You need to invest a few hours before listing your home for sale. Ideally you complete these items before hiring me.
Think Like Buyer
Take 15 minutes to play buyer and surf Zillow, or your favorite real estate website. Look at homes for sale in your area. Pay attention to homes like yours (similar number bedrooms, bathrooms, size, etc.). Make note of which homes look like they will sell and those that are ugly. You don’t want to be that next ugly home on the market. Learn more below:
Complete Home Maintenance
Air conditioning, roof, and termites are the big three items I see on inspection reports. They are the most expensive to repair and reasonable buyers demand they are in working order. Make sure the big three items are in great shape before listing your home. I have listed additional maintenance items that frequently concern buyers in the link below:
Completing essential home maintenance tasks
De-clutter your home
I see buyers walk into a vacant home, smack their head on the dining room chandelier, then turn around and ask, “where does the table go”. Worse yet is a cluttered home, they turn right around and walk out. Buyers need to see the space and understand that space’s purpose. I compiled the “know-how” to make your home say all the right things to buyers:
Arrange your furnishings and decorate your home
Curb appeal on a budget (or for free)
Deep Clean your home
We are not selling your dirt, we are selling your home. Many folks forego the few hours of cleaning only to get lowball offers once their home is listed. You need to first get photograph clean, then second get SHOW and smell clean. Cameras may miss a few dust bunnies, but buyers have a nose for dirt… and it says don’t buy so let’s make sure you’re SHOW CLEAN:
Organize your keys
You close on the purchase of your next home. Your moving van is in route. Then you find the seller / former owner lost the keys. You have no access to the home. There’s nothing more frustrating than buying a house only to find the seller lost the keys. This happens more often than you might think and is a liability nightmare. My listing clients have not ONCE forgot the keys. Because I require everybody organize them prior to listing their home.
