Prepping your house to sell faster

Ask anyone who’s sold their home what the experience was like, and the resounding response is “It was stressful!” Occasionally, someone will say it was their sale was a piece of cake, but sadly those are the anomalies. Fortunately, there are time-tested strategies for preparing your house to sell as quickly as possible. This can at least relieve some of the stress involved in selling. We’re going to focus now on how to prep your house for the market.

Here are some recommendations for prepping your house so that buyers will remember your house and put it on their short list of favorites.

Make the repairs

Sounds pretty obvious, but repairs aren’t always a priority for some sellers. But if you want to sell faster, this is critical. Some sellers make the mistake of thinking they can just give the buyer a seller’s credit at closing, or hope the buyer doesn’t care or doesn’t notice the flaws.  Make sure appliances that will be staying work, and aren’t missing parts. Kitchen cabinets are like a magnet to buyers, so make sure the paint or other finish is good, and that drawers slide easily. Repair any damage to bathroom tiles and chipped sinks and tubs. Take care of any water damage, including the source of the damage. Floors should be in good repair with no cracks or chips. The heating and AC systems need to be operational and well-maintained. This goes for the water heater, too. Ensure the electrical system is up to speed, including the breaker panel box, smoke and CO2 detectors. Same goes for outside the house: look for rotted wood, roof leaks, fences. Trim bushes and trees as necessary.

Painting the critical areas

Everyone knows a fresh coat of paint can make almost any home feel almost new. Nowadays, the recommended colors are the warm neutral ones. If there’s just no time to paint the entire house, focus on the critical areas: entry way, kitchen and bathrooms. It may be that your home already has good paint and simply needs some touching up, like patching nail holes or removing scuff marks.

Cleaning up and decluttering

And you need to make sure all that hard work doesn’t go to waste. It’s a good idea to ensure everything is tidy and clean before every showing.

Depersonalize

I’ve shown hundreds of homes to my buyer clients that weren’t depersonalized. Family photos everywhere, collections, diplomas, religious items, you name it. In many cases, the home was immaculate, but just not depersonalized. So, what’s the big deal? It’s simple: when buyers come looking, they like to imagine themselves living there. Having said that, your goal as the seller should be to make them imagine they could live there.

 Stage it!

We’ll get right to the point for this one: according to realtor.com, staged homes sell 88% faster and for 20% more than homes that aren’t staged. That’s pretty impressive, and you can do it yourself or hire a professional stager. The key rooms to focus on will be the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bathrooms, and a bit of tasteful decorating will do the trick. Don’t forget about the exterior, since that will be the buyer’s first impression. Keeping the yard tidy and maybe planting some flowers or bushes can add a lot.

A final word

Imagine yourself walking through the front door of your home as a buyer who’s never been there before. Then tour the entire house from room to room, trying to be as objective as possible. Go a step further and ask a friend or relative to do the same – feedback can really be an eye-opener. And don’t forget about the yard, too.

Once you’ve done everything possible, you’ll be much more confident when the photographer comes, and when your realtor puts it on the market.