3 things to do before listing your home for sale

No matter how exciting it was to buy your home and move in, there may come a day when it’s time to move on. Whether you’ve outgrown the space, need to relocate for work, or just want a change of scenery, it’s understood that few people stay in one house for their entire lives. Unfortunately, the process of selling your home isn’t always easy and there’s plenty of work to do before you even list.

If you’re looking to sell your home, here are three things you should do before putting it on the market:

Consider improvement projects

Whenever you’re selling a home, you’ll, of course, want to get the best price possible for it. In some cases, that may require making a few upgrades and fixes that, while they might cost money up front, can also net you a profit in the end.

The first thing you’ll want to do is have your home inspected so that you’re aware of any issues your house may have. Obviously, these repairs will take precedence over cosmetic changes and upgrades. However, once you get the all clear on the must-dos, you can start thinking about various projects that could increase your home’s value.

One thing to be aware of is that each market is different when it comes to home pricing. Not only will projects in some cities cost more or less than in others but buyers in different areas may also have preferences in terms of style, function, and more. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to speak with a realtor or other professional that can give you advice on what the best route to take would be.

Clean and declutter

Going through the process of selling your home most likely means plenty of visitors touring your house. As a result, you’ll want to make your home as presentable as possible to help woo buyers.

Got problems decluttering your home? Storage units can help you with that. (Source)

To start things off, you’ll want to begin the process of decluttering your home. As part of this step, you might even consider renting a temporary storage unit to help get some of your items out of the way. While this will come at some cost, it will at least help make moving to your new home a bit easier.

Once you’ve decluttered, it’s time to deep clean. If you don’t have the time or just aren’t that great at cleaning, it may be worth spending a little extra and hiring professionals to help you get this done. Also keep in mind that, after you have your home deep cleaned, you’ll still need to ensure it stays tidy just in case any buyers stop by.

Capture some great photos

Finally, after completing your fixes, upgrades, decluttering and cleaning, it’s time to snap some pictures of your gorgeous home. With so many buyers starting their house hunting online, these photos will likely give them their first impression of your house. Because of this, you’ll want your pictures to capture the best aspects of your home and present them effectively.

Once again, hiring a professional for this task can be a great investment. However, if you want to try it yourself, be sure to look up some other listings and get an idea of what types of photos work and which ones don’t. Also, be sure to let in plenty of natural light when shooting as it will make your home look great on film — or digital, as it were.

Regardless of whether your home sells quickly or stays on the market for months, there’s still a lot of work that goes into getting the house ready. This process begins well before you even list your home, as you consider making fixes and upgrades, work to clean and declutter your residence and get some stellar photos that will impress buyers.

Best of luck!

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation in writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.