How to Get Your House Ready to Sell

Being proactive is something that both Buyers & Sellers should consider. My advice is to create a plan to Buy or Sell six months to a year in advance. Why? It’s the proactive homeowner who ends up having the smoothest home sale and, typically, makes the most money. And it's the proactive Buyer who understands the market, where they want to live (as in area/neighborhood), what their loan options are, & understands the number$. For the sake of this post, I'm focusing on what sellers can do to Get Your House Ready to Sell.

If you start now, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare your home (and yourself) for the Spring market and be among those success stories of quick & painless home sales. It's all about working with a Realtor to help you to create a strategy to maximize the value of your home. Here are some Action Steps that will help you to prepare.

Current Market Value:
What is the current market value of your home?  Let’s get a market analysis done now so that we have at least a rough idea of your home’s current market value.

Will you be buying a home when this one sells? If yes, that market analysis will be important so that you can work with a lender to figure out what loans you would qualify for once your home sells. One of the worst things you can do is sell your home before being pre-approved for a loan for your next home. You also need to understand the moving parts of Selling to Buy options, it's a process with a lot of moving parts.

Have a pre-sale Home Inspection:
Rarely do Sellers take this advice although I think it's incredibly important & useful. Having your home professionally inspected before putting it on the market is the epitome of proactivity!! After all, one of the most common home sale deal-breakers is the home inspection report--if the report is too long buyers often become overwhelmed and get "cold feet", especially first time home buyers. Often there are items that could be easily addressed & handled. Let’s get in front of those objections & find out now what an inspector will learn with a thorough home inspection. I can help you to decide which concerns absolutely must be remedied and which don’t. And, since we’re starting so early, you’ll have time to get the work done before the home hits the MLS in Spring. A few hundred dollar fixes could easily save you Thousands. Please read that again....It's not over-stated. Additionally, if buyers know that an inspection has already been completed this information may build trust with potential buyers--win!

Curb Appeal matters:
Again, this tip is all about making a plan. Our New England Spring can be somewhat elusive but once the Forsythia blooms (right around my sons birthday on April 15) the grass begins to green and the flowering trees begin to bloom. Even though your landscaping isn't in full on IMPRESS mode, there are things that you can do to increase your curb appeal:

• Shine up the mailbox,  a fresh paint job is quick, easy, & impactful.
• Welcome! Is the main entrance to your home eye-catching & Inviting? Simple updates like a new doormat, an updated exterior light fixture, and new address numbers that are easy to see are simple, inexpensive fixes that can make a big impact. Also, does the front door & trim need to be painted? Would a new color make your home POP!
• What else can you do to make the exterior more appealing & welcoming? Perhaps there is yard debris that should be cleared, trees and shrubs that should be trimmed, beds where fresh mulch should be spread, and colorful flowers that can be added. Create your To-Do list so that you have time to complete these tasks.

Staging for SOLD:
Now is the perfect time to construct a home staging plan and I can help you to look through the eyes of a buyer. Pre-staging will help you to identify personal items that should be removed, rooms and areas that need deep cleaning and furniture rearranging (or removal), areas that need a fresh coat of paint, and items that can be purged from closets, drawers, cabinets etc. These tasks will be far less overwhelming if you identify what needs to be done & create a plan with plenty of time to accomplish them! 

The Spring real estate market will be here before you know it. Ensuring that you have a plan in place so that you have time to prepare will make the process much less stressful & far more successful! I'm happy to meet with you to help you create your plan!

​#rirealestate #residentialrealtors