So you’ve decided to move, and sell your former place. But the process of selling a home is not easy, short, and can even be expensive. So, how to go about preparing your home for sale, you might be wondering? Well, we have all the tips to shorten this lengthy process, all while making sure there’s almost no hassle at all. So sit back, pour a glass of your favorite drink, and let’s get you prepared for selling your place.
If you are here, you are probably wondering: How do I prepare my house for sale and move efficiently, without any financial loss? Well, we have the best tips on getting your place ready for buyers and viewings and will tell you just what you need to do after relocating and putting your home on a listing. And that involves things like:
Did you know that the average American can spend up to $21,000 to prepare their living space to be sold? This, of course, includes the cost of repairs as well as of repainting and refurnishing the place, that is – staging, as well as the cost for a real estate agent. Sometimes you won’t have to spend much, but if you’ve just moved with a pet, let’s say a lovely cat who scratched all of the doors, you might want to get your wallet ready. That being said, you can also cut costs and spend much less on redoing the place, however, statistics show that there is a benefit that comes with the cost.
Apparently, more than a quarter of those who spent more on preparing their house managed to sell the place significantly above the list pricing. So if you want to maximize your relocation budget, buy a lovely new place you’ll adore, and have the best USA auto transport company help you relocate, you might want to invest in your soon-to-be-former place. And here’s how to best go about spending and how to prepare your house for sale.
If you’ve ever done some house-hunting of your own, you surely know how much help a good estate agent can be. When you decide where you want to live, you want to have any help by your side. And while a high-quality agent can be just that – the biggest help that eliminates moving stress and makes sure you sell the place fast and for a decent amount of cash, a bad one will do just the opposite.
The wrong agent will not understand how to pitch the sale to potential buyers and thus won’t know how to get you the essential funds to move out of the state. So, the first step in your preparation process should be to start scouting agents, and we recommend you do it as soon as possible. Because the longer you search for agents, the longer you will search for buyers, and ultimately, the less money will remain in your relocation budget.
The best way to find adequate agents is by asking your friends and colleagues if they can recommend someone good. However, even if you have a referral, you should meet with at least three agents so that you can compare their prices and predictions. If you don’t know someone who can provide a recommendation, try scouting websites. Realtor.com is a great one that gives multiple-listing service information from realtors who are members of the National Association of Realtors. Other than that, you should look at Trulia, Zillow, or LoopNet.
We recommend finding realtors who are members of the National Association since they have to abide by an ethical code. Additionally, we recommend checking if the agent has a seller guarantee so that you avoid any adjustment insomnia. Remember, a good real estate agent is like a good therapist, they should know about your needs and how to get a hold of them even better than you do. After all, that’s why you hired them.
Once you’ve made plans with your agents about the number and frequency of viewings, it’s time to start preparing your home for these events. And it all begins with a thorough cleaning. Everything should be sparkling, from windows to the faucets. You might even add a layer of fresh paint on the mailbox or the fence.
When it comes to things like painting the place or any additional cosmetic changes, you should expect your agent to give their opinion too. If you are going to be doing multiple viewings, get ready to clean the place every time. If you have already moved and are too busy making friends in a new city, or you just don’t have the time you might need to clean everything regularly, consider hiring a cleaning service.
If you still haven’t moved to a new place, you should refrain from cooking on the days of the viewing. Of course, we know moving might have you in a financial bind, so you might avoid eating in restaurants. However, try to prepare foods that don’t require frying.
This rule should especially be followed if you aren’t relocating during the best time of the year to move, which is summer. In winter and autumn, when you can’t air out the place, you’d be better off preparing some sandwiches, for example. Frying bacon or fish should be avoided at all costs, even if it’s a summer move that is at hand.
One of the most crucial preparing-your-home-for-sale tips is to de-personalize the space. The thing is, you have to sell your potential buyers a story – a story of how fun and fresh their life will be in this house. Of how revolutionary part the space will play in their life, which also means selling them the illusion that this exact residence was made for them particularly. They don’t want to think about how many kids grew up there or even try to phantom the idea of getting mail for previous residents.
On the contrary, what they need is to imagine that they themselves are the first and only residents that ever set foot into the place. So, anything that might indicate someone had a life in the residency should go. So, try to remove items like family photos, posters, and religious symbols. Additionally, you should pack up any artwork that is personal, such as family oil paintings and personal portraits.
We’ve covered what you should remove from your home, but now let’s talk about the things you should bring into it. The common practice is that a seller consults their agents on how to make the space appealing to possible buyers. Agents usually work with interior designers, who in these cases go by the name of ”stagers”. These people are well versed in working most with what you have on providing the ultimate results.
Thus, they will know best to answer the question: How should I prepare my house for sale? And, they will do it in a way where you won’t have to spend too much extra cash on new items, paint, etc. If you can’t or don’t feel like spending money on staging a home, we get it. However, in that case, you should check out the following video and get yourself informed on how to do the job yourself, like a true pro:
When you feel like you’re done with preparing your house for sale and the space is staged according to your standards, it’s time to put your hard work to the test. So, as part of the preparing-your-home-for-sale checklist, we always recommend doing a mock viewing to test how well you’ve done the job.
It’s really important to do a tour of the space and try to conceive of how it might look to a fresh pair of eyes before the real open day. That way, you won’t find out too late that something is off. And on that note, we don’t recommend doing a mock viewing on your own.
Your loved ones are not just welcome guests at a going-away party, but they can and should be invested in other parts of the relocation process as well. And they are perfect because, although you would have to prepare for movers before they arrive, for your buddies you don’t have to. They can still bring over packing materials and help with boxing up. However, if you don’t want to exploit them and end up having to find new friends because the old ones don’t wish to keep in touch with you, we have a different approach to suggest.
Of course, we are just joking, but we are sure your friends will love you much more if you call them over for a cup of tea and a mock viewing in your freshly staged place. After all, we all love giving our opinions, so they’ll surely enjoy giving you theirs while they go through the apartment with you. While pretending as if they are interested in buying the place, they’ll tell you if you managed to get the apartment to feel like home and in a different, more neutral one from the way it looked before. You’ll, without a doubt, benefit from their fresh sight and comparative perspective they can bring as people who’ve known you since before you decided to move to a small town.
Finally, you should make certain your potential buyers can reach your lawn without having to struggle with parking. That’s why you shouldn’t only hire a moving company, but door-to-door auto transport as well. A terminal-to-terminal car shipping company will make sure your vehicle reaches your new address safely and gives your potential purchasers a place to park their imported car.
You can choose an open carrier car shipping service, which is the most affordable and popular way to transport your vehicle, or with an enclosed auto transport service, which is usually a bit more expensive, but the safest option available and the best car shipping advice we can give. So, don’t waste your time any further, and get everything nice and ready for your customers.
The truth is, preparing a residence to be sold requires time, effort, and money. And unfortunately, most of us lack all three – that is, until a worthy opportunity comes around. However, opportunities too have to be searched for, and more often than no you have to make your own so that you can continue to the next chapter of your life. So while all these steps can take a toll on you, ensure you always have your final destination and goal in mind. It will help a ton when the going gets tough.
