The process of getting your home ready to sell can be incredibly overwhelming.
What needs done? Should you have your home staged? Should you landscape the exterior?
These are just a few of the many questions that are likely running through your head as you prepare to sell.
In order to simplify the process, it’s important that you educate yourself about what is and isn’t important.
To help you with this, let’s take a look at the things you need to know before putting your home on the market.
#1 – You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune to Increase Value
While the old adage of having to spend money to make money may be true, that doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune to prepare your home for a sale.
Getting your house market ready on a budget is a bit of an art form, but it’s certainly possible if you’re willing to put the time and work in to make it happen.
Some of the more obvious do-it-yourself options for preparing your home include:
- Cleaning the entire home. Make everything, including the carpets, look spotless.
- Landscaping. Mow the lawn, pull the weeds, and buy some flowers for the garden.
- Paint. Educate yourself about the best paint colors to sell your home. This option can provide a huge return on investment if it’s done right.
Completing these tasks can easily increase the value of your home far beyond what they’ll cost you to complete.
#2 – Understand the Importance of Timing
As with most things in the business world, timing will play a major role in the amount of, and type of, potential buyers that you will attract.
While not all home sellers have the luxury of being able to wait to sell, understanding the importance of timing can help ensure that you get top dollar for your home.
For example, Spring has long been considered to be the best time of the year to put your home on the market.
On the other hand, the holiday season, specifically around Thanksgiving and Christmas, tends to be a rather poor time to sell your home.
The best timing will differ depending on where you live, so it’s always a good idea to discuss your options with a real estate professional before making a decision.
#3 – You Should Complete a Home Inspection Before You List
Imagine you’ve just received three offers for your home. This starts a bidding war that drives the closing price to $10,000 more than the original listing.
You’re ecstatic and ready to celebrate. And then, before they sign the papers, they ask for an inspection.
That inspection reveals several issues that neither side was aware of prior to the agreement. Contract voided. No sale.
Unfortunately, this scenario happens more often than you would think.
And while that inspection will likely lead to the inspector finding issues with your home, knowing them beforehand puts you in a much better position to fix them as soon as possible.
At the very least, you can inform the buyer before the sale and avoid a nightmare scenario.
Conclusion
Preparing your home for a sale can be challenging. That doesn’t mean, however, that the process can’t be simplified.
By understanding the things listed above, you can be more prepared, and much less stressed out, when you eventually do put your home on the market.
Good luck!
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