Are you eager to get your house on the market? To create an MLS entry, hold an open house, and potentially get some buyers on the line?
Not so fast.
When it comes to selling your house, there’s some groundwork that needs to be laid. It’s only by attending to the fundamentals that you can ensure your home is truly listing-ready… and maximize the odds of selling quickly, for full asking price (or at least close enough).
So what are these preliminary steps? What’s the best way to sell a house? Here are some of our tips.
Steps to Take Before Selling Your House
- Decide how you’re going to sell your home. There’s more than one way to put a house on the market. Are you going to work with an agent? What about a flat-fee broker? Or maybe you want to sell your house yourself, going the FSBO route? All of these approaches have their pros and cons. To help you decide, make sure you request your free report from SOLD.com.
- Appraise your curb appeal. In real estate sales, first impressions are everything… and the best way to sell a house is to make sure it looks perfect. That means attending to your landscaping, pressure washing your front walkway, repainting the exterior, installing a new front door… whatever is necessary to make sure your home looks appealing at first blush.
- Get rid of your clutter. You’re not selling stuff; you’re selling As such, when it comes to how to sell your house quickly, your best bet is to get rid of as much clutter as you can. You may want to consider renting an external storage unit while your home is on the market.
- Take down some of your personal decor. No, you don’t want your home to look totally empty, but you do want to get rid of some of your personal photos and knick-knacks. Remember, you need buyers to be able to see themselves living in the space. That can be hard when, everywhere they look, they see reminders of your
- Go neutral. You may love the purple wall in your living room, or the lime green windowsill in the master bedroom. Chances are, your buyers aren’t going to like such bold color schemes. Whenever you can, repaint your interiors to be as neutral as can be.
- Make small repairs. You may not be a licensed handyman, but you can definitely walk through your house, take note of small issues, and fix as many of them as possible. Loose faucets? Doors that aren’t quite aligned right? A few stray nails sticking out of the back deck? Buyers (and home inspectors) will notice these things, so make repairs when you can.
- Add plant life. You don’t need your home to seem like a greenhouse, but a little greenery can add color, freshen the air, and make the whole place feel more welcoming. Some pretty, seasonally-appropriately plant life on the front stoop can be especially beneficial.
- Do a deep cleaning. If you’re wondering how to sell your house quickly, well, you can’t go wrong by making it squeaky clean! You may even want to bring in a professional cleaning crew to make sure the home is spotless.
- Think about your staging. Staging is the act of decorating your home, and arranging furniture, in a way that emphasizes your space and makes the whole place look as accommodating as possible. If you work with an experienced real estate agent, they may help you with the staging. If not, you can consider hiring a professional staging service.
- Pick the right price. The most important step in any home listing is the pricing. Go too high and you’ll turn buyers away. Go too low and you’ll leave money on the table. Make sure you work with your agent and/or check comps, as well as weigh other market factors, and come up with a price that is competitive and fair.
With these tips, you’re ready to list!
Claim Your SOLD.com Seller’s Report
And don’t forget to snag your SOLD.com report, which will give you some individualized advice. Request your free report today!
