Selling a home can be a complex and emotional process. You’ll want to make sure you are ready before you list your house for sale. If you’re going to make the process as easy and profitable as possible, these eight things need to be done before putting it on the market:
Clean your house
No one wants to buy a house that looks neglected and unkempt. Before you even put your house up for sale, get rid of clutter and make the house as presentable-looking as possible. Clean out rooms to make them look bigger and more inviting.
Look around corners, under furniture, and on high surfaces for dust and dirt that the naked eye may not see.
Do some repairs to any broken items at home
Leaky faucets, cracked windows, missing shingles, and exposed electrical problems may not seem like big deals, but they can drive down your property value.
Additionally, inspect your house for any leaks or other damage to the structure’s exterior and have this fixed as soon as possible. Repairing these problems will make the home seem more stable and attractive in the eyes of potential buyers. Just because you’re selling the house doesn’t mean you’ll pass on the problems to the next owner. You’ll be able to ask for a reasonable price if there are no repairs needed.
However, if you can’t afford the repairs, be upfront and tell the buyer.
Make the outdoors presentable, too
You should also address any issues that exist outside of your home. Is there a cracked driveway, peeling paint, chipped siding, or other aesthetic problems?
Have asphalt cracks in your driveway repaired by professionals to make your driveways and parking areas look as good as new. If the outside of your house is unattractive because of damage or neglect, it will negatively affect buyers’ opinions of the interior. So if you want to get top dollar for your home, make sure that everything looks well-cared for and well maintained.
Schedule professional cleaning services
You or an expert cleaning service should make the carpets, floors, and all other surfaces spotless. The house should smell fresh and clean when prospective buyers visit your home so that they imagine themselves living in it.
Bathrooms and kitchens are prime selling areas of the house because these are areas where families spend a lot of their time while at home. Be sure to have tile floors scrubbed clean as well.
Get new light bulbs for the interiors
LED lights are energy-efficient and lower power bills. However, if you still have incandescent bulbs in the home that do not light up even when they’re turned on, ask your electrician to replace them with LED lights. They will look much better and make a good impression on the buyer.
Repaint your front door or exterior walls
Make the front door and exterior walls stand out from the rest of the house by adding a fresh coat of paint. Painting the door and the outside of the house will make it look like you take care of your home, so prospects will feel more confident in buying a property that looks well-cared for.
Adding color to your front door is also an easy way to give new homeowners a personal touch when they move in.
Update or change your door locks
The lock on your front door is the first thing that people see when they come to visit. Make sure it’s impressive-looking, or at least presentable enough so that prospective buyers will not be turned off by what they see. Also, ensure that you have a working locking system on all doors in the home — including windows. You can get smart locks or go traditional, that is totally up to you.
Take care of unfinished projects in your basement and attic
If you have unfinished projects in your basement, attic, or other storage areas, clean them up before the home inspection. Having a cluttered space will make it difficult to sell your house as quickly as possible.
If you were planning to turn this space into a studio but never got to finish it, remove evidence of what you had designed to add. Clear out the space and remove the years of clutter that may have accumulated there. The reason for this is so buyers can see the space as a blank canvas and can imagine things they can do with it when they move in.
These are just some of the things you can plan and prepare for before selling your house. However, if that is not within your budget, consider going through the checklist yourself and get things done as quickly as possible. Entrepreneurs who flip houses for a living hire a team of professionals to handle the repairs before selling the property for profit.
