In order to have a smooth listing, selling, and sold experience, preparation is key. Here are the few steps for how to prepare your home for sale:
- Why Preparing is Important
- How to Prepare for the Buyer Inspections and Appraisal
- Needed Paperwork to Complete
- How to Prepare Yourself for Showings, Negotiations, Closing and Moving
Why Preparing to Sell is an Important Step
Not being prepared to list and sell your home can financially and emotionally become an overwhelming burden. Taking the time to properly prepare for the sale of your home will:
- lessen stress
- take away many of the unknowns
- will put you in a position to make better decisions
Before your home photo shoot, please prepare by:
- Clean – thoroughly.
- Create inviting Curb Appeal.
- Do any Paint Touch-Ups.
- Update Light Fixtures, if needed.
- Furniture Placement – showcase house features, i.e. don’t block a bay window with a couch.
- Let the Light In – this includes installing higher wattage light bulbs, adding lamps, removing heavy drapes.
- Repair known items.
Since I can’t show you an actual photo from a listed home, I’m sure you have seen photos of homes listed for sale with rooms and photos like this.
I will not allow you to be this seller!
Would this type of presentation sell your home? This is an example of how not all brokers are the same. It matters who you hire.
How to Prepare for Inspections and the Appraisal
Here are the most common items found on a home inspector’s report. Please take care of these, if applicable, prior to your home being listed on the market:
THE TOP 5 – there is a lot you can do as a seller to prepare but these Top 5 items need to be done.
1. Have an HVAC technician service the furnace, heat pump/air conditioner, gas fireplace, and repair any findings.
2. Install earthquake straps on the hot water tank.
3. Have the septic inspected and pumped for the home sale. Tell your pumper this is for a sale and they will provide the Time of Transfer documentation to the county.
4. Install carbon monoxide detectors (outside of bedrooms and one on each level of the home) and make sure smoke detectors are working with fresh batteries.
5. Repair known defects PRIOR to listing and prior to the buyer’s home inspection.
Other items to address:
•Cut back plants and remove mulch that is touching the siding.
•Clean out gutters.
•Have a licensed contractor BRUSH off any moss on the roof (do not power wash).
•Paint/caulk weathered trim or siding.
•Remove debris and anything stored in the crawl space.
•Replace burned out lightbulbs.
•Clear access to the electrical panel, attic access hatch and crawl space.
•If the house is vacant, keep all utilities turned on until closing.
•Fix any plumbing leaks and caulk around fixtures, if necessary.
•Ensure GFCI receptacles are in working condition.
•Check bath and kitchen vents to make sure they are venting to the exterior of the home.
Virtual Staging
Virtual staging is a newer tool I’m using for vacant homes. Virtual staging has come a long way and actually looks very convincing! The benefits of virtual staging are:
- Cost effective – real-life staging can cost $1,200 to $2,000 or more, and this wasn’t a cost I nor most of my sellers could cover. With virtual staging, I provide this to you free of charge.
- Cleaner option – although most traditionally staged homes are vacant, the staging furniture isn’t typically deep-cleaned after every use, and believe me when I work with buyers, some buyers will make themselves at home and will stretch out on the couch.
- Quick and easy – the company I hire to do the virtual staging quickly turns their work around in a couple of days, and you don’t need movers coming in and out of the home with the staging furniture.
Here are examples of before-and-after for a listing staged virtually:
Pre-Listing Paperwork To Complete
- The Listing Agreement
- The Seller Disclosure Statement
- The Agency Pamphlet
- Disclosures
- Gather HOA meeting minutes and financials
- Prepare the Power of Attorney, if needed
- Gather any unrecorded documents
- I will be ordering the preliminary title report to see if there are any “clouds” on title; I’ll order the legal description, plat map and CC&Rs (neighborhood rules).
Now that you’ve prepared the house for sale, how to prepare yourself for the sale.
Showings
See the supplemental guide here.
Negotiations
We will discuss:
- Possible offer scenarios ahead of time.
- Your net proceeds – I will prepare a sample net proceeds sheet based on the anticipated sales price.
- Any potential terms you can offer that can be used in negotiations.
- Your obligations under the contract and the buyer’s obligations.
Closing
Once you are under contract with a buyer, you will have a few more steps to complete:
- Your home will need to be in the same condition as when the buyer first saw the home. This means the home still needs to be cleaned, the lawn mowed, repairs made, etc.
- The buyer will have the opportunity to do a final walk-thru of the home and they may also have their home inspector with them to inspect any negotiated repair work.
- Gather and label all house keys, garage remotes, mailbox keys, provide the garage keypad code (at closing), leave behind any manuals for the home.
- Know what you can pack and what is to stay with the sale of the home. For example, all window coverings stay with the home unless other agreements have been made.
- I’ll coordinate your signing appointment at the escrow company or arrange for a mobile notary. Your closing documents will need to be signed with “wet” signatures (in person – not e-signatures) and you will sign typically a few days prior to your close date.
- Once the transaction is recorded at the county and funds have been disbursed, the home is officially sold and now belongs to the new owner.
Moving
Be prepared to pack and move out by the close date, and leave the home in broom-clean condition for the new owners.
FAQs from Sellers
Should I have a home inspection prior to listing?
What to do with all the house keys, remotes and keypad codes?
Conclusion
Taking the time to prepare before listing your home for sale will pay off. You’ll be better equipped to handle the common stressors of listing and selling, and in the end, you’ll be better prepared to make good decisions.