Top 10 Things To Do Before Listing Your Home

If you are thinking about selling your home this year, then you better get started on preparing your home so that you can get top dollar.  Did you know that two very similar homes in the same neighborhood can sell for two completely different prices?  Like by 50,000 difference!  This is true, the big difference is simply because of how well the home has been prepared vs just putting your older home up for sale without attempting to fix known issues, adding new paint and doing whatever it takes to make your home look new again.

First of all, you need to do a bit of research.  Find out how much to top selling home sold for or is listed at and compare that home to yours.  You’ll need to compare how many bedrooms, bathrooms, garage spaces, square footage, lot size, etc.  That all plays into it and some things like that you can’t change, so you’ll have to adjust your price accordingly, but there are other factors that you can change that will affect your price and if done properly, you can double and sometimes triple the amount you invest when your home does sell.

Here is a list of the Top 10 things to do before listing your home that will help raise the value of your home and ultimately get you more on the sell of your home:

1. Paint Your Home – Inside and Out – This is the most important thing that you should do because no home can go a year or two or more without something happening to your paint, making it look old or dingy and if you’ve owned your home for more than 5 years and haven’t had it repainted, then you for sure will need to do this first.  We’re talking about interior paint and exterior paint.  Simply by repainting your home, you can increase the value of your home and make it look like some of the newer homes out there.  Some companies like Earthly Matters Painting will go the extra mile and repair wood rot and dried out caulking prior to painting which is extremely important when repainting your home.  One last thing on this… when repainting the interior of your home, keep the paint colors neutral – you may even take some time to view new home build mode homes to see what colors are in and go with what you see most.  You can also go online and see what’s trending on sites such as Houzz.com.
2. Make Repairs – This is very important because most home buyers will be getting a new loan for the purchase of their home and mortgage companies will require an inspector to look for issues that need to be fixed.  If you take care of these items before listing, you can try to do them yourself or even hire a handyman but if you wait until the inspector finds them, most likely the buyers will require you to pay a contractor and that will end up costing you more in the end.  Don’t forget to see if your roof is in good shape or if it needs to be repaired or even replaced.
3. Declutter – You may not want to change the way you live, but it will be worth it and just know that this is short term and will help the potential buyer to see their stuff in your home rather than focusing too much on your stuff when viewing your home.
4. Create Curb Appeal – First appearance is *everything* and you don’t get a second change, so do it right!  Again, fresh paint on the exterior of the home give the buyers the impression that your home is newer and well taken care of.  Then you need to focus on the yard.  Keep the grass cut, edged and weeded.  Add new bushes and flowers and mulch or pinestraw.
5. Clean and Organize – Yes, you have to clean and we’re not just talking about on the surface, do a deep clean!  Clean your carpets

[professionally if necessary], clean all appliances, counters, windows [inside and out] and mirrors.  Now organize your pantry, closets, cabinets, storage areas and your garage.  Yes, people check those things and if they are clean and organized, your home will feel newer and larger. Less Is More – You’re probably going to hate this, but that huge sectional… it’s gotta go!  Try to make each room feel more spacious by removing some of your furniture pieces.  If you don’t know where to start, as a professional staging company or Realtor.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking a professional, then think of your most stylish friend and ask her for her honest opinion – then listen open minded and try not to be offended.Upgrade Lighting and Appliances – Yes, we know you don’t want to spend more money right now, but believe it or not, if your lighting and/or appliances are more than 7 years old, they most likely will bring your home’s value down – especially in the eyes of a buyer.  Most higher end buyers will want to see stainless steel appliances, granite or quarts counter tops, hardwood floors rather than carpeting and modern lighting.  If they see all of these things in your home, they won’t mind paying the higher price so that they [he] won’t have to do it.Fix Pet Issues – Believe it or not, but your cuddly and loving pet may cost you the sale of your home.  Many people have pet allergies or simply think that pets are dirty (how dare they!) but we know different – unfortunately, that won’t make a difference, so best to take your pets with you or keep them in a crate in the garage, basement or even at a friends house when you know there will be a showing.  Remember, this is temporary.  Then make sure all pet hair and stains are gone.Add Some Style – Look, you’re going to want to buy new stuff for your next home, so why not get it now and use it to stage your existing home?  This will make your home look for like a model home rather than a museum.Get a Pre-listing Appraisal and/or Inspection – This will put you ahead of the game and help you to be realistic with your price and expectations plus it will bring attention to some of the things that you may have missed.

Article provided by Denise Sells Georgia