There’s a lot of work that goes into a successful move or relocation.
For example, you need to get your budget right, find a place to live, and deal with the chaos of contract negotiations. However, before you can get to any of that “fun” stuff, you need to ensure that your home is market-ready. After all, this ensures that you can sell your property as quickly as possible without having to delay your move.
Photo by Dillon Kydd on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some simple steps that you can take to get your home ready for sale!
- Declutter, declutter, declutter. Getting rid of clutter is the first step toward preparing your home for a speedy sale. This is because it will help you to present your home in the best possible light to potential buyers, as opposed to having to lead them through a property where clutter lies behind every single door.
- Deal with any maintenance issues. While you may want to set aside money for dealign with any maintenance issues that arise in your new home, the chances are that you’ll need to deal with those in your current property, too. Otherwise, you’ll find it difficult to get buyers invested in your home! As such, now is the perfect time to put your DIY skills to the test! However, you should make sure to reach out to professionals when necessary.
- Deep clean your home. Now, I know what you are thinking. It feels nearly impossible to keep your house clean when you have kids. However, the truth is you need to deep-clean your home before putting it on the market. Otherwise, it will look a little worse for wear, both in pictures/videos and in person, making it harder for prospective buyers to see potential in your property.
Not only that, but they may view this as an indicator that you have failed to properly look after your property, meaning they’re much less likely to place an offer. Think about it this way: would you be interested in buying a home that is full of dust?
Of course, it is important to note that this isn’t a task you have to do entirely by yourself. In fact, you should encourage the entire family to get involved and play their part. Not only will this ensure that your deep-clean is completed as quickly as possible, but it’s also a great way to encourage your children to help out with chores. Of course, you should make sure any of the jobs you assign them are age-appropriate!
- Work with a real estate agent. Real estate agencies, such as Harper Macleod LLP, play a critical role in getting your home market-ready. For example, they can arrange for the necessary valuations to take place so that you know exactly how much your home is worth.
This will help you to manage your expectations moving forward, though they will also be able to provide you with practical tips and advice that you can use to add value to your home! For example, as mentioned above, they may encourage you to carry out some basic maintenance tasks ahead of time.
- Upgrade your garden. Upgrading your garden (front and back) is also essential when preparing to sell your home. This is because a poorly maintained garden will cause both curb appeal and your property’s overall value to drop, making it harder to convince buyers to take a chance on your home. Conversely, a nicely presented garden can add 20% to the value of your home.
- Get rid of any unpleasant smells. There are many reasons why your home may not smell all that pleasant, even if you are relatively clean. For example, there could be a pet-related odor lingering, courtesy of your four-legged friend(s). While this is a smell that you may have grown accustomed to, its something that potential buyers will pick up on right away. As such, you should make a concentrated effort to remove these smells ahead of time. For the most part, this can be achieved through the use of specialist cleaning products or even just opening your windows to allow the room/space to air out.
No matter the current state of your home, there are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure that it is market-ready in no time. This will reduce your stress levels quite considerably while also ensuring that you can start working your way through everything ELSE you have to do before the big move!
Laura x