How to Get Your House Ready to Sell – A Complete Guide

Full article 15 min read
How to Get Your House Ready to Sell

“It’s not the heat; it’s the humidity.” This common saying is a reminder that when summer rolls around in America, you should get your house ready to sell. Here are some of the top issues sellers need to address before putting their home on the market and earning a quick sale.

Selling a house is no easy task. It takes time, effort, and money to get your house ready to sell on the market. In this article, we will discuss some tips and tricks on how to get your house ready to sell quickly and for the best price possible. Let’s get started!

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Research Your Local Housing Marketing

When you plan to sell a house, it is crucial to thoroughly research your local housing market and real estate market before putting your house on the market. The housing market changes in every part of the county, whether big or small, so it is essential to research where you live before selling a house, especially if you want to sell your home for top dollar.

One of the most important things to consider when researching your local real estate market is to research the rates of your neighborhood, and you can do this by looking at similar houses in the area that have recently been sold. In most cases, these homes will be very similar or close in comparison to your house, so it makes an excellent basis for finding out what people are paying for a home like yours. Moreover, researching your local housing market is one of the most important things to do before selling a house because this will indicate how much time it might take to sell your home.

Find a Listing Agent

Next, you need to find an experienced and good listing agent to represent you and your home. Depending on the housing market, your home might sell faster or slower, but it is vital to have a good agent because they can help you determine how long the process will take and what steps need to be done before putting a house on the market. In addition, finding a listing agent is one of the most important things to do before putting your house on the market because this will assure you that there is someone there to support you throughout the process of selling your home.

Here are some tips for finding a reliable listing agent:

  • Make sure you get recommendations from people you know and trust.
  • Ask them what they like or dislike about their agents.
  • Don’t be afraid to do a little research about your potential listing agent, and when you talk with them, ask questions that pertain to how they will market your home.
  • Find out what they plan on doing before putting up your house on the market and if their experience in selling houses is extensive.

In general, sellers should also consider hiring a realtor because this will assure that they have a professional on their side who can help them get the most out of selling a house.

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Create a Marketing Plan

It’s time to create a marketing plan if you want to put your house on the market; you’ll need to make an effective plan if your house will sell quickly and for the best price.

A marketing plan is important because it will help guide your actions as you prepare to put your house up for sale. This means that you can organize yourself so that everything is done efficiently. Before you even start thinking about how you will sell your house, you need to develop a plan so that you stay on track throughout the selling process.

“It is important for you to start this process early because if done correctly, then it can help attract potential buyers optimally.”

Fix Up Your House

Once you find a listing agent and have a marketing plan, your next step is to prepare your home for sale, and to do that; you need to fix it up! This includes deep cleaning (wall to wall carpeting, ceiling fans, baseboards, cabinets), minor repairs (broken blinds, fence, worn-out carpeting), and staging. Fixing up your house is one of the most important steps to getting it ready for sale because, after all, you wouldn’t want a buyer to walk in and notice that there are dirty walls or broken appliances, would you?

A few tips for fixing up your house include; deep cleaning, minor repairs before putting it on the market, and staging. Staging is especially important because even if you don’t know how to stage a home, most real estate agents do so they can show off your house for buyers to see all of its potentials.

  • Minor Repairs – This includes items that buyers might overlook, but you will be sure to notice right away if they are missing or broken. You don’t have to do all of the minor repairs yourself; just hire someone to get the job done, so things look as good as new.
  • Fix Leaky Faucets- Leaking faucets are probably one of the worst things that can happen when selling a house because buyers tend not to like brown or discolored water. If you see any leaking faucets in your home, make sure to get them fixed right away.
  • Paint the interior and exterior walls of your house – It may seem like a simple task but painting the inside and outside of your home will help prepare it for sale. Changing the color of your walls can brighten up a room (and make it look bigger as well). This also includes ceiling fans and light fixtures, if they are still intact.

Declutter the Home

It is another essential step to selling your house. If you are selling a home full of clutter, or if you notice that people tend to walk around in your yard when they stop by to look at the house, then it’s time for some serious decluttering action!

In addition, if you have children, it might be a good idea to hire someone to clean your home because children can be notoriously messy. If you are trying to sell a house, it is best to have it as free of clutter as possible for buyers to picture themselves living in the space.

To appeal to potential purchasers, you’ll need to declutter and arrange your area smartly. Some tips include; getting rid of any clutter, arranging furniture to create a flow that is inviting from the front door all the way to the back of your house, and if you have kids, then hire someone to clean up, maybe even pay them more because children can be very messy.

