5 Steps to Listing Your Home for Sale

The steps you take before you list your home for sale can impact how quickly it will sell. You’ll be surprised at how much work goes into selling your property. Numerous decisions must be made, which will influence other decisions. Begin on the right path, and the experience will be positive with results you’re happy with.

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Step 1. Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent

Choose a real estate agent who is knowledgeable about your type of property and your neighborhood. They will know what other homes in the area are selling for and how long they are listed before they sell.

If this is your first time selling a home, you want to find someone who will guide you through the process. They should provide you with valuable feedback on your property to help it sell faster. They should also have ideas on how to market the property to get more buyers interested.

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Most buyers are going to have a home inspection included in their offer. This protects them from costly repairs after the sale. Make a good impression by paying for an inspector before listing the property. Have them tell you everything that needs repaired and make a decision on which items you’ll take care of beforehand.

When you make repairs before the home is listed, it gives buyers the impression that your home has been well cared for. They may be willing to pay more for a home in good condition.

Step 2. Hire a Home Inspector

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Sure, you may clean your house every week and even be able to eat off the floors. However, when listing your home for sale, even that level of clean isn’t clean enough. Instead, you must go even deeper. Hire a professional cleaning company to spend an entire day going over every room and cabinet, cupboard, and closet in your home.

Ask your real estate agent to recommend a company. They have seen the work cleaning companies do and will know who does the best job. A spotless home will sell faster and for a better price than one that is not as clean. Part of cleaning includes having carpets professionally cleaned. Cleaning is important for any house, but even more so if you have older fixtures and flooring that you can’t afford to replace.

Step 3. Do a Major Clean

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Decide how much money you have in your budget for updating your home and get to work. At the very least, paint rooms to make them look fresh and new. Then, focus on outdated fixtures and faucets or handles. These tasks are inexpensive to complete, and they can often be done by homeowners.

Try to find creative ways to make your home look like new. Perhaps that means painting kitchen cabinets if you can’t afford to replace them. Be careful not to make choices that actually devalue your home instead of improving it. For instance, most agents will warn you against using peel-and-stick tiles in a home to replace old kitchen or bath flooring.

When looking at ways to update your space, don’t forget about the exterior of your home and landscaping. Remember buyers will see the outside of the property before they ever get a peek inside.

Step 4. Update Old or Worn Areas

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You’re moving out anyway, so why not start before you list your house? Pack up everything you don’t need and anything that doesn’t enhance the look of the home. Live as minimally as you can and select only certain furniture and items to keep in the house.

Declutter your home and put away personal items, such as photos or special awards. Don’t forget to look in closets and cabinets and aim to leave them only half full. Rearrange everything you keep in the home so that it makes the place feel more spacious. A side benefit is you’ll be less hurried to move when your home sells.

Step 5. Rent a Storage Unit

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When you look at this list of items to work on before you list your house, you may wonder if you’ll ever get it put on the market. However, if you take the time to do all of these things beforehand, your home will spend less time on the market when you do list it.

Always work with your real estate agent as you make decisions. While the final choice is up to you, it pays to rely on the experience and expertise of someone who has been down this road before.

Website: http://michaelputnam.com/Michael Putnam info@michaelputnam.com703-928-6514 Sources: • http://www.zillow.com/blog/5-steps-to-selli

ng-your-home-155382/

• http://www.wikihow.com/List-Real-Estate

• http://michaelputnam.com/5-steps-listing-home-sale/

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