Are you planning to sell your house? While it may sound simple, there are a number of things that you must take care of before putting your house up for sale via a real estate agent. So, roll your sleeves up because it is time to get to work!
Before you put up the “for sale” advertisement, make sure that you are well prepared. In this regard, a checklist might come in handy.
Things to do before selling your house
In this article, we aim to present a checklist that you must use before putting your house for sale. This checklist will allow you to prepare yourself, especially if you’re planning to get the most cash out of your sale.
Consider the appeal of your property
Believe it or not, when it comes to properties, people do judge the book by its cover. So before you start looking for prospective house buyers, make sure that the outer look of your house is appealing.
In short, your house should look beautiful enough from the outside so that the buyers remain interested to see what is inside. Some small enhancements such as colorful plants and flowers, new paint on the gate/door, and a nicely patio with an outdoor fireplace can do wonders.
Declutter the living area
According to most real estate experts, less often means more in case you are selling a property. So, make sure that your living area is decluttered properly and the counters, tables, and other visible areas are totally clean.
Why is decluttering important?
This is because naturally, prospective house buyers may worry that the room may not be large enough to store their belongings if they see your stuff all over the place.
Paint the walls and use neutral tones
You may love an orange paint. However, chances are that your prospective buyers may not like that color. In this case, your property would be a turn-off for him/her.
Painting the house does not really cost a lot, and is a relatively easy enhancement. However, this time, use a neutral color tone because it is safer. Chances are that the prospective buyers will not hate it, even if they do not fall in love with the color.
This will increase your chances of a successful house sale.
Fix all the loose handles
While this may sound like a small thing, loose handles tend to have a huge psychological impact on prospective buyers. In case they see missing light bulbs or broken doorknobs, they will start wondering what else is broken in the property?
Perform a smell test
You may already know that we tend to judge the cleanliness of a place based on the aroma and smell. In case your place smells bad, your prospective buyers are going to get turned off. In fact, it could be a major deal-breaker.
Often at times, you will not even notice that there is a smell in the property, especially if you are there from a while.
In this regard, choose a third-party to visit and detect if there is any smell from pets or odors lingering in the house.
Clean the property properly
Cleanliness is one of the most important factors when it comes to selling a house. Even though it is more of a personal thing, cleaning the house simply means that you are presenting it in its best possible shape.
Contact a real estate agent
Lastly, when everything else is ready, consider talking to a seller’s agent in order to hunt down prospective buyers. Real estate agents usually have a list of clients coming in, that are looking to buy new properties. This way, you can sell your house quickly and at great rates!