How to Prepare Your Home to Sell

Ready to sell your home? You came to the right place.

Spring and summer are the most effective times to list your property for sale. So, what do you need to do before putting it on the market?

6 Months Before Listing Your Property

Contact a Real Estate Agent

The first step in your selling journey is to contact a real estate agent. Having an agent by your side during the selling process is a necessity; they will give you the insider’s perspective with years of experience and knowledge in the industry. Specifically, agents will prepare your listing, manage and market your listing, navigate offers and negotiations, coordinate contracts, and assist you during and after your closing. They will help you make and reach your real estate goals to make sure your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

When you’re choosing an agent, it’s important to choose someone you trust. It’s the person who suits your specific real estate needs in your area, who can market and price your home competitively, and knows your real estate goals almost as well as you do. 

The first thing you will do with your agent is set your real estate goals. Is your goal to sell quickly? To make the most profit? Your goals will determine how your agent prices your home, so it’s essential that you nail down what is most important to you. 

Aggregate All of Your Paperwork

Six months before you list, you must also aggregate all of your paperwork. This includes manuals, warranties, invoices or receipts from recent work or servicing done, and other essential documents the new owners will need. Your real estate agent will support you through this process.

Start Decluttering and Making Easy Updates

This is also a great time to start decluttering and making easy updates to your home. Start going through your closet and making a pile for donations and sort through your bathroom and kitchen cabinets to remove any old products. The less you have to move, the better! And, removing clutter makes your home more likely to sell when it comes to photographs and tours. 

This isn’t the time to remodel your entire home, but you should make easy updates that will increase your property’s appeal. Outside, make sure your lawn and garden are cleaned up. Consider giving your siding and shutters a good power wash to remove any build up, and check out the situation with your gutters. Inside, freshen up paint in rooms with significant chipping or peeling. Repair any damaged cabinets and drawers in the kitchen, bathroom, and other areas. 

Make a Plan for Your Living Situation

It’s important to have a plan in place for once your home is sold. If you already purchased or have an accepted offer on your next home, perfect! You’re all set. Are you looking to sell and buy simultaneously? We’ll help you do that! Just ask your Vermont Real Estate Company agent.

However, if you’re planning on searching for a new home after yours is sold, you need to have a plan in place. Are you staying with a family member or friend? Do you have a long-term rental or extended hotel stay plan? Consider all of your options and choose one that makes the most sense for your situation. Then, once you do sell your home, you won’t have to stress about making plans for what happens next. The plan is already there for you. 

3 Months Before Listing Your Property

You’re getting closer to putting your home on the market! This is the perfect window for the ultimate declutter and depersonalization. 

Depersonalizing

You want potential buyers to imagine themselves in the home. That means removing family photos, precious heirlooms, and other personal items. This is a great time to start packing, moving items to a storage unit or friend’s home nearby. 

Declutter Your Pantry

This is also a great time to go through your pantry and kitchen cabinets to remove unused items. Toss out those expired spices and the snacks you thought you’d love but didn’t impress. Refreshing your pantry will make it easier to move when the time comes, and potential buyers won’t have to see through an overabundance of food items to imagine what the space looks like empty. Plus, you’ll know which food items you should finish up before moving out. 

1 Month Before Listing Your Property

One month before you list your home, it’s time to take decluttering and cleaning to the maximum level, including at least some basic exterior landscaping to boost curb appeal. This is typically when your real estate agent will schedule a photography session for your home, so you want to make sure it looks its best. 

Photos for the Listing

Before picture day, remove clutter from counters, hide trash cans, and wipe down dusty or dirty areas of your home. 

Stage Your Home

At this time, you should also stage your home or hire a professional stager. Having your furniture in the right places will increase potential buyer interest, inspiring them to think about where their items should go. 

1 Week Before Listing Your Property

Determine a Sales Strategy

One week before your home goes on the market, determine a sales strategy with your agent. What types of offers would you accept, which ones would you deny, and what are your comfort levels? Getting aligned with your agent will streamline the process of fielding offers.

Make a Plan for Open Houses and Home Tours

When you’re about to list your home, it’s important to make a plan for where you will be during an open house or home tours. If you have pets, you will have to find a place for them to be as well. It’s also crucial to hide any valuables you wouldn’t want potential buyers to see; you may even consider moving them to a trustworthy friend or family member’s home to store until you move.

1 Day Before Listing Your Property

Last-Minute Cleaning

The day before you list, wipe down counters, vacuum, and sweep. You want your home to look its absolute best for its potential buyers. 

What to Expect When the Listing Goes Live

Phone Calls and Emails from Interested Buyers

Your real estate agent will receive an influx of inquiries in the first week or two as the listing circulates. To optimize interest, your agent will respond promptly. Expect requests for showings, and be flexible. Your home will need to be tidy and ready for showings as much as possible. 

Feedback and Lowball Offers

Once buyers take a look at your home, your agent will share feedback so you can get a sense of interest level and any concerns.

Paperwork and Negotiations

Your real estate agent will handle the majority of the paperwork, but you will need to be readily available to answer any questions and provide any necessary signatures. 

With the help of your agent, you will go back and forth with a buyer’s offer on price, contingencies, closing dates, etc. Remember, your agent has the most experience on this process, so you can trust that they will help you make the best decisions for your real estate goals.

What Happens After You Accept an Offer?

The time period between accepting an offer and closing greatly varies. For some, it can be as little as a few weeks. For others, it could be six months or more. In today’s seller’s market, you often have the leverage to dictate when closing will be. In a buyer’s market, it’s reversed. The buyer might be waiting for a different seller to accept their offer, for a home inspection to take place, or offers to be renegotiated. 

In the time between going under contract and the closing, start by packing the non-essentials you don’t use every day. This includes pictures and decor, clothes in the opposite season, holiday items, or other infrequently used items. 

A lot can happen between an offer acceptance and closing, including the offer falling through, so be prepared to pivot if needed. Your real estate agent will be by your side during the whole process, so you don’t have to worry about navigating it alone.

Ready to sell your home? Interview one of our agents and assess their expertise to find the right fit for you.