If you are thinking of selling your home this Spring there are a few secrets I want to share to help you be ready. Â You want to start to prepare your home well in advance, it can take you a bit of time to get it show ready. Â I have a timeline for you to be ready this Spring to put your home on the market.Â
At least 2 months before listing:
- Take care of repairs – We all have repairs we seem to put off on our homes. If there is something that needs to be fixed this is the time to do it. Do not wait for a buyer to do an inspection while you are under contract. You also want to get your major systems checked and serviced. Have your air conditioner serviced, water heater, washer, dryer, and of course pool equipment. Don’t forget to read my last blog, Florida Home Maintenance Checklist to get some ideas of what you should take care of in your home not only during the winter time in Florida but also before you list.
- Declutter and Depersonalize- You have to move, it is time to start to pack some of the things you are keeping but will not use often. This is the perfect time to depersonalize your home. Remove the family pictures so that the new buyers can “see” themselves living in your home. Try to keep your garage clear of clutter as well, I recommend that you get a storage unit and put in it the things you will need to move into your new home, but can be moved out for showings. It’s important to showcase your home and each room for the intended use. Even if currently your living room is being used as an extended office, you have to showcase it as a living room only.
- Paperwork & Keys – As you are organizing make sure you get the necessary paperwork in order. When selling the paperwork that you will want to gather includes any permits you obtained for repairs in the home, appliance booklets, HOA information including the rules and regulations and books that need to be passed on to buyers. You will also need to have handy your previous closing information. This will include the survey of the property and title insurance policy. As far as the keys make sure you have any keys that belong to the home along with mail box keys, garage door openers, hurricane shutter hardware including keys if you have accordion shutters. Do not forget any devices needed for fixtures in the home such as fans, lights or automatic window coverings.
At least 30 days before you are going to list the home
- Stage – Make sure you walk room by room and look at your home as if you were the buyer. At this point you are more than likely also looking for a home to purchase yourself and this process can be a bit easier. Have a friend come to your home and look at it with fresh eyes, oftentimes we get used to something and overlook it, but a friend can point out things to do. If you are using a real estate agent this is a great service an agent can provide. Have them tell you what else you need to do to get your home show ready.
- Paint – If your budget allows a fresh coat of paint, this is the least expensive upgrade you can do before listing your home. You want to do this within this 30 day period before listing as it will look great for showings. It will also let buyers know that you take care of your home. Be sure you choose colors that are neutral. For more ideas watch my video “How to sell your home in a seller’s market”
- Curb appeal – do not forget to take care of the outside of your home. The outside of your home sets the buyer’s first impression. Make sure you clean up your landscaping, if possible add fresh mulch, a few new plants to help spruce up the look of your home. If you have the money in your home preparation budget, be sure that you pressure clean the outside of your home, even if you can not paint.
- Decide to hire a Realtor or to sell FSBO – If you want to enlist the help of a professional Real Estate agent to help with the sale of your home, this is the time to interview several agents. If you decide that you want to sell your home on your own you will want to start on your Marketing plan to advertise to buyers, and have a plan for when you receive offers. For more information on how to sell on your own click the link include below for a guide on selling as a FSBO.
At least 2 weeks before listing for sale
- Deep Clean – Make sure you spend some time deep cleaning your home.
Of course if you would rather have help for this step you can hire a company to help you. Deep cleaning means you should focus on areas that are not cleaned weekly such as your fans, all fixtures, window sills, baseboards, all cabinets and high traffic touch areas. - Photographs – This is the main way buyers will see your home online. It is important to hire a professional to take pictures of your home. You have spent money and time getting your home ready for sale, you want to get buyers to see it and this will in turn translate into appointments in person.
- Showings – Wether you are selling on your own or using a Real Estate Professional you want to plan on when you will allow showings. You also want to have a plan with our current Pandemic, buy supplies for buyers to wear booties over their shoes if you do not want people walking into your home with their shoes on. Have hand sanitizer for buyers to use as they enter the home, and have disposable masks available in case buyers do not have one if you would rather them wear one while viewing your home. Make sure you have a plan to work around your schedule. If you are working from home and can only show the house certain times make sure you include this in your marketing plan.
If you need help with any of these steps or recommendations on companies to help you with the process Click on the link below to request more information. If you want some tips on organizing your home don’t forget to watch my video “Need Help Organizing Your Home?” in the Vlog section of my website.
If you are planning on listing your home I hope these tips will help you get ready now for a successful Spring time sale.
#JenniferBookerTeam #ConciergeRealtors #SpringSale #Homeselling
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Posted in Sellers
