Did you know that almost 6 million existing homes were sold in 2020? On top of that, over 800,000 new-builds were sold. With so many options on the market, though, it can be difficult to know where you should start when it comes to selling your home.
Luckily, we’re here to help you through the entire process. Whether you’re new to the process or are just trying to get an idea of where to go next, this guide is sure to give you some ideas.
Read on to learn 10 of the biggest things to consider before selling your home.
1. Declutter
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The first major step you should take before you start the process of selling your home is decluttering. You don’t have to clear out everything from the beginning (especially if some of your furniture can be used for staging), but it’s helpful to clear away clutter and place unnecessary items into storage if you have the means. It could also be a good time to get rid of anything you don’t need (especially if you’re downsizing), if you don’t want to put it into storage think about selling, donating, or getting rubbish removal Northern Beaches service to remove all your unwanted clutter.
The biggest places to clear up are the main living areas. This means countertops, windowsills, tables, and even cupboards. Don’t be fooled by thinking you can shove things into closets, either.
Buyers are going to want to open things up so they can look inside, and they should be able to without a pile of items tumbling onto them.
It’s also a great idea to depersonalize your home before you start showings. The more a buyer can picture themselves in the space, the better.
2. Clean
Unless you plan on selling your home to an agent through a “we buy homes” advertisement (which can be a great option if you’re in a rush), then you’re going to need to also clean up your home before showings start. It’s also a good move to do this before your initial property appraisal.
Doing a deep clean throughout your home can make a surprising impact on its value, and the impression it leaves on buyers from the beginning.
So, have your carpets cleaned if they need it, scrub down the walls and the inside of your cabinets, and don’t forget the baseboards and other common areas. Nothing corner is too much here.
3. Find an Agent
Once you’ve gotten your space ready, it’s time to find an agent that can help you get started. It’s important to conduct thorough research on any person you’re looking to hire, but especially your real estate agent.
They’re likely to be the ones appraising your property, and they’ll also be recommending people to help fix up your home if that’s something you need. You want to trust your agent so you can trust everything they have to say to you.
It’s also OK to test out your experience with a few different agents before coming up with a final decision.
4. Create Curb Appeal
Once you’ve decided on a real estate agent and gotten the inside of your home ready for their appraisal, it’s time to move to the outside of your home. This is an important step to not skip because it can affect the overall value of your home.
You can choose to take this step before calling an agent in if you have an idea of what you’d like to do outside, but it can also wait until your appraisal has been completed.
By choosing to wait until after, your agent will be able to give you advice, tips, and ideas on what you can do to improve the exterior of your home.
5. Have Your Property Appraised
Finally, the time has come to have your property appraised. Your real estate agent can usually be the one to do this, but you can also opt to bring in a third party.
No matter what you choose to do, you’re going to receive a list of recommendations filled with potential improvements that should be made to your home. It’s important to sit down with your agent before you make any changes and go through everything.
If there are certain things you don’t want to do, they’ll be able to give you tips on how to make the most of any work you choose to do.
6. Make Some Upgrades
Next, it’s time to get to work. You don’t always have to go above and beyond with this step, but making small changes like updating appliances and swapping outdated flooring can make a huge difference in the overall sale of your home.
Whether you choose to update everything in your home or just touch up some things here and there, you’ll be surprised at how much those updates can add up on the final value of your home.
7. Update Your Paint
This is a step we do recommend taking no matter what — especially if you have unique colors throughout your home.
Switching to a neutral color palette is going to make things easier on buyers when they come to tour, especially when they’re trying to picture themselves in their new space.
8. Consider Staging
Now that you’ve gotten this far with everything, why not consider having your home staged? If you don’t want to have it fully staged, you can opt to have an interior designer come in to help decide what needs to change and what can stay the same.
Ready to Start Selling Your Home?
Now that we’ve gone over the basics, you’re more than ready to start the process of selling your home. Remember, working with an experienced real estate agent can make the entire process a lot easier on yourself, and it might even help you sell your home faster.
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