How to Prep for Listing Your Family Home

 How to Prep for Listing Your Family Home

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How to Prep for Listing Your Family Home

 

Are you getting ready to sell your home but staring with despair at your linen closets, multiple junk drawers (we all have them), and overstuffed closets? You’re not alone. Preparing a house to sell is one of the most stressful parts of moving. At least when you’re house hunting, you have the sense of excitement that comes from finding the perfect home that offers the quality of life that you want.

 

Before you start pulling your hair out or just throwing everything in boxes without rhyme or reason, read this guide from real estate pro Paul Ross that will help you have a less stressful home sale preparation.

Decluttering: A Must Do

 

When you’re moving out of one home and into another, it signifies a new phase in your life. That means you should get rid of the things from your “previous” life that you don’t want to bring into your new one.

 

If you have clothes that no longer fit or that you haven’t worn in years, there are plenty of people out there who could use the clothes you’re not wearing. And the same thing goes for hobbies you don’t participate in anymore or old paintings by your kids. Can’t bring yourself to throw out all the artwork? Go to an office supply store or an art store and buy an artist-sized expandable portfolio. They look like the ones you’d use for school, but bigger.

 

Buy one for each child (or grandchild). Only keep what you can fit in those portfolio folders. Now their precious works of art will be organized, and as a bonus, the plastic dividers keep them protected!

 

If you still need help cutting down on stuff, find a professional organizer in your area. You can hire them for a consultation, or just for an hour or two, and create a strategy you can then use on your own. These pros do charge $50 - $90 per hour, so make sure you can afford their services.

Play Neighborhood Detective

 

Find another house for sale in your neighborhood or general area. Find out when they’re holding their open house, and then make a plan to attend. That way you can head over and check out how the owners have staged and depersonalized their home to make it more attractive to buyers. This open house snooping, if you will, gives you ideas and inspiration for staging and depersonalizing your own home.

 

If you don’t have time to go in person or the houses you visited were empty, you can always do a bit of online reconnaissance with other homes in your area. Online listing sites will show you what those houses are going for in your area and give you an idea what you can list your home for when you’re ready. Their photos can also give you inspiration on how to stage your home and how to depersonalize it.

Staging and Depersonalizing: Your Turn!

 

Now that you’ve explored and have inspiration from surrounding homes, it’s your turn to get your house show-ready. The first thing you should do is take down all the art and photos from the walls. Does this make things a little drab? Sure, but buyers need to be able to imagine their items in your home when they visit. If you have built-in storage, pack that up next. Put the boxes in the garage or somewhere else out of sight.

 

Once your walls are bare, you can assess the shape of them. Is the paint discolored, or do you have decades’ old wallpaper that’s practically melted into the sheet rock? Rather than break out the paint cans and rollers, opt for wallpaper with water-activated adhesive. You can apply it quickly to cover damage and make your spaces look brand new, and it can be removed in case it’s not what a home shopper envisions once they make your home their own.

 

Finally, consider having a stager come into your home and place accessories or even new pieces of furniture in the right locations. If possible, have them take pictures on the same day as or right before you host your open house. That way you won’t have to pay for the staging service twice!

 

In the majority of cases, whatever you spend on market prep helps you get a higher offer price and helps your home sell faster. Those are two things everyone wants!

 

 

As a current resident in Northern Colorado, I am fully aware of the current market trends and what it takes to get a great deal on a listing or get top dollar for your current home. When it comes to getting the job done right, you can count on me.

I have a lot of connections within the Northern Colorado area. Please don’t hesitate to call and ask me any questions you might have. This process is all about you and your needs. Real Estate is a big investment and I understand that. One thing you will get with me is a personal relationship, In the end, that goes a long way.
 

Northern Colorado is a great place to live! For more information, please give me a ring or email me today. I would love the opportunity to earn your business and partner with you in regards to your Real Estate needs.

LOOKING TO BUY??

If you are looking to purchase, I can save you a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your home. 

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the shortest possible time! 

 

SOURCE:  Mark Simons / LOCALIGRAF