Do These 11 Things Before Putting Your Home on the Market

Not sure how to get your house ready to sell? Fortunately, you can take steps before putting your home on the market to increase your chances of receiving a solid offer from a buyer. From cleaning and staging to repainting and depersonalizing, here are 11 things you can do to get a house ready to sell.

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1. Research your local housing market

   First and foremost, do your homework on the value of your home. Start by researching the local housing market . Take a look at comparable sales in your neighborhood to figure out your appropriate listing price. Pay attention to the various comps’ square footage, features and location, and think about how they compare to your home. For example, your neighbor’s home may have sold for $1 million, but if your home is considerably smaller, you’ll most likely need to list your house for less. Of course, a reputable realtor should be able to assist with finding comps and determining a listing price for your home.

2. Find a listing agent

   Speaking of realtors, we highly recommend enlisting a professional real estate agent to list your home. You should be able to find a realtor through Realtor.com and word-of-mouth recommendations. When interviewing a listing agent, ask about their experience in your neighborhood, connections to potential buyers and social media expertise. The realtor should be able to give you a thoroughly laid out plan for how they are going to sell your home.

3. Buy more light bulbs

   Go ahead and stock up on light bulbs. When showing your house to potential buyers, all light fixtures and lamps must be turned on. For this reason, it’s important that all lights in your home have working light bulbs.

4. Give your house a deep clean

   First impressions mean a lot. So, don’t let foul smells, dirty floors or dusty surfaces make a bad one on a potential buyer. Before listing your home (and throughout the selling process), give your home a deep clean. This means cleaning toilets, wiping surfaces, mopping floors, cleaning rugs and scrubbing bathrooms. Consider calling in the professionals (think: Stanley Steamer and a housekeeper) to ensure that your place is in pristine condition.

5. Declutter the home

   Decluttering and organizing your space will go a long way in appealing to potential buyers. When a home is clutter-free, buyers can focus on the actual home instead of the excess junk, accessories and overflowing closets.

6. Call a handyman

   When getting a house ready to sell, you should have your handyman on speed dial. Make sure anything and everything that needs to be fixed (think: locks, hardware, leaky faucets, running toilets, cracks in the walls, broken appliances, squeaky doors, etc.) is fixed before listing a home. Otherwise, buyers may think your home hasn’t been well taken care of, which can be a turnoff for many. Here’s why you should hire a handyman before and after your move.

7. Paint the walls

   Now’s the time to repaint your home. Start by painting over those bright orange and green walls with neutral colors. Stick to whites, light grays, light beiges and “greige” wall colors. These shades will make your home appear bigger, brighter and more welcoming. Adding a fresh coat of paint to your home will also help cover the wall’s imperfections and convey a blank slate to potential buyers.

8. Stage your home

   According to multiple studies, staging a home really can help it sell faster and for more money. Fortunately, staging your home’s interior can be easy and affordable. Don’t forget to also spruce up your home’s curb appeal when staging the home. After all, the outside of the home is the first thing potential buyers will see when they arrive for a showing. So, make sure that the grass is cut, the yard is landscaped, and the knick-knacks are gone (think gnomes and children’s toys). If your home looks a bit rundown, you should also consider adding a fresh coat of paint to the exterior walls. Here’s our ultimate guide to home staging.

9. Hire a professional photographer

   Given that many potential buyers search for homes online, it’s crucial to include high-quality, professional photos in your online listing. Without excellent high-resolution images, potential buyers may (sadly) overlook your home. So, before putting it on the market, go ahead and hire a professional photographer to snap photos of your clean and staged abode. Keep in mind that a realtor should be able to help with finding a photographer, so be sure to ask who they use when interviewing real estate agents for the job.

10. Rent a storage unit

    When getting a house ready to sell, it’s important to declutter and purge your belongings to clear the house of excess belongings. If you’re willing to rent a temporary storage unit before selling a home, this will give you a safe and secure place to store all of your extra stuff when staging and showing the house.

11. Depersonalize your home

    When selling a home, you want to strike the perfect balance between depersonalization and the appearance of a warm, welcoming home. This means putting away most framed photos, bulletin boards and personal items (think photo albums, magazines, toys, awards, etc.) throughout the home. Leave a few nice, framed photos around the house to make the home more inviting.

Tips for selling your house quickly and ef