6 Ways To Prep Your Home For Market
With so much noise circling around the real estate industry, it might be difficult to determine if you’re really ready to take on this unfamiliar territory. Whether you’re a seasoned home seller or you’re just getting started - this market is different. My job is to equip you with tools + tips so you can feel the mossssttt confident when taking those first steps.
So let’s talk about it….where do you even start?!
Chances are you’ve heard about the opportunity you have as a seller + you are ready to stick your sign in the ground and start reviewing offers…..mmkay I totally get it - I also want to get going when I’ve made up my mind.
First impressions are everything and even in a hot market - they still matter. It will behoove you to take some time and spruce a few things up. Let's look at it through the lens of your Buyer.
Likely they’ll see your home pop up online. They’ll race to their messages and text their Realtor that this is the oneeeee and they need to get in.
They’ll get a 15-20 min window to zip through your house and leave with a deadline of when they need to submit their offer. They’ll know right away if they are going to offer or not.
So you’re like “yeah then why do I have to do all this work ahead of time if they’re just going to offer any way”
Here’s why. It takes 40 days to close a house i.e. where it’s actually sold.
Let's say that this Buyer is the lucky winner and gets to buy your home. They are so pumped, their search is over & they’re over the moon. They did what they had to do to win the bid.
They will then conduct a home inspection This allows them + the inspector to spend waaaaay more time in the home looking at every nook and cranny. Then they get to negotiate with you items they would like addressed.. Chances are they’ve paid a premium for this property and the more things they find that don’t meet that premium price standard, the harder your negotiation is going to be.
The harder the negotiation - the more you will concede or you might see potential termination…then alllll that momentum you just built will be for nothing.
So let's just nip that in the bud right from the get go.
Here are six things you can do to keep Buyers excited about your home through the whole transaction:
Declutter + Prepack: This may seem like a no brainer, but we really want the Buyer to envision their lifestyle in your home rather than your current one. One tip we love to use is for closets. During our pre listing consultation, our stager will always tell our clients that your closet should only have 50% of the space filled & the Buyer should always be able to see the floor. You are going to be packing anyway - might as well start now and make that home sparkle!
Schedule a Deep Clean: Speaking of sparkle - even if you have your home regularly cleaned or you keep a rigorous cleaning schedule, a deep clean is a different breed. I’m talking hard to reach spots and the corners that rarely get attention, baseboards, window sills & treatments, the grout, the vents…the nitty gritty. Having someone come in and deep deep clean will give you the peace of mind knowing that fresh eyes (similar to your buyers) have scrubbed every cranny prepping it for show time. Carpet cleaning (and time for it to dry) would also go in this section!
Fix the Broken Stuff: Usually when Buyers are going through a home, they will touch things. Think of it like a test drive - light switches, handles, opening doors. Things like that leaky faucet you’ve been meaning to get fixed or a door lock that has its own special way of opening, things like this are all things that you could address prior that will make a big impact on the Buyer’s experience (in a good way 😉)
Paint: Paint will arguably have one of the highest rates of return for such an affordable price tag.
In fact there was a Zillow study done where over 135,000 homes were analyzed and what they found was that homes with a freshly painted door sold for more money than homes without – AND homes with a freshly painted black door sold for $6,000 more. This can be chalked up to the color black bringing out feelings of security, stability & safety to potential buyers.
Freshening up paint gives the house a glimmer that you will notice in person and online. Pro tip: You definitely want to keep the interior neutral. Beige, grays, & whites are always crowd pleasers.
Stock up on Lightbulbs: You may think this is a little over the top, but lighting in a home is one of the most important things. During your showings you’ll likely have the majority of the lights on (and if you don’t I would highly encourage that you do!) Lighting is one of the top 15 features Buyers want most, especially if it’s energy efficient. Swap those bulbs out for LED’s + so that they all match. The matching is important. I personally recommend the Daylight White or Bright White temperature.
Gather All your Homes Information: This will be a great resource to your Buyer (and your Realtor!) If you have had an insurance claim completed recently (we get a lot of wind and hail), gather all the proper documentation for that. How old is your furnace and or AC unit? How old is your roof? Utility averages? I’ve attached a list of questions that are most commonly asked by Buyers during showings. The more information you can have up front, the more comfortable Buyers will be offering on your home.
Simple! These six things will prep + prepare you for Buyers to fall in love with your home, and that's really what you want isn’t it??
