Ways Your Seller Can Prepare A Home Before Listing

We’ve discussed The 5 Things To Do Before Listing Your Home—which included tips like depersonalizing your home and opting for a pre-listing home inspection.

These are great first steps to share with your seller before helping them list their home, but there is much more to discuss! If your seller hasn’t scheduled their pre-listing home inspection, they should do so as soon as possible to help market the home and make it as desirable as possible to buyers who come to see it by addressing any issues listed on the home inspection report.

Here are some additional steps to take before putting the home on the market to maximize its appeal and sellability:

1. They’ve Depersonalized, Now Declutter

Removing family photos is a good start but now it’s time to start packing non-essentials. Having an organized, uncluttered home is very appealing to potential buyers. Packing books and décor can help declutter shelves. Clearing counters of small appliances, baking tools, or other kitchen items and storing them in the cabinets or packing them away can help make a kitchen look bigger and cleaner. Provide your seller with other areas of concern they should focus on before buyers begin scheduling a walk-through of the home.

2. Remind Them: Buy More Light Bulbs

When showing the home, having all the lights on in the home is ideal. The lighting can help make a home feel welcoming and show that the electricity is still on (and the home is not left empty and humid which could allow mold to grow). It is important to make sure every light fixture has a working light bulb in it—broken or dead bulbs can be one of those tiny, petty things that turn buyers away or leave a negative impact on the home viewing.

3. Paint The Walls

Repainting a home is a big part of getting it buyer ready. Advise your seller to pick neutral colors like light grays, whites, and beiges. Colors like these will make a home appear brighter, lively, and more inviting. They also enable potential buyers to imagine their own furniture, decor, and personality in the space—rather than trying to imagine those things around blue or green walls.

4. Call A Handyperson

Help your seller find a good handyperson or contractor to take care of any simple repairs recommended on the pre-listing home inspection. Broken outlets, small dings in the wall, or a loose baseboard may seem like “character”, but you’ll have to explain to your seller how these little items can be a nuisance to buyers who won’t want an exhaustive “honey do list” so soon after moving in.

5. Stage The Home

Staging a home is proven to help a home sell faster and for a higher price. Staging the home doesn't have to be expensive—use existing furniture, buy and resell items, or hire a professional home stager (who likely has their own staging furniture). When staging a home, don’t forget to stage the outside as well, like the front porch area. The outside of the home is the first thing potential buyers will see, and a well-staged outdoor area can make the home even more appealing. Add to the curbside appeal by making sure the grass is freshly cut and the yard landscape looks well put together.

6. Hire A Professional Photographer

The photos that you put online of the home are very important to the home’s internet appeal. Making sure the photos put online are high quality and well represent the home starts with hiring a professional photographer. Ask your photographer about the possibility of performing a 3D virtual walkthrough as well. These are great for those who would like to view the home but are unable to physically perform a walk-through.

Schedule Your Pre-Listing Home Inspection

If you haven’t scheduled it yet, get a pre-listing home inspection done and be ahead of the process. At some point during the sale, a buyer is going to have a home inspection done. At least with a pre-listing inspection, you’ll know what needs to be fixed or what may be used as a negotiating tool. Contact the licensed home inspectors of AcuSystem Inspections to get yours scheduled now!

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