The 5 Things You Should Do Before Listing Your Home For Sale

1) Apply a fresh coat of paint

If it has been some time since you painted your home I would recommend that you consider an entirely fresh coat of paint. If you have painted in the last couple of years and have left over paint from the last time you painted, use this to touch up areas when there are nail holes, scrapes, hand prints, etc. Touching up existing paint is very easy and makes your home look and smell new again.

If you have any bold colors such as orange, green or blue it would be wise to paint over them with a neutral color. I tell clients that they should have one neutral color flowing through the entire home. I personally love Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter and Decorator’s White. Neutral colors are the easiest way to show off the bones of your home and make it look clean. Plus, many buyers see multiple homes and you would rather be remembered for a good reason than “Oh, you mean the home with the orange walls?” Buyers often cannot move past strong paint colors. 

2) Freshen up/Clean up your landscaping

Because landscaping is the first thing that buyers see when they arrive at your home, this is a big one. Curb appeal is very important and often in real estate sales this is the best way to get the biggest return on your investment. Trim any overgrown plants. Plant colorful seasonal flowers and cover your flowerbeds with a fresh coat of mulch. 

3) Professional deep cleaning, including shampooing carpets if you have them

Nothing turns off buyers more than a dirty home. If a homeowner can't keep up with basic cleaning, what significant issues have been neglected? Don't list your home until you've hired a professional cleaning crew to deep clean every room. After that, either keep up a regimented cleaning routine or hire someone for weekly upkeep. Then, prepare for each showing by sweeping floors, polishing surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms, and fluffing pillows. Your entire home should look tidy and well kept.

4) Declutter and stage your home

We need to make the potential buyers fall in love with your home when they walk in the door. I know you love your stuff, but buyers want to envision their own treasured belongings in their new potential home. Give them a blank canvas by clearing out bulky furniture, family photos, and other personal effects. Not only will this enable them to picture themselves living in your house, this tactic also allows you to showcase your home's unique features. 

With everyone watching HGTV these days, expectations are higher than ever in the real estate market. Consequently, staging is not only vital to show your home in the best possible light, it's important that it looks better than the competition. We need the buyers to feel emotionally attached and a fresh interior design scheme can help you win big in today's market. Bringing in the right furniture and accessories shows viewers how to make full use of each room and pops of color make your home memorable. 

5) Get it professionally photographed

Most of the time this is something your Realtor will do for you. If your Realtor comes over to take photos themselves you may want to reconsider the relationship. No matter what price point, condition of the home or the type of sale, professional photography is something that should be done to get as many eyes on your property at possible. Professionals know what angles to use and they have special equipment to really show off the bones of the home. The more eyes you have on the home the quicker it will sell and it’s likely you will profit more as well. 

I have seen thousands of homes and most of the homes I list, no matter the price point, typically need most of what we covered here before they go onto the market. If you are interested in finding out more about the things you should do to your home specifically before you list it contact me, Nichole Story at (949)375-9981 or Nichole@NicholeStoryGroup.com