5 Things To Check Before Putting A House On The Market

If you are one of the millions of Americans who sell their home annually, there is a lot to do. You need to find an agent, prepare a listing, decide a price and do a variety of other things. However, you also need to get your home ready to sell. Preparing your home can help you get the most profit, while also showing off your home in the best light possible.

Before you take the final leap of faith and finally put your home on the market, you want to be sure to check a few things in particular. Read on to learn about 5 important things to check with before you put your home up for sale.

Ensure Everything is Clean

Before you put your home on the market and have some potential buyers come and visit, you need to ensure the home is clean. You need to go over it with a fine-toothed comb and make sure it is spotless. Any scuffs, dirt, grease and grime should be dealt with. Every room should be cleaned, but especially places like the kitchen and bathroom.

In addition to cleaning everything, you should also check for things like bugs and other pests. The last thing you want a potential buyer to see are some roaches, fruit flies or other creepy crawlers in your home. Be sure to reach out to professionals if you need to get rid of roaches or want them to check over your home to make sure it is all good.

Check for Damage and Make Repairs

Of course, be sure to check the home for damages before putting it on the market. You need to look for structural damage, damage to the walls or floors and any other type of damage that could cause problems. Even something as simple as a loose doorknob in the bathroom could hurt your ability to impress a potential buyer and make a sale.

Many of these repairs can be handled on your own, but if not, consider bringing in a professional. You certainly don’t want your home to be damaged in any way while trying to make a sale. While some people sell their homes “as is” and don’t make all of the repairs, they will often get lower offers for the home and less people are interested in purchasing these kinds of homes.

Ensure You Have the Right Price

Arguably the most important thing when it comes to the sale of a home is the price. It will directly influence how much interest you get in your home and how quickly it sells. If the home is too expensive, it could sit on the market for months with no interest from buyers.

Making sure to check that you have the right price is also important and it ensures you make a satisfactory amount of money from the sale. The key is to find a price that is attractive to buyers, but is still at a fair level for you as well. A lot of research on similar homes in your area should be performed.

However, these home prices can change very quickly. So if it has been a while since you did pricing-related research, you may want to do more. While this tip is a little different than the others included in this guide, it is still very important. Be sure to check the price over with your agent, and perform a bit of last-minute research to ensure the price is still fair.

Depersonalize the Home

Another thing to check is to make sure you have adequately depersonalized the home. When people are shopping for a home, they want to envision themselves living in it. It is hard to do that with pictures of your family on the wall or other personal items of yours throughout the home.

So when you are decluttering the home before listing it, do your best to remove everything personal from the home. It should be a “blank canvas” in a sense, that potential buyers can see potential in, and not see it as someone else's home. Also, if you have any unique or bold artwork, furniture or decor that might not appeal to everyone, consider removing that as well

Check the Yard

While many people only think of the inside of the home, the outside can be just as important. Be sure to check your backyard and make sure it is in a suitable state. It should look good and the items you have back there should highlight the space and its functionality. People love outdoor space and want to envision themselves spending time in their yard. If yours is overloaded with weeds or is unkempt in other ways, it can be hard for them to imagine this.

Also, don’t forget about the curb appeal of your home. First impressions are important, and this is especially true in real estate. People will often make assumptions and judgements of your home before they ever step inside. By sprucing up your front yard and entry, you can ensure these judgements are positive.

We hope this article has been able to help you remember some important things to check before putting your house on the market. Remembering to check these things can give you a better chance of selling quickly and impressing those who visit your home.