Home Selling Checklist
While spring and summer are great times to sell your home, homes can be sold throughout the year. Sellers have various reasons for selling a home regardless of the selling season. Buyers are always looking for homes in great shape while looking for the best deal. You, as a seller, can follow this Home Selling Checklist to put your best foot forward.
Checklist Item #1: Find a Great Real Estate Agent
One of the best things you can do when preparing to sell your home is to find a great agent to represent you. You want to find a listing agent that has a top notch marketing plan, experience, and deep understanding of the area and market. An agent that can present you with a detailed and realistic market analysis is a must. Contact one of our experienced TCP Real Estate Agents today. We are committed to outstanding service!
An experienced agent will also be able to help you determine the right price for your home. One of the most important things you will need to do is to price it right. You can place your home on the MLS, spend money fixing it up, market it all over town, but unless it’s priced right, you’ll be hard pressed to make the sale. Home that are overpriced from the start will sit on the market longer and sell for less than homes that are priced aggressively right from the start.
Checklist Item #2: Spruce up Curb Appeal
Make a great first impression by cleaning out flower beds, making sure your lawn is well-manicured and clutter free, and pruning trees and shrubs. Beautify by planting flowers, replacing the old welcome mat and cleaning out the gutters. Give the WOW factor by painting your front door and replacing house numbers if needed, ensuring they can be seen from the curb.
Checklist Item #3: Finish Repairs
When selling your home, you want your home in tip-top shape. If you have a to-do list you’ve been putting off, you’ll need to cross those items off your list before putting your home on the market. Taking care of major defects now instead of waiting until they show up on an inspection report could end up costing you more than dealing with them before you put your home on the market. Be sure to paint touch up walls and trim and patch holes. Replace missing or burnt out light bulbs. Re-caulk the shower and tub, if needed and change out faucets that are old and dingy. Have the HVAC system serviced to ensure it is in perfect working condition and make repairs as necessary.
Checklist Item #4: Depersonalize and Declutter
You want to keep your home neat and de-personalized in order to help a buyer envision their belongings in your home. You won’t need to remove all family photos but try to keep it to a minimum. Help potential buyers feel that your home could be theirs. Remove as much clutter as possible-clean off those kitchen counters and shelves, only leaving out the essentials, store larger furniture items, make your living room look as large as possible by rearranging the living room furniture. You want to showcase your home without distracting from it. Don’t just throw things in drawers and closets. Buyers will look there too.
Checklist Item #5: Go Neutral
You might enjoy every room being a different color or prefer dark bold colors. However, will potential buyers feel the same way? Non-neutral wall colors may be distracting and turn off potential buyers. Consider bringing your home back to a more neutral color palette to attract the most buyers.
Checklist Item #6: Clean and Deodorize
Make your home sparkle! Deep clean kitchen and bathrooms-have the grout cleaned. Pressure wash the exterior siding, including side-walks, patios, and the driveway. Clean windows and floors, wipe down mirrors, remove cobwebs, and dust. Don’t forget the blinds and ceiling fans. Buyers like to see spotless, sparkling clean homes. Eliminate any odors. Ask a friend to do a walk through. Does it smell good? Does it look good? Show buyers you take pride in your home.
Follow this home selling checklist and you will be well on your way to selling your home for the most money!
