How to Prepare to Sell Your Home
So you want to sell your house? Then you’ve got some serious work ahead of you. Preparing to sell a home on the open real estate market involves a considerable amount of time and labor. And if you want to sell your house fast, there are several things you must do to make the property as attractive as possible to prospective buyers. Of course, there’s a big difference between selling through a realtor and selling through a cash home buyer like us at We Buy Houses Salt Lake City.
What steps should you take to get your home ready to sell through a realtor? Check them out below.
Depersonalize Your Home
When you show your home to prospective buyers, they should see a clean, blank slate. They should be able to imagine their own decor and life in the space, and if your personal items are still hanging around, all those buyers will see is you.
That’s why depersonalizing each room is so important. Obviously, if you’re still living in the home while you’re showing it, complete depersonalization might not be feasible, but do your best to remove what you can. Things you’ll want to take out of your home before you start showing it include:
- Family heirlooms
- Personal photographs and collections
- Loud furniture that’s unique to your taste
- Loud decor that prospective buyers might not love
- Busy wallpaper
- Sports or vacation memorabilia
If you have a substantial amount of this type of stuff, it may be in your best interest to rent a short-term storage unit while your house is on the market. You’ll want to avoid cluttering up your attic or basement with personal items since prospective buyers will also want to view those areas of your home while they’re touring the place.
Get Rid of Clutter
Do you have tons of stuff gathering dust in your garage? Perhaps you have mountains of books or an office that’s overflowing with papers? You’ll want to declutter all of that stuff before you list your home. You’ll have to deal with it one way or another when you pack for your move, so consider decluttering the preliminary stage of your packing process.
Tend to Necessary Repairs
Most buyers who are looking on the open market aren’t interested in purchasing a home that needs expensive repairs. So if you want to sell your house fast, you’ll need to undertake those repairs before you list the property. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pass a prepurchase inspection anyway, so the earlier you handle repairs, the faster you can sell your house.
If your home requires extensive work — like roof, foundation, or HVAC repairs — tend to those things first as such problems will put a major snag in the selling process. Handling smaller repairs, such as minor holes in the walls, broken doorknobs, and damaged doors, is also important, but since these issues are cosmetic, they shouldn’t take priority.
Assess Your Curb Appeal
What does the exterior of your home look like currently? Will it make a positive first impression when prospective buyers drive by or visit for a showing? If not, you’ll want to spruce things up. A few simple and relatively inexpensive ways to do that include:
- Touching up exterior paint
- Pressure washing your paved driveway
- Replacing outdated lights, doorknobs, and other fixtures
- Planting additional flowers, shrubs, or trees
- Updating or painting your fencing if it’s looking weatherworn
- Repainting your front door
Thoroughly Clean the Place
Preparing your home for showings means you’ll need to clean it from top to bottom, and that means everything — even the things you don’t normally clean. So if you’re not a fan of cleaning, or you’re unsure you can get everything thoroughly clean on your own, hire a professional cleaning team. If you want to get the job done on your own, make sure you don’t forget to:
- Polish mirrors and all chrome or stainless steel in the house
- Polish natural stone countertops
- Recaulk tubs, sinks, and showers
- Clean grout between tiles
- Remove dust from beneath all the furniture
- Clean baseboards and crown molding
- Wax or polish floors
- Clean fan blades
- Dust on top of cabinets
- Clean the inside the oven, microwave, refrigerator, and freezer
Want to Sell Your House the Easy Way? Contact We Buy Salt Lake City Houses
If you’re looking to sell your house fast, and you want to take the simplest route possible, our team at We Buy Salt Lake City Houses is at your service. We buy houses for cash no matter what they look like, and we don’t require you to do anything to your home to prepare for the sale. We’re ready to purchase your house in as-is condition — dust, damage, and all — and we can close on the sale in just a matter of days. We buy houses throughout Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas every day, so if you’re ready to sell, get in touch with us to get your no-obligation offer! Give us a call at 385-900-2274 or contact us online to get started.