Have you been dreaming about downsizing into a rightsized home but first, you must sell your current home? A rightsized home for you may mean a home with fewer bedrooms or less yard to maintain. But first, there are a few things you need to know to get your home in the best possible condition.
We know how important first impressions can be and your home is no exception as it will have to appeal to homebuyers.
The home selling process may seem daunting, but we are here to help you prepare your home for the market and help you find a new home that meets your criteria. There is so much to do in the selling process such as pricing, home preparation, gathering paperwork it can become overwhelming. Here is where our checklist comes in handy.
1. Round up your paperwork
Gather your utility bills for the past year or two as buyers will want to know the average cost of electricity, heating, water bills, taxes, etc. Buyers will ask for this information when they present an offer on your home. It’s also a good idea to gather up any appliance manuals and warranties that you can give the new buyers.
2. Repairs and updating
It is not necessary to renovate your home in order to sell it in today’s market. To get the best price possible it is important to present your home in its best condition. This means repairs to leaky faucets, chipped or peeling paint, and old worn flooring. Quick fixes to update your home might include a fresh coat of neutral paint throughout the home.
Upgrading appliances can help modernize a kitchen along with new hardware on the cupboards. If something is broken, fix it now rather than after a home inspection when the buyers will likely be wanting a reduction in the house price due to necessary repairs.
Your home should leave an impression on the buyers that your home has been loved and cared for throughout your ownership.
3. Declutter, depersonalize and stage
The purpose behind decluttering is so that your home appears spacious and clean. Depersonalizing the home allows the buyers to imagine themselves living in the space without the distraction of family photos, knick-knacks, and collectibles.
Staging the home is really the icing on the cake beautifying the home’s best features. Stagers add or arrange furniture, advise on color schemes, and prepare your home so it is appealing to today’s buyers’ tastes.
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A decluttered, depersonalized, and staged home takes the best photos and videos for the real estate market. Many buyers will bypass viewing a property based on the online photos. If a home is photographed with a cluttered countertop and dirty dishes it gives the impression that the seller does not care about the condition of the house.
4. Curb appeal matters
Let’s face it curb appeal matters. As the buyer drives up the street the first thing they see is the exterior of your home. If you have junk in your yard, overgrown gardens, peeling paint on the house and fence you are not going to make a great impression.
Remember to fix cracks in your driveway, keep the lawn and gardens in tip-top shape. Ensure your house’s exterior is clean and painted if needed. If your exterior lighting is rusted replace it and the same goes for that mailbox and door hardware.
5. Pre-Listing Home Inspection
There are so many benefits to both the seller and the buyer when a home is inspected before going on the market. It aids the seller in pricing the home especially if the house requires a lot of work or repairs. If the seller is not in a position to make the repairs, they can price their house accordingly and provide quotes for repairs.
It also prepares the seller about the condition of their home upfront so there will not be any harsh surprises creep up when the buyer conducts their inspection. If a house requires substantial repairs the buyer may opt-out of the deal. Common reasons home deals fall on inspection surround issues like the roof, water damage, or electrical issues.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
