Are you wondering what to do before listing your house for sale?
For some sellers, there can be a significant amount of things to do before putting their homes on the market.
Knowing what to do before listing your house is essential to increase your odds of success.
Having a home selling checklist can undoubtedly help.
Selling a home can be hectic at the best of times. You often have so much on your mind that you forget to do things that come back to bite you later.
Fortunately, a little research and a conversation with your Realtor can ensure that you do everything you need to do during your sale.
We will examine some of the most common things sellers forget when listing their homes.
Pay heed and knock them off your checklist before putting your house up for sale. The extra effort will pay back big dividends over the coming sales process.
One common mistake when selling a home is not being entirely prepared for what lies ahead.
If you have decided now is the right time to sell your house, you’ll want to put yourself in the best position for a successful sale.
9 Common Seller Mistakes that Happen Before Listing
Knowing what to do before listing your house can dramatically impact your success. These are some vital things to do before selling a home.
1. Check The References Real Estate Agents Provide.
Vetting the person in charge of selling one of your most considerable assets should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, so many sellers do not take the necessary time to research the real estate agent they end up hiring thoroughly.
Many sellers pick an agent for all the wrong reasons.
Talking to your Realtor’s references before making a hiring decision would be best. A bad agent can be expensive, causing you to miss out on a sale or to sell for less than you could.
It would be best if you vet every agent before you hire, which includes contacting the references they provide directly.
You want an agent with good references. Sellers who were satisfied with their experience are essential. But you want more than just references; you want recent people saying great things.
Make sure the agent has sold homes recently—that way, you know they understand today’s market.
Here is an excellent set of interview questions for real estate agents that will help you weed out the deadwood. Make sure the agent you hire will represent YOU and only YOU in the transaction.
Avoid Dual Agents When Listing For Sale
Real Estate agents who practice dual agency should be avoided. Dual agency benefits one party – the real estate agent. You are paying your Realtor a ton of money. Make sure they look out for your best interests throughout the sale.
A dual agent cannot.
Follow the link to see why dual agency is bad for buyers and sellers. Dual agency is illegal in several states for a good reason.
2. Learn About All The Problems With Your Home.
Some problems are apparent. Others go unnoticed for decades. As a homeowner, you are probably aware of some of the issues with your home and unaware of others.
Your current lack of knowledge will work against you when you sell, both from a legal standpoint and a sales standpoint.
You need to disclose issues with your home in most states, so you need to know what those issues are to avoid breaking the law.
You also are better off telling buyers about issues before you try to make a deal. Ideally, you will fix all major problems before you list.
Get a Pre-Sale Listing Inspection Before Listing For Sale
The easiest way to learn about all the problems with your home is to get it inspected before listing it for sale. Yes, you will still need to get an inspection after the buyer makes an offer. But that inspection is for the buyer, not for you.
A pre-listing inspection gives you a complete insight into the problems that must be addressed to succeed when selling your home.
Get the inspection and talk to your agent about what repairs need to be made to sell the property for the best possible price.
Some issues may be left for the buyer; others could be deal breakers. Putting a home back on the market due to a failed inspection isn’t fun! Your real estate agent should be able to dissect what’s essential and what isn’t.
Here are some fixes to consider before selling a house.
3. Get All Unpermitted Work Permitted!
One of the wisest things you can do before listing your house for sale is to address any outstanding permit issues.
More and more, I am seeing people who have done work to their homes that required a permit, but they never got one!
Many folks save a few bucks by not applying for permits. Others don’t get permits because they think it is too much of a hassle.
Still, others avoid paying a more significant tax assessment, saving themselves thousands of dollars.
Not having permits when selling a house can be a deal breaker for a buyer.
You are breaking the law by not getting the required permits. The buyer certainly doesn’t want to take on your problem and deal with it when they sell.
Further, if the city or town finds out you have done work without building permits, they could ask you to demolish what you have done.
Can you imagine spending fifty thousand dollars on finishing your basement only to have your town make you remove it? Don’t think it can happen? It does!
4. Be Ready For The Photographer.
The day your real estate agent has scheduled the photos of your property is one of the most important days in your home-selling journey.
Real Estate agents always talk about staging a house, and with good reason. Homes that show their best sell quicker and for more money.
Here are some essential tips:
- Your property should sparkle inside and out!
- There should be nothing on your kitchen and bath counters.
- The home should be free of all clutter. Decluttering is a crucial part of the home-selling process.
- All your curtains should be drawn.
Remember this – your photos are the first showings of your house. Buyers will be sitting on their computer or smartphone when your home comes on the market.
Whether your house is staged or left empty, your presentation is vital to your success. Don’t screw this up!
5. Let Buyers Know What Things in The Home Are Excluded.
Generally, anything attached to the house is included in the sale—like the dishwasher and the ceiling fan. But confusion can sometimes arise with buyers who fall in love with a home because of what it contains.
If you have a beautiful chandelier that is a family heirloom, you will take it with you when you go. Buyers may not realize that fact, so it needs to be clarified.
You should always sit down with your real estate agent before listing for sale and create an exclusions list.
The items on the list will include anything considered part of the home. Examples include:
- A light fixture.
- A mirror bolted to the wall.
- The curtain rods.
Some of the most significant disagreements in real estate sales are about what stays and what goes in a home sale—understanding what a fixture vs. personal property becomes crucial.
