5 Things to Start Now for the Most Popular Season for Home Selling

Today, it’s no surprise that most homeowners—thinking about selling—are in the “driver’s seat” to get the most out of their home’s sale.

That’s great news for first-time home sellers ready to take advantage of the equity established over years of homeownership. However, balancing work, kids and downtime to avoid entering frustrationville, do you ever wonder where in the world do I start?

If you remember that magical time when you sought out your first home, you knew it had to be the “right home”. You can imagine it was no gondola ride in Naples for the homeowners to capture the “right image” for MLS photos for you to visualize yourself living in the house.

Believe it or not, preparing to sell a property requires more than one call to the Realtor to post a For Sale sign on the lawn. Here’s the reality, home sellers expecting to gain every deserved dollar from their house don’t care if it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. They do all that can be done within their time frame and budget to maximize the return on their investment. 

If you expect to list your home during the hot selling season, here’s five things to start now:

Find a Realtor.

Marketing your house is key to getting it sold for the best price possible. Consult with a Realtor to determine your home’s value and use their expanded network and marketing to get more eyes on your newly listed home.

Take photos.

After several months, it’s difficult to be objective about how you live in the home. It’s your house, therefore, it’s perfect. It’s comfortable and there’s nothing wrong with that. To prepare for how buyers will see the home in marketing photos, take photos of every room and the exterior. Viewing the photos later will help you see the house from a different perspective.

Determine a budget.

Preparing a house to may require an investment in time and dollars. Weigh how much you can be involved to complete updates and how much you need to delegate to professionals to get the house ready to list.

Plan for repairs.

Most homes require small repairs that could be more of a nuisance if they are ignored. For larger repairs, get estimates from reputable service providers (ex. Roofers, air and heating techs) to offset the listed price, if it’s too costly to invest in before listing.

Research storage locations.

Most homeowners fill the house (and garage) with items. A storage pod or off-site space may be needed to store small to larger items in order to complete repairs or re-arrange the flow throughout the home to show off its square footage. Keep in mind, some items could be used in the house for showing, so it’s not recommended to store all furniture and décor accents unless they are damaged, distracting or time-stamped.

Granted, there are dozens of tasks associated with preparing a house for sale. This list gets you started in the right direction to gaining the attention (and offers) you want your property to receive from potential home buyers.

Time to get started!