If you are thinking about putting your house up for sale, now just might be the perfect time! The housing market is still hot, and that means that homes are selling quicker than usual. But, how do you even prepare to list your house? I will tell you below with my two-phase listing process.
Phase 1: Prepare Your House To Be Listed
During this phase you will want to get your home prepared to go onto the market, and with that mean photos! This phase can take some time depending on how well you have taken care of your home over time. Usually it will include minor repairs, painting, staging, cleaning, and landscaping.
You want to be sure that you also take out any large furniture items that may clutter spaces and make rooms appear smaller than they actually are. I usually recommend a very deep cleaning of each room from top to bottom, including windows and mirrors.
Renting a storage unit can also be super helpful when preparing your home to list! Here is a checklist to help you stay on track during Phase 1: Prepare Your House To Be Listed of the listing process:
- Clean deeply.
- Paint some or all of your house.
- Do minor repairs such as caulking tubs and windows.
- Make major repairs – if needed and in your budget, such as replacing counters or appliances.
- Stage your furniture to showcase your home’s best features.
- Remove personal items such as family photos.
- Declutter every surface and storage space.
- Reorganize your closets and pack excess items.
- Eliminate odors by cleaning the fireplace or shampooing rugs.
- Create an appealing color scheme with curtains or pillows to warm up your home.
- Upgrade your lighting or lightbulbs to make your rooms brighter.
- Spruce up the landscaping.
- Power-wash your decks and sidewalks if needed.
Phase 2: Last Minute Preparation
During this phase you will want to prepare your home before each showing request that you have on your home! The main items on this list include turning on lights and cleaning all surfaces. You want to make sure that when people walk through your home for the first time that it is clean, bright, and tidy!
Picking up around the house and making beds can make a huge difference in whether someone will want to purchase your home or not.
Here is a checklist:
- Turn on the lights and open the blinds for maximum light.
- Take out the garbage.
- Make the beds.
- Clear and dust surfaces.
- Take your pets with you and put away pet bowls.
- Hide your valuables.
- Turn off your computer.
- Set the temperature.
- Put out fresh towels.
If you follow both phases of this process I can promise you that it will make a huge difference! First impressions are everything, and in this case, that includes both the inside and outside of your house.
