Thursday, March 14, 2024 / by Teresa Pileggi
What You Need to Do Before Listing Your Home
What You Need to Do Before Listing Your Home
Selling your home for the first time comes with a lot of questions and considerations. It might
look like a simple step of planting a “For Sale” sign on your front lawn or uploading a few
attractive photos of your home on the listing service. But in reality, it entails a complex
process of filtering through what to change and what to leave as it is.
Preparing your home for sale has a significant impact on making both parties happy after
closing the deal. It can involve changing the décor, decluttering the place, or redesigning the
outdoor space. However, regardless of your reason for selling, here is what you should
prioritize to ensure your home sells faster and at a higher value.
8 Things to Do Before Listing Your Home
Are you ready for your next move and planning to sell your current home? Here is a home-
selling checklist that guarantees to pay off and attract more buyers.
1. Declutter The House and Deep Clean Forgotten Areas
Start decluttering your home and cleaning forgotten areas a few months before listing it. As
you clean the house, you will realize that you have many items that you can re-home or
discard. These include kid's toys, art projects, a stack of mail, and old bathroom toiletries.
A tidy home entices buyers to make a strong offer and adds an average of $8,000 in resale
value. Also, buyers looking for a new lifestyle in a new home will show interest only if your
home is clean and presentable. Some of the decluttering and deep-cleaning ideas include:
? Clearing countertops and miscellaneous items on the floor.
? Cutting down the items on display on open shelving, mantels, and walls.
? Ditching expired food from the pantry and refrigerator.
? Reducing closet items and wiping down doors and interiors of closets and cabinets.
You can consider donating excess clothes, linens, and towels you haven’t used in a
while.
? Dusting ceiling fans and cleaning under appliances and baseboards using vacuum
cleaner brush attachments.
2. Revisit Neglected Maintenance
Buyers are only interested in buying a home whose everything is working properly. Since
major repairs such as replacing the old roof can be costly, you can consider revisiting minor
repairs before listing your home. These include:
? Serving the HVAC if it has stayed more than a year without service.
? Changing all air filters.
? Replacing burned-out bulbs.
? Fixing the leaking faucet or water heater.
? Ensuring the basics such as windows, doors, major kitchen appliances, and bathroom
fixtures function properly.
3. Gather Major Repair and Renovation Records
Chances are you have incurred significant costs repairing and renovating the house,
especially if you have lived in it for a long time. If so, gather all the receipts for repairs and
upgrades and make them ready for your real estate agent, home appraiser, or home inspector.
Buyers will consider your home "used" when making an offer unless they are buying a new
construction. They will also want to know how soon they will have to replace or repair
something after moving in. Therefore, proving that you have spent enough time and money to
make things run perfectly will attract high-value buyers.
4. Get A Reputable Real Estate Agent
Hiring a reputable real estate agent should be the first consideration when listing your home.
However, most stellar real estate agents will only come in once the house is ready for sale
and work depending on how fast you want to house to be sold. Generally, you should contact
the agent 3 months in advance to have enough time to prepare the home.
Contacting the real estate agent in advance can save you in various ways, including:
? They will allow you access to data on your home’s value through their comparative
market analysis.
? They will advise on what repairs and upgrades to focus on.
? They will guide you on further steps such as pre-listing inspection and preliminary
title report.
You can use the free agent-matching services to get the best real estate agent. Also, always be
selective and look for the top 5% of agents who can sell your home for as much as 10% more
than the average agent.
5. Consider A Pre-Sale Inspection
Even after staying in your home for a long time, there are some issues that you might not be
aware of. Therefore, instead of waiting for the buyer to point them out, you can order a pre-
sale inspection, which will save you the disappointment after you have accepted the offer.
A pre-sale inspection can cost an average of $281 to $402, depending on your local market,
the home's size, and the home inspector's experience. However, it is worth it if you are
concerned about deferred maintenance. You can get a pre-sale inspection no sooner than 2
months before listing to have enough time for repairs.
6. Obtain A Preliminary Title Report
A preliminary report, prelim, or precautionary report is a summary document that tells you if
anything is outstanding about your home before listing it. Some of the title issues that can
limit you from selling your home include unpaid property taxes, HOA fees, and child
support. The report also reveals any other deed restrictions on property use. It is wise to
obtain the report as soon as possible since the issues can take a while to resolve.
7. Boost Your Curb Appeal
According to 92% of top real estate agents, a great curb appeal will attract more buyers and
increase the house’s resale value. Take time to upgrade the exterior of your home before
listing. This will inspire more buyers to stop by or schedule a tour of your home. Some of the
impactful exterior projects include:
? Taking care of the lawn such as mowing the yard and adding fertilizer.
? Applying fresh mulch.
? Doing simple landscaping. A standard landscaping of $3,455 can yield a 112% ROI
or $7,312 in resale value.
? Installing a simple patio.
? Repainting the front door.
8. Estimate Your Net Proceeds
Researching the market and estimating your net proceeds is crucial as it gives you an idea of
what expenses you can incur before listing the property. You can have a ballpark idea of your
net proceeds by following these steps:
? Getting a home value estimate using the Home Value Estimator.
? Review your agent's comparative market analysis to get your home’s fair market
value. Fair market value is what the buyer is willing to pay for the home in the current
market.
? Subtracting your current mortgage balance and selling fees from your sale price. Your
agent can help you prepare a net sheet.
The Bottom Line
Investing enough time and money to get your home ready for sale will pay off greatly in the
end. That is because home buyers want a house that looks perfect and ready for occupation.
They do not want to spend more time repairing and upgrading major appliances even after
spending a huge amount of money buying the home. Therefore, before listing your home,
always have a list of things you need to change to attract more buyers and get exciting offers.
