How to Prepare Your Home for Sale (21 Step Checklist)
/My team and I have been cranking out sales over the past two months (nearly 25 transactions closed in 60 days), so I've had my fair share of staging homes for sale recently.
The facts are clear. If you want to acquire the highest market value and elevate your home above others in the same price range, it will almost always come down to the first impression a buyer has on the house.
Did you know well-placed furniture can open up rooms and make them seem larger than they
are? Or that opening drapes and blinds and turning on all lights make a room seem bright and
cheery?
I've created a complete 21-step checklist to cover how to prepare your home for sale. Paying attention to detail goes a long way in today's market!
How to Prepare Your Home for Sale
This 21 Step Checklist shows you some inexpensive ways to maximize your home's appeal. Make sure all of these things are checked off your checklist before you list your home for sale!
Exterior of Home
Remember, the outside of your home is the first impression that buyers and their agents will see. Be sure to take these steps to get the maximum value for your home!
- Keep the grass freshly cut
- Remove all yard clutter
- Apply fresh paint to wooden fences
- Paint the front door
- Weed and apply fresh mulch to garden beds
- Clean windows inside and out
- Wash or paint home’s exterior
- Tighten and clean all door handles
- Ensure gutters and downspouts are firmly attached
Interior of Home
I know it's still "your home", but you need to allow another person or family to imagine their future in the walls of your soon-to-be-sold home. That future is harder to picture when there are graduation photos of your kids up all over the house. Try a few of these quick tips!
- Remove excessive wall hangings, furniture and knickknacks (I recommend considering a temporary self-storage unit)
- Clean or paint walls and ceilings
- Shampoo carpets
- Clean and organize cabinets and closets
- Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets and drain traps
- Clean all light fixtures
For Showings & Open Houses
Events like home showings and open houses are your queue to leave the premises! Give buyers space, and let them fantasize in your home without you there. Kindly leave, and apply these easy tips before an open house or showing!
- Turn on all the lights
- Open drapes in the daytime
- Keep pets secured outdoors
- Play quiet background music
- Infuse home with a comforting scent like apple spice or vanilla
- Vacate the property while it is being shown
As you see, preparing your home for sale is a process, but paying attention to detail will pay off in the end. Preparing your home for sale is something my "dream team" of agents and I have decades of experience in.
My goal is the only one that matters - Get your home sold for the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time.
Before listing your home for sale, visit my free Sellers Resource Center here. And if you have any questions? Be sure to give me a shout here.
Don't forget to check off everything on your checklist!
Let's chat in the comments below!
