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12 Important Things to Do Before You List Your Home for Sale

Are you looking for tips on what to do before you list your home for sale? Not to worry! In this guide, we’ll go over how to prepare for this next step.

Want to learn more? Keep reading to find out.

  1. Research Real Estate Agents

You’ll want a professional to help you navigate selling your home. Something that idx feed from Showcase IDX can help with. Make a list of local real estate agents. Talk to your friends and family to see who they hired to sell their home.

We spoke to Jay from Move Inn Estate Agents who said “You want to work with someone who makes you feel comfortable and knows what they are doing. Talk with a few agents before you make a decision.”

You want to work with someone who makes you feel comfortable and knows what they are doing. Talk with a few agents before you make a decision.

Especially if you’re planning to get a beach house or summer home (for example in Myrtle Beach) it is super helpful to get advice from an agents that knows the in’s and out’s of the real estate in Myrtle Beach.

  1. How Is Your Curb Appeal?

Buyers do make a judgment based on the exterior of a home. Make the best first impression by planting colorful flowers around the entryway. Get a new welcome mat.

Look into replacement front doors and repair some easy fixes around the house. You want to inspire people to want to see more of your home.

A welcoming curb appeal will increase interest in your home. Call your real estate agent and ask them what they suggest.

  1. Declutter Your Home

Clean up your tables, windowsills, counters, and other visible spots. Work on your cupboards, drawers, and closets next.

Donate any of your excess items or consider packing them up and storing them offsite. This will make your home look more appealing to potential buyers.

It will also help you get prepared for when your house does sell; you’ll have some items packed away already.

It’s also worth considering that there is a way to sell a house without decluttering; if you sell your house to a real estate investor like The Local House Buyers, they can take care of all your undesired things for you.

  1. Remove Personal Items 

After you have decluttered your home, next, you’ll want to take down personal items. This will help buyers visualize themselves in your home. They can dream up how they would decorate rooms and where they would place photographs.

Create a blank canvas so a buyer can imagine living in your house.

  1. Repaint Any Bright Walls 

If you have a few rooms painted with bold colors, you might want to consider neutral tones. Neutral colors are a safe option, since your buyers can walk around and think about what it would look like with their favorite colors.

  1. Clean up Scuff Marks 

If you don’t have to repaint walls, keep an eye out for missing paint or marks on the walls. You’ll want to touch up the walls, doors, and baseboards.

If there are a lot of little repairs and problems in a home, it becomes more difficult to sell. You don’t want a potential buyer to see your home and make a mental list of repairs.

Impress your buyers by fixing your home up the best you can before putting it up for sale. You will see more interest and offers if it’s in top shape.

  1. Look out for Loose Door Handles

It’s not a great impression if a buyer walks through and finds a loose door handle. They might start to wonder what else needs a repair. Don’t give your buyers any doubts when they first walk through your home.

  1. Pick up Some Plants

Plants can make the environment look more welcoming and bright. Place a few succulents in the bathroom and a colorful bouquet on the kitchen counter.

Put a bowl of fruit on your dining table. All of these natural elements will add some color to your home.

  1. Invite a Friend to Test Your Home

If there are any bad odors in your house, you could have buyers leaving and not calling back. You might not notice them because you have gotten used to certain smells. You could even look at getting a air cleaner or commercial dehumidifier from Dehumidifier Crtitc to help clean up the smell.

Ask a friend or family member to walk through your rooms. You want to find out if they can detect any pet smells or odors in the kitchen.

If the smell doesn’t go away, set aside time to perform some deep cleaning. Buy some plug-in room deodorizers and candles.

  1. Deep Clean Your Home

You want your property to look spotless. If you have a photographer coming to take photos, make sure your home is in the best shape possible. Interested buyers will see these photos online and decide if they want to see more.

Take time with your bathroom, so the tiles, shower, and counters gleam. Dust the windows, ceiling fans, and shelves. Keep your bedrooms clutter-free and neat.

  1. Put Away Valuables 

Before you sell your home, lock up your expensive jewelry or art. You might not know everyone who is visiting during an open house.

It’s safer to lock these items up off-site or in a safe. This way, you won’t have any incidences where a valuable goes missing.

  1. Do You Want to Stage Your Home?

If your place is a little outdated, you might want a professional stager to set up your home. They can bring new life to your house by adding modern furnishings and decorations.

A home stager can take into consideration what you already have in your home and improve it. They might recommend you reorganize your bookshelf or rent some new items.

They also will have a keen sense of the real estate market and know what sells. Take their advice when they suggest changes.

List Your Home for Sale

We hope you found this article helpful in preparing to sell your home. Take the time to declutter before you list your home for sale.

Don’t forget to bookmark our site. This way, you won’t miss out on any of our resources. Now you’ve got an idea of how to do to sell your home, check out this article on how to get top dollar from the #1 realtor in Charleston SC.

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Nigel

Friday 20th of August 2021

Excellent article! Declutter is a good one but very often not completed properly. Nigel

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