Are you selling your home? It’s helpful to come up with a home seller checklist to help you keep track of the essential tasks that must be done before listing. If you’re ready to sell your house, you can’t just list it and forget about it. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. That’s because selling a home involves a whole lot more than just throwing a “For Sale” sign on the front lawn.
To get the highest asking price possible, you should consider making some updates in order for it to be as appealing as possible for buyers. Before putting your house on the market, read through this home seller checklist.
Find a Great Real Estate Agent
Task #1 is to find yourself a great real estate agent who can maximize the asking price for you while minimizing the stress involved. It’s tempting, especially in a hot market, to list your home “for sale by owner,” but try to resist the urge. This type of transaction is not a good idea, as you will be sacrificing both money and time.
By that same token, don’t blindly hire a real estate agent without doing your research. Make sure you find one who is knowledgeable about your specific market; don’t be afraid to interview a few to ensure a good fit.
Consider Curb Appeal
Buyers will make snap judgements about your home in an instant. As soon as they pull up to your home, they will decide whether they want to go in or just keep driving by. Make sure they get a good first impression by investing a little bit of effort in easy fixes such as planting colorful flowers, repainting the front entry door and de-cluttering the yard of lawn equipment and toys.
Depersonalize Your Space
It’s important as a seller to remove any distractions so buyers can visualize themselves and their families living in the home. Take away personal items and family photos and store them offsite. Same goes with any bold artwork and furniture that might not appeal to the general public. You want to create a blank canvas on which buyers can draw their own vision of home life.
Repaint Walls in Neutral Tones
You may love that bright purple accent wall in the living room or your bright orange bathroom, but not everyone will feel that way. What if those are a potential buyer’s least favorite colors? Stay safe with neutral colors so buyers can envision what the walls would look like with their favorite color.
Touch up Scuff Marks
You don’t have to tackle a full-on repainting project, but it’s a good idea to scrub off scuff marks and then touch up all walls, baseboards, doors and trim.
Add Plants
Remember: green is good. Plants encourage a bright, welcoming environment. Place tall plants in corners of living rooms and hallways. Add a bouquet of fresh flowers or bowl of citrus fruit on the dining table.
Create an Aroma
Nothing turns a buyer off like the smell of last night’s fish dinner. Foul odors can be a deal breaker. Problem, is, you probably don’t notice those smells anymore. Ask an unbiased third party to come into your home and try to detect any foul odors or pet smells. Do a deep clean. If that’s not enough, light candles during showings and open houses, and use plug-in room deodorizers.
Contact Berkshire Hathaway
If you need more tips for selling your home, please get in touch with the professionals at Berkshire Hathaway today. We’ll help you create and stick to a home seller checklist to ensure no box goes unticked.