Home-Selling Checklist: Things You Need to Do Before You Put Your Home on the Market

Your 12 step guide prior to selling your home

Once you’ve decided to sell your house, it’s time to get to work. Nothing will equal the amount of preparation that goes into prepping your home for the actual sale, especially if you want to receive top dollar offers. What you’ll do during the preparation stage matters because it will all directly affect the success of your home-selling journey.

Before you list your Waukesha WI home, here’s a checklist of what you can do to ensure you are effectively preparing your home for sale.

1. Hire an experienced and skilled Realtor® like me, Kristin Johnston. When you want the best help, not just any agent  or Realtor will do. After all, even Realtors® have different levels. Here are some things you should be looking for in an agent:

• Licensed and in good standing. You want an agent who is professionally recognized by the state, as well as someone who has the right credentials.

You may verify those credentials with your state’s regulatory board’s list of licensed agents. Also, agents go through various training and accreditations, so you should also ask your agent for their special skills or their field of specialization.

• Active in the neighborhood. You want a Realtor® who is familiar with your neighborhood, someone who has been working in your area for at least five years. This is crucial because an agent who is familiar with the real estate market in the area can easily help you adjust your pricing depending on the prevailing market. It is also easy for local Realtors® to find comparables.
• Online presence. According to the NAR 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 90% of today’s home buyers start their search online. Look for an agent who has a strong online presence. That’s how you’ll know your listing is likely to be searched.

2. Enhance your curb appeal. Most home buyers are visual, so you want to make the most out of your home’s first impression. People are attracted to homes with beautiful curb appeal, so invest time and effort to spruce up your home’s front yard and garden.

Make sure that the lawn in freshly mowed and is looking green and luscious. Place a few pots of colorful flowers on the porch to make it look more welcoming. Having a couple of large planters along the pathway also enhance your home’s curb appeal.

3. Declutter. Buyers prefer homes that have an airy and spacious feel, and that can be difficult to achieve when your home is filled with all your belongings. Discard anything broken and donate old items and those you no longer use. Any items that have a sentimental value should be packed away and put in storage.

Less is more when it comes to cleaning and home staging. Think of the model homes you’ve visited, and apply the same principle of retaining only the essential furniture and appliances in the home.

4. Depersonalize your home. You will be opening your home to different kinds of people, so you want your home to be comfortable and welcoming for everyone. This means removing any distractions or personal items that will hinder the buyer from visualizing the home as theirs. The family photos and striking artwork you love may not suit the buyer’s preference, so better put it away until you’re ready to hang it up in your new home.
5. Neutral tones on your wall. Not everyone shares your preference for the bold red on your living room wall. Repaint your walls with neutral tones. It will help the buyer easily visualize what color and design they want for that room.
6. Remove scuff marks. Don’t forget to remove the scuff marks on the baseboards, walls and windows. If you are repainting your walls, the marks on your walls will be taken care of, but if you decide not to repaint, make sure to scrub those marks away.
7. Replace any loose handles. Ensure that all door and cabinet handles are working. Replace any loose or broken ones. A loose handle may seem insignificant, but to the buyer it may look like the house might need other repairs.
8. Bring in some color. When you want some color to brighten the home, bring some plants indoors. Green is good for the eyes, so place one in a bare corner of the living room. You can also place a bouquet of flowers in a vase or a bowl of fruits on the table.
9. Do a whiff test. Each home has a particular smell, though in some homes, it may not be as strong as compared to others. Since you are already desensitized to your home’s smell, invite a friend to help you check if your home has a discernible odor. If the smell still lingers, you should consider getting a deep clean. Candles or plug-in room deodorizers don’t do much to mask any pervasive smell.
10. Clean. One of the cheapest ways to prepare your Waukesha WI home for sale is to clean it. This is especially true if you’re going to have a showing the following day. You want the home as spotless as possible.
11. Remove any valuables. You want to store your valuables, like art and jewelry, in a safe place where they cannot be accessed by anyone visiting your house for the day.
12. Stage it! Do you want to make your home aesthetically pleasing but don’t know how? Get professional help. A professional stager can make your home look very appealing to buyers.They know how to bring out your home’s best features.

Want to know more home-selling tips? Find more at http://www.KristinJohnston.com/.

Call me, Kristin Johnston at 414-254-6647. I’ll be glad to help you know how to improve the look of your home to increase its value by the time you put it up for sale.

**In case you can not view this video here, please click the link below to view Home-Selling Checklist: Things You Need to Do Before You Put Your Home on the Market on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v7eX3pRgqM&feature=youtu.be**