In 2018, 5.34 million existing homes were sold compared to 667,000 new construction homes.
Judging by these numbers, it’s safe to say each day many homeowners get ready to undergo the process of selling their house. If you’re in the process of putting your home on the market, there are a few things you need to know beforehand.
Read on to learn the top things to do before selling your house.
Table of Contents
1. Start by Losing Your Connection to the House
Selling a house is difficult for many homeowners, especially under some circumstances. The first thing to do when you want to sell your house is to disassociate emotionally from it.
Letting go of the memories might be quite difficult for some people, which can make the selling process a lot more painful. It’s important to go into selling the house with the right mindset.
Tell yourself, although you made great memories there, you’re onto the next chapter.
2. Remove Your Personal Touches From the House
When potential buyers arrive at your house, they will want to see themselves living there. They might have a more difficult time doing so if they see all of your personal stuff.
To remove your personal touches from the house, start by taking down photographs, your children’s artwork from the fridge, and anything too personalized.
3. Get Rid of Extra Clutter
If you have been wanting to get rid of old clothes and clutter, this is the best time to do so. Go through your entire house and single out all of the items you don’t need and donate them.
Not only will you get rid of the clutter, but all those donations are tax-deductible.
4. Organize All the Storage Space
Potential buyers are curious people and they will want to see every closet and storage area in your house.
If your closets are not organized, they might need to be able to see them to their full potential. Make sure you color coordinate your closets, aligned the shoes, and re-fold your towels.
In the kitchen, give your cabinets a little love by organizing your pantry and even turning the coffee mug handles the same direction.
5. Remove What You Plan on Taking
If you put up some new light fixtures, appliances, or faucets you’re in love with and plan on taking, you need to remove them before the house goes on the market.
Showing those items to the seller and then telling them you will remove them, might break the sale. If something has sentimental value or you love too much, replace it before inviting potential buyers into your home.
6. Get a Storage Unit
You will have more success in attracting the attention of buyers if your home has minimal furniture. While you might love the rocking chair that your grandma passed down to you, potential buyers might not feel the same way.
It’s important you show the home with only the essentials, so potential buyers can imagine their items there. Get a storage unit so you can house all of your personal items while you wait for your home to sell.
7. Make Small Repairs
Potential homebuyers want a home that will not give them many problems. If they see your home needs a lot of small repairs, they will see it as a money pit and move on.
Before you show your house to buyers, you should make all those small repairs you have been putting off.
Small repairs like fixing a leaky faucet, squeaky doors, or replacing a broken tile can go a long way.
If the repairs are quite extensive and you cannot afford them, consider selling your home as-is. Places such as we buy any house can give you a great deal on your home.
8. Deep Clean the House
When potential buyers arrive at your house, they will look at it through a magnifying glass. They will look at every stain and point out cobwebs or dust bunnies.
It’s so important you deep clean your house before you begin showing it. Consider hiring a professional cleaner so they can target things such as showers, sinks, faucets, tubs, and mirrors.
Make sure you keep up with the cleaning daily by dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning the bathrooms. It also helps to always have fresh towels.
9. Don’t Neglect Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is very important when you’re in the process of selling your home. It doesn’t matter what the inside looks like if potential buyers get turned off when they drive up to your property.
Imagine you’re the one looking for a home and you drive up to a house and the grass is not mowed, you see weeds, and there are pots with dried up flowers. This image is not going to make the best impression.
To avoid this problem, you need to make the outside look as good as the inside. If your budget allows it, hire a landscaper to take care of the lawn.
You can also add a few fresh flowers and make the outside pop.
10. Spruce Up the Exterior
Although many people don’t pay as much attention to the outside of the home as they do the inside, the exterior is also important. When potential buyers walk up to your home and see a nice lawn but the paint of the front door is chipped, they might feel a bit turned off.
If you want to attract buyers, you have to give the exterior of your house a little love. Start by cleaning out the gutters and pressure washing the siding of your house.
Cleaning the windows and the window frames will also go a long way. To impress buyers more, add a fresh coat of paint to the front door and get a new welcome mat.
Things to Do Before Selling Your House: The Bottom Line
Now that you know the top things to do before selling your house, it’s time you make the sale.
Remember to remove all your personal items, deep clean the house, focus on curve appeal, and spruce up the exterior.
If you enjoyed these tips, check out the rest of our site for more.
