How to Prepare Your House––and Emotions––for the Selling Process

Selling your house can be emotional, so it’s important to hire a professional and listen to their recommendations.

You know it's time to sell your home, but It can be hard to detach yourself emotionally from the house during the home selling process. However, if you do that you can turn it into a transaction and it will help you get better results.

Throughout the sales process, try to detach emotionally from the feedback people are saying about your house. Not everyone loves your house as much as you do and you just have to prepare to be numb to the process, otherwise it ends up getting overwhelming and a lot of people end up being disappointed.

The home repairs that come from the inspection can also leave people feeling emotional. Some people have been in their home and feel they have maintained them really well, and then all of a sudden the home buyer does an inspection and there are a lot of glaring issues that the buyer wants to have corrected. That sometimes leads people to be disappointed. 

Another thing that can lead to a big disappointment is the amount of home repairs and home improvements that some people put into their house that the housing market doesn't really value or that home buyers don't really value. It can be frustrating when they thought that they would get a return on their investment, and at the end of the day, the buyers do not appreciate or value it as much as the owner does.

Preparing Your House

The most extensive repairs or improvements are typically things like painting, cleaning, or replacing carpet or flooring. It’s best to do those improvements along with things like tune-ups on mechanical items, on roofs, cleaning out gutters and some maintenance type issues to make sure that there is nothing glaring in places where you don't normally look. 

For example, if you have an attic or crawl space without appropriate ventilation, it may grow mold. It’s best to avoid having someone go into the crawl space for the first time after you already have an accepted home buyer.

There’s an accepted contract on the property and the buyer's inspector is crawling through there. It’s best to make sure that you have looked at that space prior to that point so that you are prepared before the buyers come into the property and before an inspection is completed.

The largest items to consider when selling your home are replacing mechanical items or HVAC- furnace and air conditioning, mold remediation and cosmetic repairs. Things you can do to mitigate those issues are making those improvements or pricing the house to reflect the repairs that are needed and sell it as is.

Homeowners that are constantly investing in improvements in their home tend to have a higher net profit when they sell their home because they have been taking care of it over time. This also gives them more flexibility to do things at their own speed and take advantage of any sale prices for their projects.

If you try to get things done just before you list your home on the market, you have less of an advantage when it comes to any sale pricing, time, and flexibility. You’ll have a lot more leverage when making all those improvements versus if you are going to get your house on the market and have to get all repairs done by a certain date.

Research the Market

Examine the comparable sales in your locale to determine the appropriate sale price for your house. Closely look at various square footage, location, and home features. For example, if your neighbor's house sold for $1 million, you can list your house for more if it's considerably larger. Also, work with experienced real estate experts who can help you find comps and determine the best selling price for your home.

Let Go of Your Emotional Attachment

While your home might be special to you, it's just a property to potential buyers. To sell it, let go of your emotional attachment and perceive your home as a product. Throughout the process, avoid keeping what others are saying about your home at heart. Look at your home like a buyer, with an objective, analytical eye, to identify what requires changes.

Deep Clean Your House

First impressions matter, so don't allow dusty surfaces, dirty floors, or unpleasant odors to create a bad one for potential buyers. Including a deep clean in your checklist when preparing your house for sale is a must. It's the final touch that will make the home really shine, and you should definitely do it before staging. Prospective buyers will notice things you won't. If you have what it takes, you can do this yourself, but hiring a professional cleaner can save you time and hassle and help ensure you haven't missed anything.

Declutter Your Home and Donate Items

Decluttering and organizing the home will make your house more appealing to potential buyers. It's difficult for a buyer to figure out their things in the space with your personal items in every room. When you declutter your home, prospective buyers will focus on the actual house rather than on junk and overflowing closets. Prioritize what you want to keep, toss, or donate. You can even buy boxes and packing materials to pack items you will not use before moving, such as seasonal items.

Gather Paperwork

When selling your home, you need all the documentation, including home warranty documentation, copies of permits for renovation work, land surveys, utility bills, and tax bills. Collect all these in advance to avoid running around searching for them at the last minute. Your mortgage payoff amount is among the essential documentation you will need. Although the final amount will have slightly changed by the time you get ready to close, having an estimated payoff amount, including the remaining balance, prorated taxes, and applicable interest, may help you determine the profit you'll make after selling.

Get Repairs

If you've put off any repair projects, now’s the time to start. Fix that leaky faucet, patch holes in the walls, change worn-out light fixtures, and replace broken appliances. No issue is too small in the eyes of a prospective buyer. Minor repairs imply that you have not been taking good care of your home. They can also suggest that you have ignored other significant issues, like mold and water damage.

Repaint the Walls With Neutral Colors

Paint can brighten a dark room. Paint the walls will neutral colors, such as light gray, white, and light beige. These colors will make your home look brighter and more welcoming.

Enhance Your Lighting

Poor lighting can put off potential buyers. Fortunately, they’re a pretty simple fix. Check your light bulbs to ensure they're working as they should. If you need to upgrade, consider buying LED bulbs. Also, check all your light fixtures as they enhance visual appeal. Outdated light fixtures can indicate you've got other obsolete things in your home that require replacements or repairs. Also, replace heavy window coverings with something that will allow in more natural light, such as sheer curtains. Do whatever you can to enable the light to shine on buyers.

Improve Curb Appeal

The exterior of your house is the first thing prospective buyers notice, both in photos and when they visit your house. Paint your home's exterior accents, including the mailbox, to improve curb appeal. Use wood conditioner to make wood floors and kitchen cabinets shine. Also, you can plant some flowers, edge the yard, change outdated lighting fixtures, paint the main door, and add accent lighting. If you do it right, enhancing curb appeal will send a positive vibe.

Board Pets Before Staging

Not everyone loves animals, so boarding your pet before the showing is a safe bet. If a potential buyer pulls in and smells litter boxes, spots a dog bowl, or picks pet hair off their clothes after going into your house, they might think your home isn't clean. A buyer should not be able to tell if you have a pet or not.

Stage the House

While rooms need to be free of clutter, you shouldn't keep them empty either. If you want to move out while the home sits on the market or want neutral, attractive pieces of furniture to parade the rooms, a staging organization can help. Staging involves furnishing a few main rooms, such as the master bedroom, living room, and master bathroom.

Take Professional Photos

Considering that most home-buyers look for homes online, including high-quality, professional photos in your virtual staging is imperative. We recommend using high-resolution images to boost your online showings. Before the appointment, make your rooms photo-ready by removing excess furniture and lighting them up.

Rent a Storage Unit

To successfully sell your house, you will need to declutter and purge your personal items. Therefore, hire a temporary storage unit before listing your home. This way, you will have a temporary storage space to put all your extra things when staging and showing the property.

Depersonalize the Home

When you plan for showings, you need to find a balance between depersonalization and establishing a welcoming home. To achieve this, remove family photos on the walls and put away collectibles, knickknacks, and other personal items, such as awards, toys, magazines, etc. Leave some framed pictures on the walls to make the home look inviting and lived in.

Conclusion

Obviously, houses that are in better condition typically sell for more money. It's a matter of weighing out the ROI on whether you put the improvements into your house and what the return is on those improvements. That is always the biggest question.

There is no right or wrong answer. It is one aspect that people always tend to analyze- to see what those repairs will cost and if it is worth the time, investment, and the headache of going through with them.