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Take these tips from a top producing agent in real estate today and watch your home go from listed to sold faster than all those homes around you.
I’m Jonathan Tiedman, Team Lead for the LexiCo Group, The top producing team at Century 21 803 Realty and I’d like to jump right into today’s topic. The top 5 things to do before putting your house “for sale”.
These 5 items are in the order they should roughly be completed, while not absolutely mandatory it’s probably a good idea to do some before others. However, with that said they all do carry the same weight and should all be completed. Do keep in mind though these items may not increase your bottom line as much as they do keep you from losing value in the home. These are the intangible things people forget to mention that really set you apart from your competition. All of these items can be outsourced to professionals if that’s the route you choose. If that’s not your style we took a trip to our neighborhood Lowe’s to see what we could find there.
Landscaping: They say a picture is worth a thousand words and if you want those words to be good ones you will take some time to invest in your home’s yard. If you don’t already own one, a lawn mower runs as low as $330 dollars and is an absolute must prior to going to market as well as keeping up with it as the home is for sale. Lowes at the time of recording this video had a pretty good deal on a lawn mower/trimmer bundle saving the consumer up to $149 on their purchase. Something I would also put a focus on is hedge trimmers. If you don’t have one they run about as low as $90 dollars and can really make a home stand out especially if you’re looking to capture that love at first sight.
Declutter: Isn’t it amazing how we accrue so much stuff throughout the years. If you are anything like me things start to find “temporary homes” on my bookshelf or end table. Well, today is the day to find them more permanent housing. Dust off that old book, next to the watch, by the hammer, there, under that picture of Megan back in 8th grade, and either pack it to move with you, donate it, or throw it away. Lowes not only sells boxes, they sell clear plastic totes which when you have odd and end things you simply can’t separate with, it makes for a good option. Get them packed and put in the garage, attic, or wherever they are going next. When a home has too much clutter, people can’t picture themselves in their new house. All they see is your house and trust me they are judging.
Clean: Many real estate contracts have an expectation on them that clearly, or not so clearly, outline the condition the home is expected to be in. We are looking to get you every cent your home is worth and in order to do that we need to get a little dirty. There are plenty of companies out there that can get the job done but if you are going to roll up your sleeves here’s what to look out for. As far as a multi purpose cleaner goes Mrs. Meyers is the best thing I’ve found to get out those tough icky’s out. My wife and I owned a cleaning company for over a year and after trying just about everything new on the market this was our tried and true. There are many things to clean so here is our old cleaning checklist that we still hold as the standard to this day.
Lighting: It is one of the most simple things, yet it gets overlooked constantly. Change your light bulbs so they all match and are on. Depending on the space, warm or cool tones do matter and if you’re not sure ask a real estate professional their opinion. We did find some lights out in the display section of lowes and really took away from the fixtures. Don’t let this one slip through the cracks.
Touch ups: Wood and Paint. These two things can usually be touched up with minimal effort. There are some things to note here though. If you haven’t painted in a while DO NOT just grab the matching paint from the garage and go to town. If you haven’t painted recently, take a piece of your wall, trim, or what have you to your local home improvement store and have them match the color. This will do wonders for getting some scuff marks out and really make the home stand out. As far as the wood finishings go. There are several options for stain pens that will hide most normal wear and tear marks in high traffic areas. Do keep in mind though it may take several applications to have it match the right tone as the rest of the wood. You can even get wood filler there but for my lack of experience we will leave it at, yes they have it, use it if you are comfortable with it.
The industry is cooling from where it was mid 2022. I highly encourage any seller to take these steps to assure they are getting the most from the listing. Do not just take this article as the only thing that needs to be done to get top dollar for your home. Call your realtor as often as needed to make sure you are getting everything on the checklist done. If you are considering selling and want the world’s most respected and recognized brand to assist you in getting top dollar. Click the link ( HERE ) and myself or a member of my team will reach out to you to get you started. Best of luck with your upcoming home sale!
