A lot of thought and planning goes into getting your home prepared to hit the market. When it comes to figuring out how to get your home ready to sell, checklists come in handy. Explore our tips and see what it takes to get every penny you can when selling your home.
Ticking off items on your how to get your home ready to sell checklist will ensure your house is ready for buyers. From creating a timeline to depersonalizing and staging to deep cleaning and painting, having your house ready for market means your home will attract buyers and bring in offers.
Keep this checklist handy and your home will be ready for market and ready to bring in asking price -- or maybe even more depending on conditions in your locale. Wow potential buyers by following the list below.
How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell: A Checklist
From getting organized to making simple home improvements, there is a lot to consider when thinking about how to get your home ready to sell. Checklists can keep you on task and working toward your goal. Browse our checklist and suggestions below and see what it takes to get your home ready to hit the market.
Create a Home Seling Timeline
If you’re serious about selling your home, it’s likely been on your mind for awhile. But did you know you should start making preparations for getting your house ready to sell up to 6 months in advance? Consider following the timeline below.
6 Months Before Listing
- Research an ideal listing date. When is the best time to sell your house? According to the experts at USA Today, the best time to sell your house is during the first two weeks of May, as homes listed during this time sold for $1,600 more than their fall or winter listed counterparts. You might also consider listing your home on a Thursday, as the report indicated that homes listed later in the week but before the weekend sold faster on average. So, if you’re reading this in November, now is the perfect time to start planning a spring open house.
- Learn more about the market. The real estate market is always on the move. Did you buy your home recently? Keep in mind that conditions may be different now. Consider starting your home selling homework up to six months in advance. Look at similar houses that recently sold in your subdivision or neighborhood. Look at job trends in your city, interest rates, property taxes and other factors while you’re at it, too.
- Find a Realtor. Finding the right Real Estate Agent might be the most important part of the home-selling process. You want a strong advocate who can work for you and help you get top dollar for your home. Consider working with Bill Blankenship. Bill knows the Ocala and central Florida real estate market inside and out and is ready to be your strategic partner when it comes to getting your house listed and sold.
- Start making necessary repairs. Even new homes might need updates and repairs. Make a list of all of the things that need to be done to make your home perfect and start tackling each task. Fixing known issues and arranging a pre-listing inspection can make sure your home is ready to market and ready to attract buyers.
2 Months Before Listing
- Eliminate clutter. If you start the decluttering process early, it will likely save you from last minute scrambles. Consider packing up unnecessary knickknacks and donating items you no longer want or need. You can even make a quick buck by selling your unwanted clutter on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace or even Craigslist.
- Organize documents. Home sellers need to get their house in order when it comes to paperwork, too. You’ll need to get copies of permits for previous work done, find your warranty documents, gather some utility bills, find any land surveys and come up with past tax bills.
- Hire a handyman. Everything in your house needs to be ready before you list your home. This means no leaky faucets, locks and hardware are in smooth-working condition, doors don’t squeak, cracks and holes in the walls are patched, toilets don’t run and everything is in sound order. Give your handyman a to-do list and ensure all repairs are made before your house goes on the market.
- Calculate mortgage payoff. One of the things you’ll want to know when selling your home is how much profit you’re bound to make. Figure out how much you still owe on your home, applicable interest charges and how much you’ll owe in prorated property taxes. Even though these numbers might change by the time your house sells, doing the numbers now can give you a ballpark idea.
1 Month Before Listing
- Come up with a list price. A good Realtor, like Bill Blankenship, will help you set a listing price for your home. Your Real Estate Agent will look at comparable homes, your most recent appraisal and more to set the right price. If you go too low, you’re literally leaving money on the table. If you go too high, your listing might get stale. Bill will use his market knowledge, experience and research skills to find the best price to make sure you get a fair deal.
- Paint and stage your home. Consider painting your walls neutral colors. Consider having your home staged by an expert who can arrange things in an appealing way. Keep things clean and remove personal touches. Staging, painting and depersonalizing can help buyers picture themselves in your home.
- Update the landscape. Nothing creates curb appeal quite like a seasonal landscape. If you’re selling in spring, consider adding flowers to your beds and landscaping.
1 Week Before Listing
- Call in the pros. Now’s the time to outsource some tasks. Do a deep clean of your home or consider hiring a cleaning service to make everything sparkle ahead of showings. Let a skilled, professional photographer take pictures that let your home shine. Doing these things will help you get ready for potential buyers to go through your home.
Clean Out Closets
One thing buyers love is storage space. Let your closets do the talking by clearing them out. Donate and purge items or consider renting additional storage space while your home is up for sale to keep closets clear. Having clean and organized closets lets your potential buyers see the full possibilities of the available storage space and will allow them to easily picture their own things in the closets.
Some experts recommend keeping your closets half full while your house is on the market. This will encourage buyers to visualize how their items will work in your home’s storage spaces.
Let There Be Light
Another item on your how to get your home ready to sell checklist should be figure out how to make the most of the light in your home before it hits the market. Buyers love natural light, as it can make a space appear airy and bright. Remove darkening curtains, cut outside bushes blocking light from windows, keep the windows sparkling, and let the light shine in!
While you’re at it, boost indoor lighting, too. Clean lamp shades and increase wattage on the light bulbs you use to keep things bright. It’s a good idea to keep extra light bulbs on hand, too. You’ll likely want to have all lights on when showing the home and a stockpile of bulbs will make sure everything is always in working order.
