Pre-Listing Preparation Tips

Here are some tips on what you can do to increase your outcome to get the best results with a higher price and quickly selling your house:

  1. Decluttering: This is the first step, and it's a doozy for someone that isn't a minimalist. Decluttering means pulling all unnecessary items from shelves, table tops, counters and other surfaces. You want your home to look like a hotel as much as possible.

  2. Depersonalize your home: It may be painful to for you, but it's always best to remove personal items like family photographs and personal collections from your home. You want your house to be a blank canvas so that potential buyers can walk in and visualize their future home.

  3. Temporary storage: Where would you put your clutter you keep and your personal effects? Using a local storage company, ideally a temperature controlled storage facility, is a great way to go so your stuff is completely out of the way for showings and inspections.

  4. Cleaning: Everyone loves walking into a clean, fresh-smelling home. Deep cleaning, which includes tasks like bleaching grout work, is your best friend. If it's affordable, you can hire a professional cleaning company to get your home in the best shape possible.

  5. Painting: If your home is painted in bold colors and has stains on it, you should consider painting your home in neutral. Hiring a professional painter will cost anywhere from $1,200 to $4,200 (depending on how much surface space will be needed to paint), while a DIY is cost of paint, supplies and your time.

  6. Staging: Furnishing the rooms to showcase their potential (and downplay their flaws) is called staging. You can showcase your house with your belongings with or without help of a professional. Hiring a full staging professional can cost anywhere from $2,500-$3,000.

  7. Curb appeal: When it comes to real estate, the book is always judged by its cover. Having a well-kept lawn, tidy landscaping and fresh looking paint is a great way to make a welcoming impression.

  8. Renovations: If your home needs renovations and it's in your budget, paying for renovations can payoff BIG TIME. Adding a half bath, remodeling a room, installing new appliances or refinishing a deck can increase the value of your home, which means that it can attract more buyers and create a demand. This will defiantly payoff!

  9. Photography: Getting amazing professional photography and even a 3D tour are found to be a great impact on attracting more buyers and typically sells for a higher price. This is great for buyers that want to visually see it prior to making an appointment to view the property in person.