So you are thinking it is time to sell your home or condo – but you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to start? Not to fret, you aren’t alone. Many of my clients have lived in their home for 20, 30, 40 or 50+ years. Many of my clients are first time sellers – as they bought or built their home and have never moved. Having a checklist for sellers makes them feel more confident about what to do to prepare their home.
So let’s talk about the practical way to get started with this checklist for sellers.
Call a Real Estate Agent… or Two
If you have a trusted realtor you know or has been recommended to you – call them to come and do a comparative market analysis on your home – first! Your home does not need to be show ready, it does not need to be in the right season, it does not even have to be fully cleaned and de cluttered. This initial conversation about your home sale-ability, what to do to prepare it for market, where the next move is to, and timing of getting on the market – is all helpful information in these early stages. Learning information about the market in your neighborhood, understanding how your home compares and what work you need to do to get ready…is valuable information early on in this process.
This valuation of your home is often a complimentary service…at least in my practice it is. And if you want to check out what a couple Realtors have to say, that mix of opinions, seeing their different marketing plans and getting a sense of who you feel comfortable with – will go a long way to helping you feel at ease in this process.
Gather Details
If you’ve always been the organized type, this part might feel easy. If you haven’t kept track of your home details…this part might take a bit more work. But start making a list or digging up information on these details (if they apply to your home). It’s time to create a home sale file or envelope or binder – whatever works for you.
- Do you have a Real Property Report (RPR) from where you first bought your single family home or bareland condo? If you do not – then have a chat with your Realtor if you will need one.
- Do you have any documentation about permits for the home?
- Make a list of all the upgrades and updates you’ve done to the home – when were windows redone, the roof re-shingled, new fridge bought or toilets upgraded? Add as much detail as you can to this list.
Declutter for Staging Purposes
This means, focus on your main living areas – bedrooms, kitchen, livingroom, etc. My clients will get my lovely interior designer to meet with them and help them very specificially know what to do get their home ready. You don’t have to fully declutter your home – you have to stategically work on spaces that will be photographed and get those areas dealt with first.
- Remove items that will give buyers and their agents info about you (remove family photos, awards, diploma/degrees in frames, photos about your travels or hobbies. Time to pack these items away or put create a basket where you can sweep the house to remove these photos and then put them back after showings if this distressing to you.
- Remove items from surfaces – clear kitchen counters, bathroom counters, the top of the piano, bedroom dressers, the fireplace mantal, etc. You want buyers to focus on the bones of the home, not the stuff in the home. A small neutral accent piece or plant added to the surface will make it feel spacious and clean but also feel like home. For bathrooms make baskets of stuff you use everyday and keep items in the baskets (shower basket, make up basket, hygeine basket) and when you have a showing request throw that basket under the sink or in a cupboard.
- Shift furniture to make the space practical and not over croweded. I understand why you have seating for 14 in your livingroom, but it might be time to have some furniture moved to the basement for now if it is too big or crowded in your space. Have rooms set up how a buyer would intend to use the space (ie if you are using a dining room as an office, it might be time to put the dining table back in that space).
- If you start packing items you know you will take with you AND know you will not need them for 6 months – then set a small area in your basement or garage for neatly stacking boxes.
- Do a half hour sweep of each room – what can you donate, sell, trash or give back to it’s rightful owner (such as your adult children’s sport memorabilia you’ve been keeping). Don’t over think this process. Just set a timer – you might be surprised how many items you know you can get rid of without much thought. With those items out of the house you’ll already feel like you’ve made great progress. Focus on 1/2 hour in a room each day. In a week you’ll feel great about what you’ve managed to accomplish.
Make the Repairs
Is there little things you’ve been putting off? A lose cabinet handle? A sticky lock on a door? Caulking around the bathtub that has deteriorated and should be redone? A dripping faucet in a basement bathroom you don’t use very often? Now is the time to make a list and make those little fixes. Buyers tend to catastrophize things they find wrong – “oh that leaking tap will cause a basement flood” or “the kitchen is falling apart because a handle is loose”. By making those little fixes now, you’ll prevent a buyer from feeling overwhelmed by little things.
Deal with the Light Bulbs
We all have the light fixture (usually our bathroom) with 4 light bulbs and all of them are different colors and strength. Time to buy a bulk order of light bulbs and change them all to the same intensity – usually a warm soft glow is best vs daylight that make your home feel more like a brightly lit landing pad. Having this little change on your checklist for sellers, goes a long way for how your home shows.
Organize Closets
You don’t have to empty them, but organize the clutter on top shelves into baskets or boxes. Eliminate or organize items on the bottom of the closet (or find a different place for those items to live in your home). Ideally you want your closets to 75% full or LESS. This gives illusion to your buyers that there is lots of room for their stuff to fit in this home. When closets are over stuffed, people may interpret it that the home doesn’t have enough storage space or is too cramped.
Your Custom Checklist for Sellers
When you met with and selected a REALTOR to work with, you would have worked together to develop and plan and strategy for getting your home on the market. This checklist for sellers is just a starting point of the most common things sellers need to do to prepare for sale.
When working together, you and I will develop a plan that sets a comfortable pace, helps you manage next housing choice (renting or buying), is comfortable for your financial situation…and most importantly….keeps you feeling in control of your real estate decisions and timeline. We’ll create a personalized checklist and timeline of what you need to do to be ready to have your home on the market.
