What To Do Before Putting Your House on the Market

​If you are thinking of listing your home, here are a few steps to help prepare you for success.  

• Consider getting a home inspection -  many sellers don't do this and I wouldn't say it's required.  However, if you have lived in your house for a long time and/or didn't get a home inspection when you purchased the house, you may be worried about what a home inspection will uncover.  Most buyers will get a home inspection.  Some buyers and agents will have a good eye for things that don't meet code.  When you get the results back, I would recommend discussing them with your future listing agent to determine what items should be repaired.
• Get Estimates - If items come up in the home inspection, or, if you know a big item like your roof or heat pump is on its last leg, consider getting estimates for repairs or replacements.  
• Warranties -  Do some research on home warranties.  Look at what they cover.  It is possible to pay for a year of a potential purchaser's home warranty.  Depending on your situation, this may be something to offer in the marketing or it could be a tool to use in negotiations.  A realtor will be able to help you determine if it would be useful in your situation.  
  
  • Many of your appliances, windows, and other major systems come with warranties.  Locating information on these items can either save you money on repairs you may need to make or provide more confidence for the buyers when they're thinking of purchasing the house. 
• Get organized and do a deep clean -  The goal here is to put your best foot forward.  You'll want to de-clutter as much as possible.  Remove extra kitchen appliances from counter tops, remove out of season items from your closets.  Move big furniture items to storage.  Make your house feel bigger by having less in it.  
  • You'll also want to do a deep clean.  Consider shampooing your carpet, wash walls, windows, baseboards, and all the other items you may not get to on a regular basis. 
• Enhance That Curb Appeal -  Many of us don't pay much attention to the outside of our house because we spend most of our time inside.  Improving flower beds, landscaping, and hard-scaping can make a big difference.  Consider painting trim or the house if needed. 

Throughout this whole process, try to imagine a buyers perspective.  This can be difficult to do but REALTORs and home stagers can help in this process.