TOP 3 THINGS TO DO BEFORE SELLING YOUR HOUSE
1. Meet with a local real estate agent
The biggest thing I can encourage is to set up a walkthrough with your real estate agent BEFORE you start doing repairs/upgrades/moving etc. This is beneficial for many reasons but one of the main things your agent can do is help you figure out what fixes/updates you should and shouldn’t do. For example, I’ve had clients who thought they should replace all of the windows in their house before listing it for sale. Before they spent all that money, we were able to discuss improvements and updates that actually add the amount of value that they cost. A remodeled kitchen is usually going to equate a higher list price than updated windows when you compare cost versus added value. Long story short- discuss what you’re planning before taking action!
2. Get your house professionally cleaned
If you’re wanting to save some money and you love cleaning, by all means feel free to skip this one BUT I cannot say how many times I’ve been showing buyers properties and they’re extremely disappointed by how dirty a house is. The details matter, and often, we’re unable to see what needs to be cleaned in our own house! Most cleaners will charge around $500 or less to do a top to bottom average size house and it is money well spent! You want to give your potential buyers the whole package, and curate their experience when they walk through their future house. Does anyone want a home that starts off being cluttered and dirty? Definitely not! Go the extra mile, and it will pay dividends in the offers you receive. Ask me, your agent, for referrals for a few different companies so you can shop prices.
3. Stage your house
There are a few different types of staging and which one you are going to choose depends on if you will still be living in your property or not. The thing I want to encourage most is to setup a walkthrough with your real estate agent (refer to number one again…) so they can help you start the process. The biggest pushbacks I get on staging are: Cost and Necessity. As far as cost goes, what I can say is, based on experiences helping both buyers and sellers, the amount of offers and price of offers always makes the cost of staging well worth it. Staged houses on average sell for 8% more than unstaged houses. Additionally, if you use me as your agent, I will pay half of your staging costs up to 1k dollars. That is how much I believe in it! The other pushback is that people don’t think it’s “necessary…” and they’re right, it isn’t necessary. People are definitely able to imagine where the couch is going to go etc, but the reason we stage isn’t so that people can picture where furniture is going to go, the reason we stage is that we are selling an emotion! When people walk into your house, if it is staged with gorgeous, well placed furniture, and stylish decorations, they are going to want it that much more. I’ve often had buyers request to purchase the staging, that’s how well it works! Just like people want the clothes they see models wearing, people want houses with stunning staging. Shop prices, hire a great stager, and wait for the offers to roll in!