15 Steps To Selling Your Home
March 29th, 2023
15 Steps To Selling Your Home
Selling your home can be a daunting task, but with these 15 steps, it can be a breeze! Please continue reading to learn about the 15 essential steps to take before selling your home or putting it on the market.
If you've recently decided you want to sell your home and start a new journey, you may be wondering about the best ways to prepare your home for the market and what questions to ask.
When selling, it can be challenging to constantly keep it in a show-ready state while also still living in the home. However, you, as the home seller, can do plenty of things to prepare yourself and your home before putting it on the market and writing a great real estate listing description.
Historically speaking, springtime tends to bring out more buyer activity. Since there are more buyers than sellers, there will be more competition and fewer homes to view. That said, you want to make sure your home is in pristine condition for buyers every day! This also means that homes will spend less time on the market, so you should only have to keep your home in tip-top shape for a short period of time.
When preparing to sell your home, you want to make sure that it is "stage-ready." This includes removing all personal photos from the home, clearing off countertops & other surfaces, keeping the home clean and fresh, and ensuring there is no clutter in the home. While these are not your typical everyday living conditions, it's important to ensure buyers view your home in the best condition.
If you're looking to maximize your home selling potential, here are 15 simple steps to get your market-ready in no time:
*Home staging and preparing your home for the market are extremely important. However, one of the first steps to selling your home soon should be reaching out to one of our agents!*
Chapters
1. Declutter the entire house
Decluttering and downsizing are usually already on your to-do list when preparing to sell your home and move into a new one. Purging your space before you put your house on the market is a great way to eliminate anything that doesn't need to make the move. It also allows for a more inviting space for potential buyers to truly visualize themselves in the space and how their belongings will fit.
In the process, try to "depersonalize" the home. While your house is on the market, many people will walk in and out of your home, peeking into every corner and opening every door/cabinet/drawer. Taking down family photos or anything that allows people inside your life is a great way to ensure your privacy and safety.
If you have children, try to make the toys look as clean and neat as possible. Especially with small children, toys can be everywhere and an eyesore to some. Try to organize the best you can with bins, shelves, separate areas, etc.
Pro: Less stuff you have to worry about cleaning before showings!
2. Clean and organize closets
While you declutter, you can take the time to clean and organize all closets in the home properly. Whether it's your pantry, coat closet, linen closet, or all of the above, buyers will want to see what storage space your home offers. It can be difficult for buyers to figure out if the home has enough space if every closet is jammed packed with clothes, jackets, sports gear, etc. This is also another way to get rid of unnecessary items before making the big move.
3. Hire cleaners
After you've decluttered your entire house and removed the things you don't want, it's time to clean! If you enjoy cleaning, feel free to do it yourself; if you don't, a cleaning crew might just be your best friend. Hiring a company to come in and clean ensures that your home gets a thorough deep clean before hitting the market and before potential buyers view your space. It's common for buyers to be turned off by unclean areas, so ensuring your home is in pristine condition is an advantage. You can also hire them to come weekly to re-tidy between showings. Along with your deep clean, you should also have the carpets, and any tough stains cleaned.
4. Repaint or touch up
Having fresh, clean walls is a great way to grab a potential buyer's attention. When it comes to painting, everyone has a different opinion, different style, color preference, etc. The best way to get your home stage ready is to neutralize the colors in your home. Colors such as gray, beige, or white give the buyers a clean slate to work with and ensure they're not turned away by polarizing colors such as bright yellow, neon green, or bright blue. If your home is already neutral, it's a good idea to go through and touch up any chips, scratches, stains, etc.
5. Landscape
Driving through a beautiful neighborhood with lushes green yards, trees, and flowers is a great way to attract potential buyers. Take a look at the areas surrounding your home and take the time to work on anything that could use a green thumb. You can pull weeds, replant flowers, mow the lawn, add mulch in necessary areas, clean up the backyard, and more!
6. Touch up trim paint
Nothing makes a room pop more than a fresh coat of white-trim paint. Typically, trim is easy to get dirty with the normal wear and tear of living in the home, not to mention if you live with pets or kids. Although it's a more tedious task, it could make the difference in your home being on the market for a few days instead of a few weeks.
7. Eliminate busy-ness
When viewing a home for the first time, it's hard not to notice the decor and feel of the house. A great way to prepare your home is to make it as simple as possible. This allows buyers to focus on the actual home and the layout rather than the decor, especially if it's not their cup of tea. Although it sounds silly, some buyers will be turned away based on the home's interior decor at the time of viewing. To simplify an area, try to minimize the wall decor, extravagant art, and busy patterns. Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone walking in for the first time.
