Important Things That You Must Do Before Actually Selling Your House

Selling your house is beyond stressful—looking for the ideal real estate agent, finding the right home value, getting all the permits and paperwork done, you get the idea. On top of that, the constant worry about whether or not you’ll be able to sell your house fast. 

It’s frightening to look at all those other homes listed ages ago and how they continue to stay on the market after years. And you don’t want to become a part of that bunch! 

And because we don’t want you to become part of that bunch either, we’ve created a list of everything you should do before putting your home on sale. Keep reading to find out!

Declutter!

Decluttering is the first step of the process. Clutter looks awful, and it makes your home feel less spacious and cramped than it actually is. If your guests walk into a mountain of clutter, they won’t even bother finishing the rest of the tour. 

So, as annoying as it may be, go through each room and deep clean your stuff. Throw out any useless items that are just taking up space. Donate things you might not need anymore and store away objects that don’t need to be on display. 

Get Rid of Foul Odors

Scents are an important part of first impressions, and if your guests walk into a funky-smelling home, then good luck. Smells are a massive deal-breaker for a lot of people, and it’ll be the first thing they notice once they step through the front door. 

Deep clean your home to get rid of any foul odors. And no, we don’t mean spraying air freshener all over the place. We mean getting to the root of the issue and treating it. 

For example, mold and humidity make homes pick up an underlying dingy smell. Attack the root of the problem and get rid of it to eliminate the odor. 

Once you’ve treated all the bad smells, such as taking out the trash and emptying the hampers, work on making your house smell welcoming. Add some scented candles. Bake some cookies. 

Boil some citrus fruit. Plug-in wax warmers. All these things give your house that homey smell that people love. 

Fix up Your Pantry 

Pantry space is a massive bonus for home buyers, and the more spacious and organized a pantry is, the faster it’ll sell. So, step into your pantry and get to work as a smart homeowner would!

It’s easy to let your pantry go all over the place and keep things in a “neat mess,” as some people call it. But, if you want your homeowners to see the real potential of your pantry, it’s time to rearrange things. 

Start by throwing all the foods that need to be thrown out, such as expired items. Next, find new ways to store your food in a neat, fashionable way, such as placing your cereal into nice glass jars instead of keeping them in their original boxes. Whatever you do, just be sure to clear up as much space as possible and organize your food to make your pantry look appealing. 

Clean Your Sink 

Please, do not leave any dirty dishes in your sink when showcasing your home. Aside from it releasing an unpleasant smell, it’ll look bad. 

No one likes walking into a kitchen full of dirty dishes. Be sure you clear out your sink and that there are no dishes to be found. 

And, give your sink a good polish too! A clean, shiny sink is also a bonus. 

Add Some Plants or Flowers

If you want to liven up your home and give it some personality, the best thing you can do is to add plants or flowers. You don’t want to go overboard and make your home look like a greenhouse or jungle. But, a couple of plants here and there will make your home look, smell, and feel good. 

Take Out the Trash 

You’d be surprised that many people forget to take out the trash before a showing. It’s a simple yet necessary chore. If possible, keep your kitchen trash somewhere else in the house that isn’t too obvious, like the garage. It might be inconvenient, but it’s best to keep trash out of the way while selling your home. 

Make the Necessary Repairs

Now’s the time to finish those projects you never got to complete and repair the faulty parts of your home. Ceiling stains, broken windows, scratched floors, curb appeal—anything that needs upgrading. 

Make a complete list of all the things you can fix and tackle them one by one. You can ask your agent for a second opinion and see what they think should be repaired. 

Clean Everything in Sight 

Clean absolutely everything! If you want your home to sell faster than all the just listed homes, you have to clean it to the very core. 

Start at the top and progressively work your way down. Clean bathroom tiles, kitchen cabinets, carpet stains, shower heads, etc. Don’t move on to another area until you’ve cleaned the entire room. 

Clean your windows and mirrors too! Sparkling windows look great from the outside and will give your home a fresh type of feel that homebuyers will love. Shiny mirrors also add brightness to a room, so be sure to tackle those as well. 

Rearrange Your Furniture

You’ve probably arranged the furniture in a way that suits your family best. Now, you have to think about rearranging your furniture in a way that makes your home feel more spacious. 

Think about how you can highlight your home’s best features by positioning the furniture in a different way. Your furniture is now your marketing tools, and you need to use them in a way that’ll convince your homebuyers that your home is the ideal space for them. 

Follow These Tips Before Selling Your House!

If you take the time to follow these tips, selling your house won’t be as difficult. It will take time, though, so don’t think you’ll do all these tasks in one day. However, you can guarantee that your home will sell itself if you put these suggestions into play. 

Did you find these tips useful? If so, look through the rest of our blog posts for more articles like these!