Gearing up to put your house up for sale requires a lot of preparation and investment to not only have it look its best but to increase the likelihood that you’ll receive offers quickly and to have your home sell as soon as possible (and for the price you envision).
When preparing to sell your home, keep in mind that it’s unfortunately not as simple as just showing it to people in its current state. Though your realtor will most likely help you out with this process, putting in the effort to make repairs, stage your home well, and clean it will make a huge difference in showing its best side to prospective buyers. Remember, the longer your home is on the market, the harder it can be to sell, so presenting it in its best shape can truly be the difference between selling it for your listing price and having it sit on the market for an elongated period of time.
If this all seems overwhelming, don’t worry! Though repairs and staging can be time-consuming (and expensive if not done correctly), there are plenty of ways to prepare your home responsibly and in a cost-efficient manner so that you and your buyers alike can benefit.
How to Prepare to Sell Your House?
Before putting your house up on the market, you should make a plan of attack for the possible repairs or staging tasks you’ll need to complete. Besides just normal wear and tear, living in your home for a long time can make you not even notice possible repairs that might need to be done for a new buyer. From stuck or squeaking doors to windows that you may have given up on opening, minor issues to you could be larger ones to others looking to buy.
You don’t want these quirks to lower the value of your home or make people less likely to buy. Additionally, these quirks to you could make prospective buyers think that if you didn’t fix these, you probably didn’t fix underlying, larger issues that could cause them problems in the future.
To weed out minor issues (or larger ones!) that you’ll want to have taken care of before putting your home on the market, you’ll want to go through your home room by room and make note of things you’ll want to have taken care of, and which are the highest priority. From there, schedule these repairs and make sure everything is in good working condition before putting your home on the market.
The following are some of the things to look for when surveying your home room by room for possible repairs:
- Kitchen: The kitchen and its appliances can be a hotspot for buyer scrutiny. Make sure that all large appliances are in their best working condition, and if they’re already excessively old, or maybe won’t be appealing to buyers, you can consider giving them an upgrade to enhance your home’s appeal. If your countertops or other surfaces also show significant evidence of wear and tear, you should also look into possible ways to enhance these surfaces.
- Bathroom: The bathroom is also an area where you should go the extra mile to ensure that everything looks and operates at its best. From faucets to fixtures, to the function and appearance of drains and flooring, having your bathroom in its best condition will attract buyers and make them secure in knowing you put in the effort to repair tiles or anything out of place.
- Heating & AC: Ventilation, heating, and air conditioning can be a huge issue for buyers currently and in the future, and you should ensure that anything you’ve noticed as not at its highest level of function is taken care of or repaired. Check these fixtures to ensure they’re working properly and are leak-free. Do the same for your water heater, and electrical panels or circuit breakers.
- Exterior: Examine the outside of your home to look for improper or damaged weather stripping, or any damage or issues with windows, your patio or deck, fencing, or anywhere susceptible to weather-related wear and tear, damage, or rot. Take a look at your landscaping to also make sure everything looks appealing and is functional.
Hiring a home inspector for a pre-sale inspection can help you out immensely in identifying possible repairs that might need to be done for your home. This can also give you confidence in knowing that you’re presenting your home’s best side to prospective buyers and that future home inspectors won’t uncover any larger issues you might not have even known about prior.
Decluttering and cleaning can also go a very long way in making your home look appealing and getting it ready for proper staging. Kitchens, bathrooms, and storage spaces can be huge selling points, so ensure that everything is clean and is shown to buyers as a functional space.
Before putting your home on the market, try to depersonalize it as much as possible when staging. Without your personal touches that make it seem like specifically your home, buyers will be better able to project their vision onto the home and see its potential for their lifestyles. If your furniture is especially outdated or maybe not in its best shape, see if you can put it in storage in favor of buying or renting more appealing pieces to display for buyers. You can also receive advice about this from your realtor.
Now that you’ve properly prepared your home and gotten it looking and operating its best for sale, it’s time to put it on the market! If you’re in the throes of the moving process already and are heading to your new home, consider Reebie Storage & Moving Co. for your residential relocation. We’re the best Chicago residential movers for your needs and will give you the best pricing and service possible. See what we can do for you today!