Are you selling your house as is? Roll up your sleeves and start hustling— there’s a lot to do before you start marketing your house!
Selling a property is more than just putting a “For Sale” sign on your front yard or sharing a few random images of your place.
Selling a house as is may be a time-consuming and emotionally draining experience, especially if you’ve never done it before. Strangers will come into your house, open your closets and cupboards, and rummage around, which may feel like an invasion of privacy at times.
As much as you’re emotionally attached to your house, be prepared for all this and more—especially the fact that prospective buyers may offer you far less than what you expected your home to be worth.
With little to no experience on your hands, you are prone to making big-time blunders. Many of these blunders can be avoided with a little knowledge by your side which will be discussed in-depth in this article.
So, before you place your property on the market, go over this checklist of things to do before selling a house.
While seasoned professionals are going to hate the fact that this secret checklist has somehow been leaked to you, it’ll save you time, effort, headache, and money when you’re selling your house by owner.
Step 1: Look For a Reliable Real Estate Agent
Are you of the belief that you’re capable of selling your house and saving some bucks—the same amount you would have had to pay a real estate agent?
It’s tempting, especially in a hot market, but avoid the temptation. In most cases, FSBO deals never close.
The result?
Loss of time and money.
That is why finding a reliable real estate agent who understands your requirement is one of the most critical things to do.
Don’t just hire the real estate agent who sent you the most current flyer or the one your uncle’s friend’s coworker’s cousin used.
Thoroughly do your homework and meet with various agents and lockdown on the one who knows the ins and outs of your market, and then interview her to ensure that individual is a good fit.
Your real estate agent should be someone with whom you feel at ease and whom you trust to sell your home for the best price possible.
Step 2: Spruce up Your Curb
Yes, buyers, for better or worse, do tend to evaluate a book by its cover. You want to make sure that your house looks like a million bucks and create that mind-blowing first impression to entice your and potential buyers. A welcoming curb leaves them curious to find out what’s on the inside.
Simple yet subtle tricks like planting vibrant flowers and repainting your front door, trimming the lawn could work wonders for you.
If you’re unsure how to spruce your curb, consult your real estate agent about how others in your neighborhood have managed to do the same which got them a step closer to nailing that dream selling price.
Step 3: Clean Sweep Your Home
When it comes to preparing your home for sale, follow the thumb rule of less is more.
Clean countertops, windowsills, tables, and any other exposed surfaces first, and then go on to behind closed doors: closets, drawers, and cupboards—since almost nothing is off-limits to inquiring purchasers.
If your house property is scattered with your personal belongings, it leaves little to the imagination for buyers to visualize how their stuff will fit in.
Take all of your personal belongings — typically stuff that you don’t need and donate them, or box them up and store them somewhere else.
Reducing clutter makes your home more desirable to buyers, and will also benefit you once you’ve accepted an offer and it’s time for you to move on to your new home.
Think of fit this way, if most of your stuff is packed, you won’t need to worry too much when you’re ready to move out.
Step 4: Remove Any Distractions
Sellers should eliminate any distracting elements so that buyers can envision themselves and their families living in the home.
Personal objects like family pictures, as well as bright artwork and furnishings, should be removed by sellers to make the residence more acceptable to the general public. The idea is to offer a blank canvas for purchasers to project their own fantasies of living and loving there.
Step 5: Play Safe with Colors
You could adore that orange accent wall, but if it’s not your prospective buyer’s favorite hue, it could be a turnoff.
You’re generally safe with a neutral color because it’s uncommon for someone to dislike it, but another advantage is that a light hue allows prospective buyers to imagine what the walls might look like with the color of their choosing.
It is the seller’s responsibility to assist purchasers in seeing themselves in the home. If they don’t feel at ease, they will most likely look into other real estate possibilities.
Step 6: Pay Attention to Minute Details
Even if you aren’t performing a full-fledged repainting effort, give extra attention to washing and then touching up baseboards, walls, and doors to make the property glisten and seem well-maintained.
Selling virtually any property may be tough, but selling a home with several minor issues and minor maintenance requirements can be plain impossible. When buyers enter an open house or take a home tour, they want to fall in love with the house, not add a slew of minor fixes to their to-do list.
Fix up your property before placing it on the market to attract buyers (and sell it quickly).
A property that has been fixed up and is ready to move into will likely attract greater interest, and you may even receive numerous offers.
Step 7: Double Check for Broken / Dysfunctional Parts
Sure, it’s a minor detail, but you’d be surprised how much of a negative impact a loose handle or missing light bulb can have on a buyer.
It may cause people to pause and wonder, ‘What else is broken here?’
Submitting an offer and then committing to a mortgage is a huge step for a buyer. When selling your property, you don’t want to offer purchasers any reason to doubt that it would make a terrific home.
Step 8: Get Rid of Any Stench
Even little scents may be a deal-breaker, and the trouble is that you may not even detect them.
Invite an independent third person inside your home to sniff for any pet aromas or residual odors from your kitchen.
If the odors are strong, be prepared to conduct some serious cleaning, since many purchasers are aware of the seller’s “masking measures,” such as candles or plug-in room deodorizers. Furthermore, masking smells with a stronger aroma may backfire if the customer dislikes the smell of lavender or fake citrus.
Step 9: Create a Welcoming Environment
Remember that green is a fantastic color to utilize while arranging your home. Plants make a room feel brighter and more welcome. Consider placing an arrangement of flowers or a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter or dining table.
Plants and natural features will amaze buyers by adding color and liveliness to your décor.
Step 10: Keep Your Valuables Safe
Keep your things out of sight, whether they work of art or precious jewels, by locking them away or storing them somewhere.
Even if you’re trying to sell your house, you can’t trust everyone who comes in. Things might go missing during an open house, and there’s nothing the seller can do to get them back. Take care to conceal your valuables or relocate them to a secure location away from your house.
Step 11: Hire a Professional Stager
Home stagers will assess the present state and contents of your home to identify which elements may raise the bar. They may advise you to purchase or rent certain objects, or they may just organize your knickknacks and bookshelves in a new (better) style.
Stagers understand the real estate market and what sells, so it’s critical to listen to their advice and not take offense when they make drastic modifications. Their role is to generate interest from possible purchasers, which is always excellent for the seller.
How to Sell a House by Owner?
When you are in dilemma about How to sell a house by owner you should know, In recent years, FSBO websites have grown in prominence. These websites offer a variety of services to sellers, assisting them in having a successful selling experience. Also because websites have a somewhat big reach, you will undoubtedly gain from them as a merchant. For Sale by Owner (FSBO) websites provide options such as listing on the website, MLS local listing (such websites are also known as Flat Fee MLS platforms), yard sign and lockbox, organizing an open house, and much more.
While there are several For Sale by owner websites on the market nowadays, it’s difficult to select the best one. Nonetheless, there is a light at the end of this tunnel as well, after a lot of due diligence, and one of the best websites to consider when selling a house as is, is Houzeo.
Houzeo is one of the most technologically advanced for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) websites. Not only that, but it is the best Flat Fee MLS platform in the US. It has many more features than you could ask for as an FSBO.
If you want to know more about Selling your House in various other states do check out below:
Texas: Selling a house in Texas
Pennsylvania: Selling a house in PA
Illinois: Selling a house in Illinois
Georgia: Selling a house in Georgia
Indiana: Selling a house in Indiana
Connecticut: Selling a house in Connecticut
