Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

Steps to Getting Your Home Ready

1. Determine the Right Time to Sell

Contact your real estate agent to help you decide when market conditions are best for you to list your home for sale.

2. Make Repairs and Consider Updates

At this time, evaluate the main structures of your home and prioritize repairs.

You May want to have some updates done to improve your home’s value. Consult with your real estate agent to determine what updates will provide you with the highest return on your investment.

3. Clean and Declutter

Buyers love space…specifically a clean and large space. Rooms will always appear larger when they are tidy.

Consider renting a storage unit to store your items that aren’t needed while your home is on the market.

4. Direct Attention to Curb Appeal

What is more important than first impressions? The outside of your home plays a large role in the amount of interested buyers.

Keep the lawn mowed, hedges trimmed, gutters cleaned, and concrete surfaces free of debris.

Some great ideas to spruce up around the exterior of your home include: add fresh pine needles or mulch to flower beds, apply a fresh coat of paint to weathered areas, and place a welcoming wreath on the front door along with flower planters at the entrance.

5. Decide on Asking Price

It is important that you price your home competitively while still maintaining a healthy profit. Allow your real estate agent to perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) of your home to ensure the pricing of your home aligns correctly with similar properties in your area.

6. Get Professional Photos Taken

With so much home shopping done on the internet, having professional photographs is sure to make a great impression on potential home buyers.

7. Sit Back and Let Your Real Estate Agent Take it from Here

Now that your home is ready to go on the market, your real estate agent will list your home on the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This will give homebuyers in the area direct access to information and photos of your home via cooperating agents. This also ensures that the listing will be viewable from many other platforms such as Zillow and Trulia.

Expect that beautiful “For Sale” sign to appear in your front lawn, allowing passersby the opportunity to see that your home is for sale.

During the listing period, your real estate agent will be marketing your home to potential homebuyers via online advertising, flyers, open houses, and many other marketing avenues.