How to Prepare a House for Sale When Moving: 5 Critical Steps

You’re about to relocate to a brand new location and the final preparations to move out are under way.

This may be a hard time for you – saying goodbye to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers is never easy. What’s more, your roots in all familiar surroundings may have gone deeper than you think.

On the other hand, this can be an exciting period for you as a new job, a loving partner, loyal friends, or thrilling adventures may await you at your new destination.

Regardless of the reason for your move, this transitional period will probably be fairly emotional for you – should you need help relocating locally or long-distance, don’t forget that professional movers are just around the corner.

And for better or worse, the sale of your house is inevitable.

If you want to sell your property fast and at the highest price possible, then you’ll have to put some serious thought and effort into making sure your home becomes a model one.

The pristine look of your house will convince your real estate agent and the potential buyers that you are a serious seller who’s done their homework conscientiously.

Here’s how to prepare your house for sale so that it becomes impressive and appealing to its future owners.

Step 1. Finish The Repair Works

To impress and sell really well, your house should be in tip-top shape.

The first step in preparing your home for a successful sale is to tend to the small details and then work your way toward the larger picture.

Repair all the things that need to be fixed (or have someone to do it for you):

• Squeaky doors, drawers cabinet doors, or such that get stuck;
• Loose or broken tiles;
• Burnt-out bulbs in light fixtures;
• Cracked windows or ones with broken seals;
• Faucets and/or toilets that leak or run;
• Worn-out carpets should be replaced with new high-quality ones, preferably of a neutral color;
• Problematic curtain rods or window coverings;
• Any holes, markings, or stains on walls or floors;
• Any roof damage should be taken care of immediately;
• Faulty kitchen appliances, and

any other household item known to cause problems or you have recently or just noticed to be out of working order.

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Step 2. Take Care Of The Interior

Once all small or major problems in your property have been fixed, it’s time to clean the interior thoroughly.

The fresh and gleaming appearance of your house will definitely boost its charm and increase the chances of a quick and profitable deal.

• The bathroom(s) should look spotless, polished and shiny;
• Light fixtures and chandeliers should be cleaned, and any debris, like dead bugs, removed from ceiling lights;
• Any kitchen appliances (refrigerators, freezers, stoves, cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, etc.) that will be left behind and sold together with the property should be emptied and properly cleaned inside as well as outside. Make sure all of them are in working order;
• The floors should be mopped and the carpets – vacuum-cleaned;
• No cobwebs should be visible anywhere inside the house;
• Shelves and cabinets should be de-cluttered and all remaining items need to be neatly arranged;
• Any reflective surfaces, like windows (interior and exterior sides), mirrors, sinks, faucets, floors, etc., should be made to shine with cleanliness;

And when the cleaning process is over, your house will have to look impeccably clean – neat, tidy, fresh, and highly presentable to future candidate buyers.

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Step 3. Take Care Of The Exterior

Never underestimate first impressions.

Keep in mind that the outside of your property is what people see first and where important preliminary opinions are formed.

Therefore, the more attractive, inviting, and well-maintained your house exterior looks, the bigger the chances are that more potential buyers will cross your doorstep.

• Lawns and hedges should be neatly trimmed;
• The presence of flowers will greatly improve any garden (if applicable);
• Dead branches from trees should be removed;
• The walkways and driveway need to be swept of debris, like fallen leaves, branches, dirt, etc. In the wintertime, they should be clear of snow and/or ice;
• Any rusty and squeaky gate hinges need to be cleaned up and oiled;
• Broken fences will have to be fixed; and

any other issues, no matter how small they may seem, will have to be addressed adequately.

If you notice something out of the ordinary, other people will probably notice it too. After all, if they are willing to pay so much money to purchase a certain property, they will definitely make sure it’s worth the investment.

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Step 4. Add The Finishing Touches

A few short minutes is all the time you will have to impress future owners once they walk through the front door.

This is exactly why you should try to create a sense of coziness with a touch of excitement and a twist of wonder by placing a pretty rug near the entrance door and a vase of freshly picked and fragrant flowers on a table nearby.

Think of various interesting ways to make people welcome in your home.

Incorporate vivid and contrasting colors, turn on all the lights in the house, and introduce tasteful pieces of art to provoke genuine admiration.

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Step 5. Follow These 3 Final Expert Tips

• INVITE a few friends over and ask them to go through your entire house carefully and try to find anything that looks suspicious, misplaced, or out of touch with the rest of your home. You can turn this into a funny little game: encourage them to be as meticulous as possible by awarding the title Sherlock Holmes to the person who has found the most faults. Note down your pals’ findings or any suggestions they may have, and act accordingly to make things right.
• VISIT other model homes in nearby neighborhoods if you have the time and opportunity to do so. Such visits could turn into a fountain of fresh and inspiring ideas for the quick and profitable sale of your house.
• KEEP IN MIND that you and your real estate agent are from the same team and both of you should work hard to achieve the set goal. Experts advise that only the real estate agent should be present during a showing because buyers normally feel more comfortable when the owner is not present on the property.

People love exemplary homes where they can feel the owners’ pride in possession throughout the property.

If your efforts have managed to excite soon-to-be owners into thinking to themselves, I could live here!, then you’re surely on the right track to bringing the sale of your house to a hugely successful end.

We wish you the best of luck.

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