Selling a home is always an overwhelming and challenging process, especially for first-time home sellers. The home selling process involves several steps and you need to get everything right for your home to sell fast and at the highest possible price. If you are planning to sell your home and you don’t know where to start, the following tips will help you manage the stress that comes with selling a home.
- Contact an agent 90 days before listing
If you are planning to list your home in the traditional market, working with a real estate agent is the best decision you can ever make. When you list your home, prospective homebuyers will engage in bidding wars and this will result in a price hike for your listed home.
When you hire a real estate agent 90 days before listing your home, they will have enough time to thoroughly review your home and suggest the best improvements and repairs that will increase your home value and create positive first impressions to homebuyers. When you prepare in advance, contractors will finish the needed improvements within the set deadline.
- Declutter
If you have too many items in your home, it will look disorganized and small. You will also have a stressful time when moving out. That’s why it’s important to declutter your home. Start by grouping your items into things that you will use, those that you can sell or donate, and the ones to discard.
Have contacts of moving companies, storage facilities, auction partners, and charitable organizations in your area when decluttering your house. They provide the best avenues for repurposing your unused household items and excess furniture.
- Refresh (don’t renovate) your home
Preparing your home for sale should not be a costly affair. You can achieve many home improvements for less. Avoid going for full renovations as this can drain your finances. Instead, focus on areas with a guaranteed return on investment and refresh them rather than fully renovate.
Some of the key things you can do to refresh your home and create a positive appeal to potential homebuyers include;
- Deep cleaning and decluttering
- Changing cabinet hardware
- Modern lighting fixtures
- Cabinet hardware
- Vinyl flooring
- Improving curb appeal
- Unique outdoor sitting space
- A fresh coat of paint
- Modern appliances
- Create a system that allows low-stress home showings
With the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, the real estate market took safety precautionary measures and adjusted how traditional physical home showings are conducted. Today, you can stage your home for showing seamlessly in a much modest style. Since many homebuyers still prefer physical showings and open houses, there is a better strategy that you can use to conduct a stress-free home showing.
Have a pre-showing routine before you can give an appointment to prospective homebuyers. You can implement this pre-showing routine by;
- Investing in several storage boxes to put all your personal items
- Have cleaning agents to quickly clean your countertops, mirrors, faucets, and other key areas
- Put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher
- Empty garbage cans around the house
- Wipe down surfaces
- Make the beds and fluff pillows
- Stash small rugs and excess clutter from bedrooms
- Hide outdoor toys and garbage bins
- Close toilet lids
- Shut closet doors
When you adhere to the above tips, you will enjoy a stress-free home selling process. When you prepare your home in advance before listing, you will have your home ready for sale at the shortest time possible and the highest possible price. Remember the first impression that your home creates during a showing is very important as it can motivate or demotivate potential homebuyers.