8. Replace or clean carpets
As said before, cleaning your carpets is a great way to keep buyers interested. If you happen to have an abundance of stains or your carpets have seen better days, most buyers will ask for them to be cleaned before closing, so it's nice to get a head start. Much like air vents, carpets can be the culprit for holding on to pet dander, dust, and debris, creating extra unwanted smells. Having your carpets cleaned or replaced can seem like a costly investment upfront, but it may save you from having to offer more unwanted seller concessions or money you give to the buyer at closing. Presentation is truly everything when it comes to selling your home, so if you have an area that is in need of immediate attention, be sure to have a plan in place to present it properly.
9. Make each space feel large
This step ties in with decluttering. Try to remove unwanted or unnecessary furniture or decor that can make the room feel overcrowded and small. Especially if you have a smaller home, you want to make all the spaces look as large as possible so the buyers can visualize if there is enough space for their belongings.
10. Have professional photos taken
The first time a buyer usually sees your home is online through their agent or a listing site. Good pictures are everything. Taking the pictures yourself or having none at all could be the reason you have three showings instead of 20. Since your listing photos are the buyer's first impression, you want to ensure you show your home in the best way possible. Professional photos and staging are one of the easiest ways to get buyers into the house.
11. Re-caulk where needed
Unfortunately, water is no friend to your home. Even with the silicone-based caulks used for bathroom projects, moisture, and water typically wear away the caulk after a certain period. Nothing can turn away a buyer faster than a bathroom that looks like it needs a full facelift. Take some time to quickly touch up that facade caulk in your bathrooms because it just might be the buyers deciding factor.
12. Get major systems inspected (HVAC/water heater/roof)
Nothing kills a deal faster than a faulty water heater, HVAC unit, or roof. It is best to get ahead of any issues that you may know of (or not know of) when it comes to major systems that could be discovered during any inspections. Typically, an HVAC unit, water heater, and roof can last about 20 years, 15-20 years, and 20 years respectively. It's always best to know what is going on with your home prior to going on the market; it's possible that they could affect your bottom line in the sale.
13. Give each space a defined purpose
If you're selling a house with an open floor plan or any wide open areas, it can be helpful for buyers if you stage it in a way that shows the different uses. Use furniture or statement pieces to clearly define each space so potential buyers can see the future layout.
14. Keep it consistent
They weren't lying when they said consistency is key! In terms of paint colors, flowing, finishes, etc., it's a good idea to keep the flow and feel of your home consistent. It doesn't overwhelm the buyers and makes it feel like the home is move-in ready.
15. Fix anything that is broken or replace anything that is missing
Although life happens, an unfinished or "broken" home is unattractive to potential buyers. Most buyers do not want to buy a home in bad condition. Take the time to walk through your home and fix anything that is broken, such as door handles, knobs, hinges, etc. If you started a new project that never got finished, try to get it done before showings begin to happen, along with replacing broken or missing fixtures.
All of these steps are going to prepare you for the smoothest selling process. Staying one step ahead allows you to address any issues before your house is made public, ensure it is in the best shape possible for potential buyers, and help prepare you for your next move. Here's a quick recap of how you can get your home ready for showings:
- Clear off surfaces
- Create a space for everything
- Keep all cabinets, drawers, and closets neat and tidy
- Keep beds easy to make
- Keep up with dishes
- Keep up with laundry
- Wipe down the counters daily
- Sweep and vacuum daily
- Wipe down bathrooms daily
- Open all curtains and blinds before a showing
- Turn on all of the lights before a showing
- If you leave for an extended period of time, make sure the house is always show-ready!
15 Steps To Sell Your Home - Final Thoughts
Selling your home is a big step that is both exciting and scary. Preparing your home may seem overwhelming initially, but if you prioritize your time and use the steps above, you will have it ready in no time. You can get your home ready for showings or an open house and the market in plenty of ways. Enlist the help of family and friends if needed, and try to imagine yourself as a potential buyer when preparing, but stay true to yourself and don't work yourself crazy. It's worth it in the end.
Whether you utilize all of the tips or just a few, you are sure to put yourself in an excellent position for a fast sale during a hot time of the housing market. Remember, the goal is to sell your home as fast as possible for the best price possible. If you are ready to take the next steps and sell your home, feel free to contact us, and we can assist you with any of your selling needs.
Ryan Fitzgerald
Hi there! Nice to 'meet' you and thanks for visiting our Raleigh Real Estate Blog! My name is Ryan Fitzgerald, and I'm a REALTOR® in Raleigh-Durham, NC, the owner of Raleigh Realty. I work alongside some of the best Realtors in Raleigh. You can find more of my real estate content on Forbes, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and more. Realtor Magazine named me a top 30 under 30 Realtor in the country (it was a long time ago haha). Any way, that's enough about me. I'd love to learn more about you if you'd like to connect with me on Facebook and Instagram or connect with our team at Raleigh Realty. Looking forward to connecting!