By: Glen Lazovick, Senior Vice President, Business Development
Summer is approaching, and you’ve decided that it’s time to put your house up for sale. Drawing from my 25 years’ experience in the industry, I’ve compiled this list of things to consider before you list your home. Taking these steps now can go a long way towards assuring that you'll successfully sell your house quickly and at a good price.
1. Walk through every room and around the outside of your home. Make a list of what needs to be repaired, updated or replaced. Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression.
- Which rooms need to be repainted?
- Wash the windows both inside and outside.
- Do the carpets need to be cleaned, stretched or replaced?
- Clean all light fixtures and make sure the blubs are clean and working. A bright well lit house will give a good impression.
- Make sure heating and ventilation vents as well as bathroom exhaust fans are vacuumed and clean.
- Have the HVAC system serviced and cleaned.
- On the outside of your home, prune trees and shrubs, replace any shrubs that did not make it through the winter, add some color with flowers. Put down fresh mulch.
- Power-wash siding, driveways, walkways and decks. Re-stain decks if needed.
- Repair and paint trim as needed.
2. De-cluttering your home will make rooms and closets appear larger and more inviting.
- Now is the time to go through your closets and get rid of the clothes you have not worn in the past few years. Don’t forget the linen closets, pantry and kitchen cabinets; they all should be orderly and uncluttered.
- Clean out the garage, basement and attic.
- If you have items that you do not use often but want to take with you to your next home consider renting a storage lockers or portable storage container. (Do not keep the portable storage container on your property have the company store it at their location, you do not want to call attention to a perceived lack of storage space).
- Hold a garage sale, or better yet donate your excess furniture, household items and clothing to a charity. You will get a tax write off and help someone in need.
3. Visit listed homes similar to yours.
- How do they compare to yours? Are they in better or worse shape? You will notice things that you might have overlooked in your own home (refer to number 1 above)
- How are they priced?
- Get some staging ideas to efficiently use space.
4. Meet with a Mortgage Loan Officer.
- Make sure you will be able to purchase your next home. There have been many changes to the mortgage process in recent months.
- Get pre-approved to increase you negotiating power.
5. Interview 2-3 Real Estate Agents.
- Get a referral from your Mortgage Loan officer. Your loan officer will know the top Realtors in your area and would be happy to make a referral.
- Ask for references from clients that they have worked with in the past.
- Ask for a detailed listing plan including a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA). All Agents should be in the same ballpark with a suggested listing price. If one is much higher or lower than the other ask them to justify the suggested price. They may give you an inflated price to gain the listing, only to have you lower your asking price in a week or two.
When you sell your home, you want it look as good as possible. To do this, your real estate agent will help you stage your home or, if needed, help you find a professional to stage your home.