tips for selling your home fast and for top dollar via Forbes.
Use this advice before selling a home to increase your chances of getting on top financially and emotionally. What you do before selling a home will go a long way toward your bottom line.
About the author: The above Real Estate information on the checklist for getting your house ready to sell was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 37+ Years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northborough, Natick, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
