Selling Your Home? Our Top 10 Seller’s to-do List

 

Are you thinking about selling your home? Here’s our Top 10 Seller’s To-Do List to help you begin.

 

Nothing will kill a potential sale faster than fear. Home buyers are a nervous bunch, looking for reasons not to buy your home. Don’t let a minor repair create unnecessary fear in a potential buyer’s mind. Remember that roof leak from years ago? The stained ceiling that never got repainted could send a buyer running for the hills. Ask your agent for a referral to a quality contractor to patch, sand, and paint the old damage. Basement leak? We’ve all had them. If the issue has been resolved let’s get things cleaned up and looking like new. If the issue is ongoing consult your agent for a referral to the right contractors to solve the problem before you list your home for sale.

 

Some improvements can make the difference between selling quickly for top-dollar or languishing for sale on the market for months. The challenge is figuring out what the buyer hot-buttons are and making the right upgrades without breaking your bank account. This is where your real estate agent’s experience and advice can be invaluable. For example, installing a brand-new kitchen is very expensive and rarely makes sense. However, perhaps a few new appliances, a new counter- top, new shiny knobs on the cabinets, painting and updated lighting might be all that’s needed and just do the trick.

 

One of the first lessons my father gave me was to give a good handshake. Your front door is like your handshake to the world. Buyers linger at the front door while their agent wrestles with the keys. Does the lock work easily? Is the door freshly painted? How is your entry light (filled with bugs)? Would a new light be more welcoming?

 

We all want an attractive home. Sure it’s a 1950’s brick home but look how charming the house is! That’s the sentiment you’re after. Hire a professional landscaper to trim, edge and mulch. First impressions matter and what your home says on the outside communicates what a buyer will find inside. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way!

 

“Did you see that bathroom? That was so gross!” We’ve heard buyers utter these very words as they quickly piled back into our car and on their way to the next house. Pay close attention to bathrooms and the kitchen where dirt and grime often build up. Remove mildewed caulk and give the refrigerator and stove a good scrub. Watch for offensive odors. Can you see out the windows? Sometimes hiring a professional house cleaning service is best.

 

There is truly no better pre-sale home investment than painting. Our home stager can provide color advice. Grey hues are the new beige and white semi-gloss remains the safe color of choice for trim.

 

Home searches today begin on the Internet. The photos of your home will be your first (and often last) opportunity to make a good impression. We provide our clients with a complimentary professional home staging consultation because we know our stager can make a big difference in the visual appeal of their home and that ultimately creates more buyer interest. We also offer virtual staging services, an exciting new cutting-edge real estate tool, in situations in which it makes the most sense for a space.

 

The most important step in any home marketing plan is great photography. Today your home is being shown first online, then in person. If you don’t make the cut online you might not ever get the chance in person. Professional photography is a must and a floorplan of the house is critical too.

 

 

This timeless wisdom, passed down from nearly all the ancient civilizations, applies to selling your home as well. You need to look at your home as an observer (buyer) from the outside. Put your own personal feelings and emotional attachment aside and candidly assess your home’s value and appearance. Ask your agent take you on a tour of the homes you will be competing against.

 

In addition to helping you with the aforementioned “to-do’s”, your agent will help you establish an accurate price. Nothing is more important than pricing your home correctly. Lean into your agent’s experience and advice.

 

If you are considering the sale of your home in the future please contact The Maury Home Team for a free consultation! We’re here to help.