Quiz: Is Your Home Ready to Sell?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, which makes curb appeal critical when selling your home. Keep your lawn mowed, your hedges trimmed, and consider adding flower beds for a bit of color. Keep the front porch area clean and uncluttered, and consider painting or replacing your front door.

It’s important to evaluate the main structures of your home and take care of any pressing problems before you list, such as leaking pipes, cracked windows, or other concerns that could turn off potential buyers. But not all repairs bring an equal return on investment. Sometimes homeowners spend a lot of time and money “fixing” things that don’t matter to buyers or home inspectors.

Clean, clean, clean! Buyers LOVE a clean home. And when it comes to clutter? Your home will look larger if there’s less stuff in it. You might even consider renting a storage unit to temporarily hold excess furniture and decor. But don’t get rid of EVERYTHING; it’s better to leave some furniture in the room than to have it completely empty in order to help potential buyers can envision where their furniture would go.

Bright, well-lit rooms appear more spacious (which buyers want). Make sure every room in your home is well lit. Take advantage of any and all natural light by making sure all curtains and blinds are open. A well-lit house is inviting and happy and shows buyers you have nothing to hide. *Our online course and consultations teach you exactly how to evaluate your home’s lighting and even which light bulbs work best! 

A picture can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially when it comes to selling your house. According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, 90% of home buyers across all demographics use the Internet to search for homes, so top-notch listing photos are critical for getting lots of traffic and a quick sale.

Use a professional real estate photographer! I cannot overstate the importance of this. Real estate photography requires a very particular skill set, from actually taking the photos to properly editing the finished product. Hiring a professional real estate photographer is almost always a good investment when selling your home.

When it comes to a fast, profitable sale, accurate pricing is just as critical as working on the aesthetics. It won’t matter how beautiful the staging is if your price is too high. Determining the best price for a property comes first by actually assessing the property and then comparing it to similar properties that have sold recently. Working with a professional real estate agent helps you as a homeowner balance both the emotions and the value of the house to arrive at the most realistic price.