Deciding to list your home for sale is a big decision to make. You will need to decide when to do so, which real estate professional to work with, and how to get your home ready. When you choose to work with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we can help by offering some detailed tips on how to get your home ready for sale. For example, the following three tasks should be completed before you list your home.
1. Clean and Declutter Your Home
First and foremost, you need to clean and declutter. Start by getting rod of clutter. This is the perfect time to get rid of everything you don’t need. You can make piles to pack, piles to keep, and piles to donate or throw away. If you have a large metal item, contact a local recycler or scrapper to see if they want it.
Once you have gotten out as much as you can, give your home a deep clean. Get everyone involved. Make sure you give extra attention to your bathrooms and kitchen, and clean both the inside and outside of your windows. Remember that people touring your home may open cabinets or closest, so resist the urge to hide things away. In fact, try to make every area of your home as organized as possible.
2. Make Small Repairs
Some people who want to sell their home will invest significantly if they believe they can get more back in equity than they spent on the upgrades. Even if you do not want to make major changes, it is likely that there are small repairs you can make that would make a big difference.
For example, before you start showing your house you should fix any leaking faucets, fix running toilets, check your lightbulbs and replace any that are burnt out, replace old caulk around showers, sinks, and tubs, freshen up grout if needed, repaint walls to a neutral color, and fix any cracked or broken windows.
3. Focus on Curb Appeal
You want potential buyers to fall in love with your entire home but that all starts with their first impression. The goal is for them to drive up to your home and instantly be impressed. Get the exterior of your home ready by trimming bushes, trees, and shrubs. Ideally, you will want to ensure that vegetation doesn’t touch your roof or your home’s siding. Clean out and repair downspouts and gutters if necessary.
If necessary, add new mulch. Clean up any concrete areas and get rid of weeds that are coming up through the cracks. Put out pots of flowers and otherwise make your home’s exterior more inviting. Before you know it, you’ll have buyers begging to view your home.
If you need help listing your home, or buying a new home, be sure to reach out to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices at (310) 373-0021 to speak to an experienced real estate professional.