Over 5 million existing homes are sold every year in the United States.
Clearly, selling a home is part of what it means to be a homeowner. As much as you might have a deep attachment to your home, sometimes it’s necessary to let go. Perhaps it’s become too small for your living needs and you need to upsize, or it’s become too big and you need to downsize.
There are many other reasons you might want to sell, but what’s constant is the home selling process. You need to prepare it for the market properly, especially if you want to make the most money from the sale.
Here’s what you need to do before selling the home.
Move Out
In an ideal world, you want to move out after someone has bought the home. This way, you’ll have the funds to purchase a new home or even finance a move.
Unfortunately, the world is far from ideal. If you want to sell your home quickly, or even sell it at all, you need to move out. This allows prospective buyers to come in and scrutinize it before making a purchase decision.
Even before that, you might not stage the home, which means it should be vacant.
Clean It Thoroughly
This is a no-brainer, really.
No one is going to come into a dirty house with items strewn all over. But then, cleaning it doesn’t mean doing the bare minimum and making the house look habitable.
When you want to sell a house quickly and for the most money, you need to go all-in on the cleaning. Thoroughly scrub the interior floors and walls, ensuring they’re sparkling clean.
The exterior deserves the same treatment, too. Power wash the siding if the dirt isn’t coming off easily. The patio and other exterior spaces should be cleaned as well.
Exterior house cleaning can be challenging, especially if you’re doing the job on your own. It’s best to consider hiring exterior house cleaners to do the job. This will cost you some money, but it will save you a lot of time and energy.
Make Necessary Repairs
Repairing a home that’s going on sale isn’t a must. You can sell your home “as is,” but there will be consequences, such as selling below the asking price.
If you want your house to find a buyer at the asking price, it’s important to make the necessary repairs. That being said, if the repairs are going to cost a lot of money, it’s savvier to sell the house as-is, since you might not recoup your investment.
Hire a Real Estate Agent
Before you sell your home, hire a real estate agent or a realtor.
This professional will charge you a commission (about 6 percent of the closing price) but their services are worth it. They’ll literally take over everything that pertains to selling the house. Your job will be to show at closing to sign over the house and cash in your money.
Do These Things Before Beginning the Home Selling Process
The home selling process can be short and straightforward or long and windy. It all depends on the preparations you make before you put your house on the market. With this guide, you now know what to do.
Keep tabs on our blog for more home-selling tips and insights.