Often, real estate agents are not well-versed in the law, so how could you expect a layperson to be?
Quite often, real estate agents confuse things further by excluding items considered personal property, like a washer and dryer.
Many don’t understand the difference between “real and personal property.”
Generally speaking, the vast majority of the time, something permanently affixed stays with the home.
In the preceding article reference, you will see a great explanation of what is considered a fixture and what isn’t.
If you take something with you, like a light, it’s always best to replace it before putting your home on the market. Doing so eliminates the chance of a buyer seeing it and then making demands they want it to stay.
Trust me, it happens!
6. Make Sure The Front Door Sparkles.
Before your listing goes live and people start showing up at your doorstep, the entryway should look magnificent.
Some parts of your home are easy to overlook when you live there for a while—features that make a big difference in how buyers perceive the property. The front door is the most obvious example.
You have walked in and out of it so often that you probably don’t see the scuffs, the dirt, or the chipped paint. But buyers will focus their attention on the door as they approach and enter the home.
If it looks unattractive, it will influence the perception of every buyer who comes to your home negatively. Luckily it is cheap and easy to paint your front door.
Talk to your Realtor about the front door and any other fine points you should consider before you list. Things like your landscaping, light fixtures, door knobs, and other details are often easy and relatively inexpensive to improve, and they can make a big difference in how attractive your home is to buyers.
Real Estate agents like to call these items low-cost home improvements. They don’t cost the seller much money but can help sell the home quicker.
7. Make Sure Your Home is Marketed Over Social Media.
The marketing options for a home sale have expanded in recent years.
Appearing on the most popular websites buyers look at houses is essential, and so is having additional exposure on social media channels.
Social media should be part of any exceptional marketing plan to sell a house. Social media allows you to share pictures, video tours, and other content buyers want.
Of course, you need to approach social media marketing intelligently—which is why it is so helpful to have a real estate agent with experience in this area.
With the right plan and implementation, your home can be exposed to numerous potential buyers at little to no cost.
Ask your agent about social media marketing. Do they use it? How much experience do they have?
Get clarity early on about this topic because if the agent does not use social media for marketing your property, they will not be as effective as an agent who knows how to employ this marketing channel.
Also, look at your agent’s property descriptions in marketing to ensure it accurately reflects your home’s best attributes.
8. Search For Your Home Using Google and Google Maps.
Most buyers are going to find your home online first. That is just a fact of the modern market. You might as well find out what they will see when they punch your address into the search bar.
They are also likely to put your address into Google Maps to get a street view of the property. Many buyers will research the history of a house.
A Google search of your address will probably show you what major real estate sites estimate your home’s value. If you find this information and it seems off to you, like if the value of your home online is lower than the amount you want to list for, you may need to verify that the information they are using is accurate.
The number of bathrooms or bedrooms may be wrong, for instance.
You need to understand that most online home valuations, such as Zillow, are inaccurate. Never use an online estimate to price your home.
You are asking for major trouble. Proper house pricing is the most critical aspect of selling a home.
9. Clean Your House, Including The Inside of Everything Buyers May Examine.
Back in tip number four, I mentioned being ready for photos. You also need to be prepared for all the showings that will be taking place!
Most sellers know the importance of cleaning their homes before showing. Cleaning will allow you to put your best foot forward to any buyers that cross your threshold.
But the cleaning you do should include more than just the carpets and the surfaces; it should also include the inside of your refrigerator, your oven, and anything else buyers might check.
Your closets should be neat and organized. If you have one, the garage and basement should not be filled to the brim with junk.
You want to make the experience of looking at your home appealing.
The exterior should also be examined entirely and straightened up as well. Here are some basic interior and exterior home staging tips you should follow.
Other Things to Do Before Listing Your House
Here are other things you can do before listing your home for sale that will enhance your chances of success.
- Call a junk removal service to get rid of unwanted items.
- Clean all your windows and glass doors.
- Do touch-up painting in high-traffic areas.
- Ensure that your kitchen and bath counters are spotless.
- Organize your kitchen’s pantry to it is spotless.
- Rent a storage unit if you need to.
- If you have pets keep their areas spotless.
- Put away all of the kid’s toys and games.
- Organize your basement and garage.
- Donate items you don’t want to charity.
- Open up all the drapes and curtains to let in as much natural light as possible.
- Turn on lights in dark rooms before showings.
Summary of What to Do Before Listing a House.
Selling a house is a lot of hard work. Those who take the process seriously sell quicker and for more money than those who don’t. All of the above suggestions are essential to being successful as a seller.
If you follow the advice, your home will be pending before you know it.
Never underestimate what you should do before putting your home on the market. Take the advice to heart, and best of luck!
Additional Helpful Home Selling Resources.
- What to know about selling in the fall – Sharon Paxson guides what to do before listing your home for sale in the fall.
- Tips for getting past the home inspection – Luke Skar offers timely advice on how sellers can move past a house inspection with no problem.
- Essential steps to selling a home – Joe Boylan provides tips on how to sell your house successfully.
- Photography is vital to selling a house – Kevin Vitali explains why your photos can make or break your home sale.
Use these additional home-selling resources from top real estate agents to make sound decisions.
About the Author: The above Real Estate information on what to do before listing your house 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, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
