Listing your house comes with a set of responsibilities. Most people will download a checklist called “101 things to do before selling your home” and you start the journey. While having checklists is important, you must not ingore the important tasks. Let’s explore the 3 most important things to consider before listing your house.
1. Cleaning and Decluttering
You might be thinking that’s written everywhere, or yes, cleaning my house is an obvious step. Cleaning your home before the sale has a different meaning. Here, you also need to clean all those areas and objects that you normally don’t.
So your pre-listing deep cleaning should include . . .
- Dusting ceiling fan blades and globes
- Wiping down closet and cabinet doors
- Cleaning under appliances, especially in the kitchen
- Washing/wiping down baseboards
And a related task to do before listing your home is decluttering. Start early, well before listing. Get ready of all the unnecessary stuff cluttering up your home. It’s probably a good idea to rent a storage unit so that you can keep the items you want, but still get them out of the way for showings.
Also, when decluttering, try to depersonalize as well. That means removing all the items – such as family photos and quirky art – that mark your house as your home imprinted with your personality. You want prospective buyers to be able to visualize your house as their own home, imagining all their belongings in place and them living there.
If you’re not sure how to proceed here, you can contact a Lawton agent at 940-249-5752 to find out more about best practices.
2. Enhanced Curb Appeal
Further, don’t make the mistake (as many sellers do) of concentrating on the inside of your home to the exclusion or neglect of the outside. Before listing your house in Lawton, you’ll also need to consider enhancing curb – which serves to create a great first impression when prospective buyers pull up for a viewing.
Here are a few of the basic things to do . . .
- Take care of all the needed lawn work or hire a professional lawn service. Lawn care typically yields around 353% ROI at sale time.
- Lay down new mulch in beds for a 126% return on the money invested.
- Perform or hire basic landscaping if you don’t already have it. It’s not unusual for homes with landscaping to sell for 1% to 10% more than homes without landscaping.
- Add or spruce up outdoor living spaces. Today, outdoor living spaces rank high on the list of buyer priorities.
- Paint the front door in a dark color to create an initial focal point that is both appealing and welcoming.
3. A Pre-Listing Inspection
Your home may look perfect while having insider issues. As a homeowner, you might get used to living in your home that certain things don’t matter anymore. Talk about noisy neighbors or seasonal humidity problems. You might be thinking that there is a hidden issue with water pipes but the issue doesn’t bother too much. Getting a home inspection gives you peace of mind. Your home inspector will look at the home from an expert’s perspective and will list the current condition.
Most home inspection reports will come back with some issues. That’s okay! You want to be aware of the problems. If it’s possible, get the issue fixed before selling. Disclose the issue when you can’t resolve it.
Some issues are more problematic like soil’s condition and structural problems. A home inspection will happen at some stage of your selling journey. The buyer will request an inspection before finalizing the deal. So it’s best to handle this scenario earlier and sell your house with confidence.
Consider Working With a Hybrid Agent Before Listing Your House
Listing your house with an agent is one option. You can list on the MLS and wait for the offers to come in. That path is uncertain because no one can guarantee the sale. You cannot expect the sale to happen tomorrow. Your agent can work hard but he or she cannot set a certain date.
One solution is to work with a hybrid agent. Now who is a hybrid agent? It’s like getting the best of both worlds. You work with a licensed realtor who is also an investor. You can get your home listed on the MLS and strive towards getting a retail price. If the sell is successful, you will sell for the top price and your realtor will earn a commission from the transaction.
Let’s say the sale is delayed or you don’t get enough response from the market then you can opt for a cash sale. Your investor can purchase the house in as-is condition while paying you a fair price. You will not have to pay commissions in this case. You will sell quickly on the set day.
Working with a hybrid agent is useful when some decisions are contingent on your home selling by a certain date. For example, let’s say you can buy a new house only after your current residence is sold. Or maybe you want to move out-of-country but want to sell your house first. Listing your house on the market doesn’t give you enough freedom and flexibility. Working with a hybrid agent gives you the power of choice. You can choose whether you would like to continue listing your house or want to opt for a quick cash sale.
We at DHS Realty Group are excited about helping you. We buy houses in Lawton, Oklahoma. Join us for a free consultation and let’s discuss how we can help you.