#1 Declutter Your House
Before listing your home for sale, make sure you clean up and clear items off the countertops and allow the house to be seen in all its beauty. When you have many items on the floor or not placed in drawers, cabinets, or storage, then the focus will be on those items instead of the home. The house will appear much larger when items are stowed away. By taking a “less is more” approach, you’ll be sure to impress buyers much more compared to if you left items laying around the home. Present the house like you would want to see it if you were buying a home. Lastly, by tidying up your house, the photographer and/or videographer can have better content so the home can be marketed more effectively.
#2 Landscape Your Yard
Landscaping is typically underestimated by people, they think it’s not a big deal but actually it makes a huge difference and if you don’t have proper landscaping done to the property, it will make the home appear as though it hasn’t been taken care of. You don’t want to create any doubts in a buyer’s mind when they’re wanting to purchase the house, especially if the market is not as strong as it was in the past. You have to work that much harder to get the place to shine during a down market and the property has to look its best for buyers to get top dollar. Even before they tour the home, the photos that the buyers see should look top notch so that buyers be more likely to come tour the home. Some things that you can do to help the curb appear is make sure the grass is cut, add some fresh mulch or bark around plants and flowers (I recommend planting some flowers or plantrs because it brings nice color sophistication to the property and makes it look much nicer compared to just having dirt). so those those things will definitely help and they usually don’t cost too much money if you don’t have grass somewhere soda can get pricey um but you know if it’s just patching some areas there’s different products you can buy at home improvement stores where you can add the soil and the seeds will come through and it’ll fertilize that area so preparing a little in advance for a few weeks before it goes live helps so that’s what I’d recommend for number two Landscaping
#3 Repair Needed Items
Every house needs repairs and it’s common for them to be put on the backburner but if you want to sell your home, you want to make sure to take care of those items before the house goes on the market. When should you take care of repairs? Several weeks before the house goes on the market would be best because if you’re thinking of putting the house for sale let’s say in March, then starting on the repairs in January would be ideal because some items take longer than others to complete. Something else to consider is that you don’t want to overwhelm yourself when it gets closer to the listing date. By having the repairs completed ahead of time before the house hits the market, you will be in a better position if a home inspection were to occur (which is something most buyers will want). Some major repairs that buyers will be concerned about are roof issues, furnace problems, Heat Pump/AC units, plumbing, electrical, or anything related to safety. Something to consider is that if your window seals are broken, you will likely have condensation between the glass panels which means there’s a broken seal somewhere. Having those windows replaced before the house gets listed would help quite a bit because you’ll see condensation on there and buyers will think it’s a major problem, even though it’s just a broken seal which doesn’t affect how the window actually secures the home or provides insulation. By addressing repairs on the home before putting it for sale, you will ensure that the process goes much smoother when selling and if a market is in a downturn, you will want your home to stand above the rest in as many ways as possible because it’s during these down markets where buyers are more selective with homes they’re willing to put offers on.
#4 Plan Your Exit Strategy
I know this term is used a lot in the business world but it’s applicable when selling a home as well. You want to think of what your plan is when you sell the home and where you plan on moving. There’s been times where clients of mine needed to potentially rent a home or stay somewhere temporarily for a couple of months until they found their next place. If the house sells and you don’t have a place lined up to move to then think about what you plan on doing. Renting an Airbnb could also work, or staying at a hotel that has an extended stay option. Living with family can also be a temporary solution until you find your next home. Be sure to think of your exit strategy because it’ll help make the whole moving process less stressful and the earlier you plan this out, the better.
#5 Be Prepared for Showings
Something that a lot of sellers don’t realize is that showings can be a bit overwhelming. When a lot of buyers are wanting to tour your home, it’s exciting, but if the market is slower then it may take several weeks for a house to sell and that can be a lot of preparation for showing each time a buyer wants to tour the home. Showings can occur at times throughout the day and at times you may not be expecting so just try to be available and flexible enough so that you can get as many buyers through the door as possible. Also, understand that you want to have the place looking good for the buyers when they come to tour the home and this means you’ll have to tidy up. Keep this in mind, it’s only temporary and once the place sells you’ll be all done.
Selling a home is exciting but if you’re more prepared going into it then you will have a much more pleasant experience because the unknowns are what cause many sellers stress. If you’re looking for a Seattle Real Estate agent to work with, feel free to reach out at (425) 318-8999 or send an email to contact@northpacificrealestate.com. You can also send a message here on the website.