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Deep Clean

The first thing potential buyers will notice when they walk into your house is the overall cleanliness of your home, so you need to get rid of any clutter or messes around your property. You might hate cleaning, but this is one of the most necessary steps to selling a house, so either hire someone to clean up or spend some time deep cleaning all aspects of your home.

A clean house will not only make buyers feel more comfortable, but it also makes them feel as if they can picture themselves living there because a messy, cluttered house might give them anxiety.

Staging Your Home

“Staging your home is a great way to get potential buyers excited to see the inside of your house, and because you might not be there when they come, you need to hire someone who knows how to stage a home so that they can give your house the boost it needs to attract buyers.” If you hire someone to stage your home, you can remain hands-off and let them get on with it.

Also Read: How to Hire a Moving Company

Dress Your Home for Sale

Nowadays, the “For Sale” sign is a very important part of selling a house because it lets people know that you are going to sell your home and where they can find more information about it. Therefore, dressing your house is one of the most important steps to getting it ready to sell.

Dressing your house might seem like a simple part of selling your home, but it is important because potential buyers can look at your yard and house for clues about what kind of new owner you’ll be; if you make the cutest personalized “For Sale” sign with cute lettering or an eye-catching photo, then it will attract buyers to your house.

To dress your house for sale, you can do things like; replace the old ‘For Sale’ sign, plant some flowers in small pots or boxes around your house, and replace any broken or damaged window panes so that potential buyers don’t see any flaws when they look at your house.

In addition, you might also want to buy an extra For Sale sign so that you can put it up in your yard for people who happen to pass by while the house is being shown or if they decide to come back for a second look.

Also Read: Things to Buy for a New House

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Hire a Professional Photographer or Handyman

Suppose you want to make your house as attractive as possible. In that case, you need to hire a professional photographer or handyman because getting nice photos of your property will help potential buyers imagine themselves living in the home and help prospective buyers visualize how they can decorate and use the space.

In addition, if you have any rooms in your house that are a little outdated or need repair, you can hire a handyman to do so, so it doesn’t look as if the space is completely rundown. For instance, if there is some water damage on the ceiling, hire a handyman to quickly fix it before any potential buyers come by because you want your house to look as attractive as possible.

Depersonalized Your Home

When selling a house, you need to find the correct balance between depersonalization and creating a warm, friendly environment for potential buyers. When you first move out, you need to remove as much of your personal belongings as possible because potential buyers like to imagine themselves living in the house, and they can’t do that if your possessions cloud their imagination.

“For example, take down any photos of family and friends or remove any personal items from the walls because potential buyers like to imagine themselves living in the house, and they can’t do that if your possessions cloud their imagination.”

However, you need to make your house look as inviting as possible, so you should leave some of your things in the house because potential buyers might want to see how they can personalize and make their own if you leave a few of your decorations and furniture.

Price Your Home Right

Lastly, you need to price your home right! When putting a house on the market, it is important to have an accurate estimate of how much you are asking for so that buyers can discern if they are willing to go through with purchasing your home or not. If you put your home on the market for too much, you might scare away potential buyers if not enough interested parties are looking in your area.

A few tips for pricing a home include; figuring out what similar homes have sold for, doing an estimate of how much it will cost to fix up your house, and checking with recent listings at other real estate agencies around your area.

Conclusion

When selling a house, it is important to remember that potential buyers are looking for clues about what kind of new owner you’ll be. By dressing your house in the right way, hiring a professional photographer or handyman, and pricing your home accurately, you can make sure that your house sells as quickly as possible.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do to my house before I sell it?

There are several things that you need to do before selling it, such as:

  • Properly research the local market
  • Make a good marketing strategy
  • Hire a professional
  • Declutter and deep clean your house
  • Do the required repairings
  • Stage your home for sale

What should you not do before selling your house?

You should not underestimate the costs of selling, set an unrealistic price, or ignore major repairs and make costly renovations before selling it.

What do you mean when you say, “Price your house right”?

It would be best if you priced your home correctly so that potential buyers can tell whether or not they can afford to purchase it and make any necessary repairs before buying. By pricing correctly, you will get the most accurate market value for your home.

Written by


Alex Sherr is the founder of My Long Distance Movers, a blog that provides moving information and resources for people who are relocating. He has more than two decades of experience in the moving and relocation industry, and he is passionate about helping people relocate smoothly and efficiently. When he's not writing or blogging, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.