5 Must-Do Tasks to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Ready to sell your home? There’s a bit more to it than just sticking a “For Sale” sign in your yard or uploading a few iPhone pictures of your house — especially if you want top dollar. (I mean, really, who isn’t?)

Take a look at our top five recommended tasks to prepare for selling your home. They’re worth the effort to have buyers drooling over your home… and ideally making great offers!

• Bump up your curb appeal. Make sure a potential home buyer’s first impression of your home is a great one. Mow, remove weeds,  and prune or dead plants. Invest in flowers and fresh mulch. Clean up the front porch. Your agent can help advise you on the best investments of your time and money.

• Declutter. Any real estate agent or home stager worth their salt will tell you less is more when it comes to selling your house. A house overflowing with stuff leads buyers to worry that their is a lack of storage space. Start packing now!

• Depersonalize. Take down family photos, anything with your name on it, and any references to your politics, hobbies, work, or religion. Your goal is to create a blank canvas that lets buyers picture themselves in the home. It’s also safer for you and your family if buyers (i.e., the general public) can’t profile who lives in the home.

• CLEAN. You cannot overdo this one. A clean house helps buyers feel the house has been well-maintained. A dirty home gives buyers the impression the house hasn’t been properly cared for (and who’s going to pay top dollar for that?). Try to keep everything tidy for buyers at all times — you never know when a buyer is going to want to schedule a last-minute tour. Give a little extra attention to the bathrooms, making sure the tile, counters, shower, and floors shine.

• Hire a real estate agent. In a hot market in can be really tempting to try selling the property on your own, but resist the urge. “For sale by owner” transactions are often fraught with mistakes and complications — often mistakes that cost a seller more than what they may have saved by not hiring a realtor. Interview agents and find someone you feel comfortable working with and who you trust to sell your house for top dollar.

Our goal at The Rhoades Team is to help you get top dollar for your home. We’re always happy to meet with sellers and answer any questions. Ready to get started? Give Robert a call at (713) 515-3463 or contact him here!