In any given year, there are over a million homes for sale in the U.S.
Clearly, the market is incredibly competitive. Homes can end up staying on the market for six months or longer if they’re not prepared properly!
Most people don’t have that kind of time when they’re selling a home, especially when they need the money or are trying to move into a new home.
Fortunately, there are ways to prepare your house for sale to help it sell faster and easier. It will take some time and effort and just a little bit of money. However, the good news is you can do almost all of it yourself!
Follow along for our in-depth look at how to effectively prepare your house for sale.
Preparing Your House for Sale
As we suggested above, in order to get your house sold quickly, you’ll have to put in a little groundwork first. However, once you do, it will make all the difference in the world.
Remember, you’re selling a home. People want to feel a warm and inviting space where they can imagine a life. Keep that in mind while you’re preparing your house for sale.
This includes if you want to sell a rental house, a home you’ve lived in for decades, or a fixer-upper.
Think of the things you would look for if you were the buyer. Think of the selling points and the turn-offs while you’re looking at this list.
If You Can – Move out
While it may be inconvenient, moving out is one of the best things you can do while selling your house.
Buyers don’t like coming into potential houses where people are still living. Even if everything is clean, it simply feels awkward knowing you’re in someone else’s home.
However, if it’s not clean, it’s even worse. Buyers will be completely turned off if they walk into a bathroom and see a wet shower curtain or smell anything close to a used toilet.
The more a buyer can sense your presence in the house, the less able they will be to imagine themselves in it.
If you have to move in with a friend, a parent, or an apartment, do so.
If You Can’t Move out – Declutter and Depersonalize
For some people, moving out isn’t an option.
For whatever reason you can’t move out, it’s okay. It just means you’re going to have to work a little harder and double down on you’re cleaning. It’s best to develop a cleaning routine to complete every day before you leave the house.
Secondly, to prepare a house for sale that you’re still living in, you need to declutter and depersonalize. Remove all personal items such as religious symbols, photos, niche decor, awards, etc.
You also need to remove excess stuff, such as knick-knacks, extra furniture, etc. You want every room to feel as open and spacious as possible.
Repaint
A fresh coat of paint is an easy and inexpensive way to promote a fresh, clean feel in the home. Just remember to use warm, neutral colors that can appeal to any potential buyer.
If you can’t repaint the whole house, at least repaint any rooms that have unorthodox colors such as greens, oranges, yellows, etc. Additionally, high-traffic rooms should be repainted as well.
Bring in as Much Sunlight as Possible
There’s something about sunlight that just makes a room feel happier and homier. People love brightly lit rooms, especially in kitchens, living rooms, and common areas.
While preparing your house for sale, make sure no furniture is blocking the windows. Also, open up all curtains and pull up the blinds. If the view is too-close-for-comfort to the neighbors or is otherwise unfavorable, leave the curtains open and the blinds down. Just twist the blinds open enough to let plenty of sunlight in.
Get Rid of Odors
Home buyers will react vehemently against any odors your house has. This is especially true of mold and pet smells.
Mold smells tell the buyer that there is water damage and a leak somewhere. This is an immediate red flag. Pet smells tell the buyer that your home has had at least one animal shedding and having accidents in it.
Buyers notoriously react badly to litter boxes. Even if they didn’t notice anything before they saw it, it becomes all they can smell.
Clean Like Your Life Depended on It
When you’re preparing a house for sale, you need to treat cleaning like it’s your job.
Buyers expect to come into a spotless home, devoid of any messes, stains, or dirt. Irrational as it may be, that’s what they want.
To them, the state of your home on the market is indicative of how you treated it while you lived there. If buyers walk into a dirty house, it will be their first impression and probably the only one that lasts.
Make Minor and Cosmetic Repairs
Cosmetic repairs such as patched walls, new paint, and new fixtures in the can go a long way towards making your home feel new and well-cared for. Look at these inexpensive fixes like a new haircut – a small change but a world of difference.
Making minor repairs such as new sealant in the bathroom, new weather stripping on the exterior doors, and fixing leaky faucets are vital to giving a potential buyer a good experience while touring your home.
Minor repairs and cosmetic issues that aren’t fixed weigh on a buyers mind. To them, it becomes a laundry list of things they would have to fix if they moved in. Remove the burden from their shoulders.
Correct Your Curb Appeal
Finally, while preparing your house for sale, make the outside of your home look as inviting as possible. This is the very first thing buyers will see when they pull up to look at your house.
Make sure the roof is in good shape, the exterior paint isn’t chipping or faded, and the grass and plant life is clean and trimmed. Remove any debris, garbage, or pet waste.
Curb appeal is vital for a sale. In fact, 94% of Realtors recommend spending time on improving your curb appeal. Make a good first impression.
You Got This
It may feel overwhelming doing everything necessary to prepare your house for sale, but it’s totally doable.
You just have to start! Make a list and focus on one project at a time. Before you know it, you’ll house will have a total makeover.
If you want your house to sell, make people want to buy it!