Prepare the Pets
Dogs, cats and other creatures make the best of friends. However, having traces of your pets in your home while your house is on the market can hamper the potential buyer experience. Not everyone loves Fido and Fifi like you do; some buyers can even be allergic.
Consider removing all indications that your home is pet-friendly before showings and open houses. While the deep clean you did prior to listing should have eliminated odors, you’ll also want to hide beds, put away food bowls and make sure your home is free of pet hair and dander. You might consider leaving your pets in the care of a trusted family member while your house is on the market to ensure your home is always ready for Realtors to show.
Let the Kitchen Be the Heart of the Home
In many buyers’ eyes, the kitchen makes or breaks the house. In fact, some buyers choose their homes based on the kitchen alone. With this in mind, it might be wise to spend a good chunk of your pre-sale home improvement budget on updating your kitchen. You’ll likely get your money back. Consider new countertops, painting and new cabinet hardware. Another tip for updating your kitchen: think about buying one new, higher-end appliance. See that new appliance shine might make buyers think the rest of the appliances are new and high quality, too. It will give your kitchen a modern, up-to-date feel and help reap in rewards when it’s time to look at offers.
Keep Your House in Showing Condition
When your house is on the market, you’ll want to be ready for a showing at the drop of a hat. This means you’ll need to keep your house in showing condition. Don’t leave your shoes in the foyer when you kick them off. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink and keep the dishwasher clear. Banish dust bunnies from every corner of the house. Keep all bathrooms spic, span and sparkling. It can be a hassle to keep things up to white glove standards at all times, but it also might get your house sold.
If you have trouble keeping up with day-to-day cleaning and chores, considering shelling out cash for a professional cleaning service while your house is on the market. It will make sure your home stays in top condition and is always ready for a showing.
Set the Stage
Staging a home the right way can bring in higher asking prices and get your home sold faster. Your Realtor might recommend a professional, but if you’re on a budget you can go DIY. Things to think about when staging your home include keeping things neutral and making rooms appear bigger. You can do this by choosing subtle paint colors, making bedrooms and person spaces gender neutral, decluttering and getting rid of knick knacks, keep things smelling fresh and clean, putting away personal items and even adding fresh flowers to the room.
Take advantage of natural and artificial light to make rooms look larger. Keep things bright, choose lighter paint colors and position mirrors in a way that both enhances natural light and enlarges the room. Minimizing the use of window treatments can also help your home appear larger, brighter and more modern.
Do you have a friend with great style? Consider asking for help staging your home. You might even be able to swap furniture for the time being to give your home a modern and updated look. You might also consider renting furniture from a company like Cort or even a local furniture store for a hassle-free and easy update.
Just don’t overdo it. Too much decor can be heavy on the eyes and even make your home appear smaller. Minimalism is in and decorating and staging with a light touch can yield great results.
Go for a Great First Impression
In many cases, a buyer’s first impression of your home is their lasting impression. Make sure your home wows from the second a buyer pulls their car into the driveway. This means you’ll most likely want to work on your home’s curb appeal.
You can give your home instant curb appeal and make a great first impression with a little DIY know-how and elbow grease. Consider making the easy changes below to boost curb appeal.
- Make a difference with a gallon of paint. Consider painting the front door to keep it welcoming and clean. Some people love the look of a bold door, so don’t be afraid to get creative with color.
- Make the hardware shine. While you’re working on your front door, consider polishing the hardware to make sure it looks shiny and clean. With a little more effort, you can even swap out your door handle, door knocker or even kickplate to make a great impression.
- Add drama and privacy with porch curtains. Do you have a front porch or veranda? Consider making it cozy and more private by adding porch curtains. Not only can the curtains turn your porch into a private outdoor oasis, but they can also create a look that is an outdoor extension of the interior and give a welcoming vibe.
- Welcome guests for a fun doormat. A welcoming doormat is an easy way to make a great first impression. Consider a friendly saying or seasonal greeting to make potential buyers and anyone else visiting your home feel welcome.
- Upgrade your mailbox. If your home has a mailbox, consider giving it a fresh look. A coat of paint can do wonders. Or consider swapping it out for a more modern look. A brand new mailbox might cost just $20. If your city allows it, you might consider adding a front door mailbox for a quaint look and convenience.
- Hang a wreath on your front door. Spring might be the best time to sell a home. If you’re listing your home in this mild season, consider hanging a pastel floral wreath on the door to welcome guests and potential buyers. Get crafty and make a seasonal wreath yourself or head to a home decor store and purchase something that will add curb appeal.
- Enhance your patio or porch with potted plants and outdoor furniture. Potted plants and new outdoor furniture on your porch or patio can give your home an updated look and provide a space for an outdoor retreat. Outdoor furniture can also make your home seem more spacious, as the outdoors become an extension of the indoors. Show off your outdoor living space and make your home look great.
Work with a Great Realtor
There’s a lot that goes into how to get your home ready to sell. Checklists make it simple to stay organized. But the best way to get your home ready for market is to work with a great Realtor.
Look for a local expert who knows the market inside and out. When the right Realtor is on your side, you can be sure what exactly needs to be done to get top dollar for your home and outshine the competition. A top-notch realtor will make suggestions and help you get your home ready to impress potential buyers.
Bill Blankenship is ready to go to work for you when it’s time to sell your home or buy a new home. Reach out today and see what sets Bill apart from the rest.
