Getting Ready to Sell

There are some items to take care of when getting ready to list your house for sale. Taking care of these tasks up front can help your house sell faster, make packing easier, and attract the most prospective buyers.

De-clutter

This is the most important thing that you can do. You are planning on moving, so why not get a head start on packing? Start by removing any personal items from your home. We want buyers to imagine their family and personal items when they visit your home, not see your items and think about someone else who is living there. Also, pack up any non-essentials. The less clutter in your home, the larger it will look. We don't want buyers focusing on the items in your home, but the home itself. Along with this, make sure to secure any valuables that may be out. You will have strangers coming through your home, so try not to leave anything of significant value in plain site. They will be accompanied by an agent, but they could sneak off and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Staging

After you clean up your home, it might be time to move some furniture, do a little light redecorating, or possibly change some paint colors or flooring. One of the services I offer is having a professional staging company come through and make some suggestions of what can be done to make your home show better. Sometimes it is as easy as changing light bulbs, but could also include new wall colors.

Prepare for Photographs

Over 85% of buyers first view a home online, so your photographs are of utmost importance. Cell phone pictures will not cut it. These have to be done professionally, which is another service I include for my listings. Make sure the house is ready for the photos to be taken by taking care of the items mentioned above, opening curtains, and have all lights turned on.

When your house is listed, it is recommended that you keep it as close to the condition in the photos as possible. When leaving prior to a showing, make sure lights are turned on, blinds are opened, AC is set nice and cool, and if possible, play some light music in the background. The goal is to make the potential buyer as comfortable as possible when they view your home so they can see themselves living there!