Selling a house is not an easy task. If it was, there wouldn’t be realtors, home appraisers, inspectors, insurance agents, or any of the other people who specialize in home sales.
But for the homeowner themselves, there are a few things to do that can help the process along. Let’s look at a few of them.
What to Remember When Selling a House
Some of these tips may seem basic knowledge, but some things slip your mind while juggling everything. It’s a good idea to sit down before you start and make a list. As you check off the boxes your house gets closer and closer to being sold.
Get Organized
A piece of property is pretty complicated legally and it comes with a lot of documentation. You need to find every important document attached to your house and organize it in a way that you can retrieve them easily. You’ll need to know where to find:
- The deed
- Utility bills
- Rental agreements
- Mortgage agreements
- Tax Bills
Any document that will help the people who help you is important. Things like utility bills can give them a baseline estimate for any prospective buyers who want to know.
Keeping organized files about your property streamlines the process when selling your home. Make copies, scan, upload to the Cloud, whatever you think is a good way to make sure you won’t be fumbling around for a document when the time comes.
Mentally Move Out
You may have been living in the same house for twenty years, but the buyer doesn’t really care about that. They want to move into a house that looks, smells and feels new.
The first step is to get it in your mind that this is no longer your home, it’s a house. You may have to do things to your property that you would never want for yourself to make it more appealing on the market. You may think your carpet looks great, but it doesn’t sell well. You need to get in the mindset of a buyer before you can sell.
It helps when you have a second or third pair of eyes looking around at what may turn prospective buyers away from your property. If you’re used to interesting design choices that aren’t so hip. If you’re at the point you’ve decided to sell, you should be fine with changes to your former property.
Take Your Stuff with You
Someone wants to buy your house, not your knick-knacks. When you start getting the house ready for showing you want as much space in the house as possible. It’s difficult for a buyer to picture where they’ll put their stuff when yours is still taking up space.
Get rid of any clutter, free up surfaces, take down pictures. You want the buyer to picture themselves in that space, and it can be difficult when your family photos are taking up half of a wall.
Selling while still living in your house can be tricky but it is doable. Organize your closets to the best of your ability and really pack them. Just do your best to make it livable, but not lived in.
It might be difficult if you’re between houses so you may have to rent a storage unit, but it will be worth it when your house is sold. This is also a great chance to get rid of things you don’t want anymore. Moving can be a cleansing exercise if you let go of old furniture.
Make It Feel New
Like a used car, people are very sensitive to the condition. And like selling a used car, you want it to be as close to new as possible. Aside from the regular sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and wiping that keeps the house clean you’ll need to go deeper.
Chances are you’ve kept your house pretty clean over the years. But your standards probably aren’t up to snuff when other people are looking to buy. Every little imperfection is going to be on display, so you need to put some elbow grease into cleaning.
If you have carpet, get it steam cleaned. Tile will need to be scrubbed to get the old dirt out from the gaps. Hardwood should be refinished and polished.
Any stains on the walls will need to be removed and the spiders in the corners need to be evicted. Consider repainting if the current color isn’t a neutral tone, just make sure to leave some time between painting and showing to air it out. If there is any drywall damage it will need to be repaired and repainted.
Once the place is clean, give yourself some time away to clear out your nose. You want to come back and really sniff around for any weird smells. Anything like pets, smoke, chemicals, and food are very noticeable to outsiders.
Spend some time in the kitchen and smell if the garbage disposal is retaining old food smell. If you are still living in your home when selling, don’t cook anything that smells strong.
Do your best to make it smell nice but not overpowering. A couple of plugins spread out or a wax melter will be enough to put a nice smell in the air without overdoing it.
Do Constant Checkups and Touchups
The process can last for months sometimes, so certain things need attention now and then. Houses don’t just sit empty even if you aren’t around.
If you are living in a new place, check back every couple days to make sure there aren’t any leaks or break-ins. You might not live there, but until it’s sold it’s your responsibility.
It may be a good idea to shut off your water and certain appliances. The water heater can be shut off without issue. It’s a good idea to leave the A/C on at a reasonable temperature to prevent musty smells or mold development. Don’t unplug the refrigerator, it will get a weird smell if left off and closed for too long.
Make sure the lawn is taken care of regularly. It’s the first thing people see when they pull up to your house. And giving it a little attention can really help with curb appeal.
We Don’t Mind If It’s Not Perfect
We buy houses fast as-is and can help you sell in as little as a week. If you’re selling a house in Colorado Springs we know what it takes to sell quick. Contact us if you want to sell, even if you don’t think your house is ready.
