5 Things To Do Before You Put Your House Up For Sale

Home for sale. This is post is about preparing to get your home for sale.

Welcome to my blog! I’m a real estate agent in Northeast Florida and I write seller and buyer tips, plus information about the area, which includes Jacksonville, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, St Johns County and the Beaches.

Today’s blog post is about 5 things you should do before you put your house on the market. There’s more than 5, but these are the biggies.

Where To When

What’s your end game? Where are you going when your home closes? Do you need to close on your current house before you can buy your next one? If you need to sell before you can buy, what will you do if you can’t find a home to buy right away? I know I just threw a bunch of questions at you, some that may have made your anxiety level creep up a little. Like the one about where you’re gonna go if you can’t find a home to buy right away. This is when you should figure that out, so when the time comes to sell your current home, you won’t feel pressured or rush. Some ideas is staying with family. Find a short term rental or stay at a hotel. Ask for a longer closing, like 60 days.

Try Some Shoes On

Nooooo, this doesn’t mean to run out to the mall and buy some new shoes. This is about looking at your house through the eyes of a buyer. Remember when you bought your house? What was it about your house that talked to you? Yes, houses talk to you. I’m not crazy. Well, slightly crazy, but admit it, even if it’s only to yourself, you know your house talked to you. Take a drive and come back like you are going to a showing appointment to look at a house. Your house. Look at the curb appeal, is it inviting? Does the exterior look clean and crisp? How’s the roof? Go inside and look at every room the same way. Does it smell? Does the paint look dingy? Do you think it’s time for the shag carpet on the wall to go? Be brutally honest with yourself, it can help you get the most money from your home down the road.

Declutter

I don’t think I really need to go into much detail here, but get rid of the stuff you never use. Get rid of oversized furniture that you don’t sit on. Have a yard sale and get some cash. It feels great to purge stuff that has no sentimental value, useful value and are just more things to move. As you get closer to listing date, put away personal photos and small appliances that you never use or use once in a blue moon. No, I’m not referring to your coffee maker. That’s important and needs to be easily accessible.

Fix It or Forget It

Closet doors off the hinges. Faucet drips. Missing caulk. These are small things, but buyers will notice them and wonder if there’s bigger things that need repair. You could get an home inspection done and repair the things on the list. The buyer can still have their own inspection done, but will make them feel like you’re on the up and up with them. Now, before you go pressure washing your house, it’s best not to pressure wash your roof and windows. That can cause damage to your shingles and cause the window seal to pop. Easy does it best.

Line Up Your Listing Agent

This should actually be first, because an awesome agent can be objective, tell you what you need to hear to help you get top dollar. So, having someone help you from the beginning of your decision to sell, can help make the process less overwhelming when it comes time to list.

Yes, this will be a blatant plug for myself. 😁

I know many agents talk about how great their marketing plan is, and mine is pretty sweet as well. My other amazing traits as an agent is being the calm during the storm, and being able to tell you what you need to hear, even if it’s not what you want to hear. I also play well with others. So what does that mean? There are times things don’t go as planned in a transaction and I handle it with calmness, taking the emotion out of it. I don’t lash out at the person giving the not so good news. Instead, I am immediately looking for solutions and work with them to get things done. I’m not afraid to tell you what needs to be done to get your house sold for top dollar and the least amount of hassle, without being a jerk. No need for that in the world. If that sounds like something you want in a listing agent, then give me a call or text at 904-910-3516.

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