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What You Need to Do Before You Place Your Home on the Market

You may need to place your house on the market for a variety of reasons.

You may need to place your house on the market for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’re going through a career change and need to relocate closer to your new job. Or, maybe you need to downgrade or upgrade the size of your living space.
In any case, you need to have a foolproof way to get your current home off your hands, so you aren’t stuck with two mortgages.
If you want to increase your home’s appeal to a potential buyer, follow these steps before you place your house on the market.

Research The Housing Market in Your Area
You don’t want to overprice your house when you put it on the market, as this will deter otherwise-interested buyers. However, you also need to make sure you don’t underprice it.
Avoid these mistakes by researching the housing market in your area. Look at what other homes similar to yours are going for. When finding houses to compare yours to, look at factors like location, features, and square footage. Through your research, you should be able to settle on a fair price for both you and your eventual buyer.
To take some of the work out of this process, you can hire a professional real estate agent to help you decide on a price. Hiring a real estate agent also saves you time because this professional will list your house for you. A real estate agent’s expertise may help you sell your home faster, as they can advertise your home on their social media platforms and set you up with potential buyer connections.
Stage Your House & Depersonalize It As Much As Possible
One big part of selling your house is staging it properly. Some ways to stage your home include:

  • Apply a fresh coat of paint to your home’s walls
  • Choose gender-neutral colors and decorations so buyers can picture your home as their own
  • Borrow furniture from friends or family if needed
  • Add flowers to areas like the entryway, kitchen, and living room

When you’re staging your home, you also need to depersonalize it as much as possible. You don’t want potential buyers to be distracted by your home’s custom decorations. The focus should be on the home itself rather than what’s in it. Remove the following items from your home before it goes on the market:

  • Photo albums
  • Toys
  • Knick knacks
  • Books and magazines
  • Trophies and awards

Address Issues Like Mold, Water Damage, & Plumbing Repairs
While it’s obvious you should give your home a thorough deep cleaning before putting it up for sale, you should also address issues that you’ve been putting off. Even if your family has grown to live with certain issues, a potential buyer will be put off by them.
Prioritize serious issues that can be damaging to a new family’s health like mold growth, water damage, and plumbing repairs. If you think you don’t have the budget to make these repairs, restoration companies like alldryus.com in Florida have beneficial financing options that are worth exploring.
Spruce Up the Outside
One final way to tidy up your home before placing it on the market is to spruce up the outside. Your property’s landscape is the first thing that a potential buyer will see when they visit your home.
Take the time to:

  • Plant new flowers
  • Pick up lawn debris
  • Cut the grass
  • Trim tree branches
  • Clean up landscape beds

Also, be sure to remove clutter like outside toys and lawn ornaments. First impressions matter, so make sure your landscaping is in check before you put your home up for sale.