When we decided to put our home on the market, we wrote a list for everything we would need to do to prep. Beyond a top to bottom deep clean, there are several things we considered to get our home in top shape for the hot market here. We thought we would share this process in case you are going through the same phase of life. So here is an easy guide for prepping your home to sell!
Make a list, check it twice. The first thing we did was walk through the house room by room. We started on the 2nd floor and worked our way through each floor looking for anything that needed to be cleaned, fixed, patched, shined, or painted to write down on a list. We tried to view through the buyers eyes, and be as thorough as we could.
Exterior – When examining the exterior, you can look at the condition of all gutters, caulking, door and window frames, flashing, roofing shingles, siding. We made a running list of everything that needs a power wash, fresh paint, new caulking seal, fresh stain, or fix. This is especially important in the areas of the exterior that receive less sunlight as mildew is more likely to grow in such areas. If you have a fence, you can check for any loose fence lengths and loose or damaged boards.
Landscaping – Once the weather improves a bit we will tackle the landscaping by laying down fresh mulch, and sprucing up our family garden and flower beds. It is easy to add some hanging basket plants as well on decks and patios! (Never underestimate flower power.)
Hiring a handyman – After we detailed our list, we called a friend who runs a handyman service to walk through and check for what he sees needs to be completed. Even if you or your spouse are handy, it is always a good idea to have an outside set of eyes check as well, then compare lists as it is easy to miss something. From there you can determine what you want to tackle yourselves or outsource. Sometimes even little things eat up time, and it might be more efficient to hire the help.
Fresh Paint – Having kids with dirty little hands, it is an endless task to keep walls clean, so we knew before this process began that we wanted a fresh coat of paint on nearly all of the walls, trim, and doors. A few other things we addressed? Replacing any burned out lightbulbs and ensuring that all doors open and close properly, including cabinet doors.
Declutter and Stage – Next up is the task we tend to avoid the most, but feel oh so satisfied once finished…. decluttering! We are in the process of going through every closet, dresser, corner, drawer, and nook in the house in an attempt to simplify our belongings. It’s easy to accumulate excess, and it’s a good practice to do every season. We are going to be renting a storage unit to start moving out things we will be keeping in order to stage the home for selling. Staging is a service our realtor is offering or you can choose to do it on your own. Allowing a buyer to picture the home as their own requires removing a lot of the excess that tends to lurk in corners, coutnertops, and closets.
An easy checklist to Re-cap!
Interior
Fresh paint on interior walls, trim and doors.
Deep clean
Shine Hardwood floors
Wash all carpets
Deep clean all rooms
Patch + smooth on all walls needed
Check all light outlets
Declutter
Stage rooms
Exterior
Power wash exterior and back patio
Re-stain back porch
Check all exterior caulking
Check all flashing and gutters
Repaint front door and shutters
Landscaping touch ups
New mulch
Of course once it’s all cleaned and in prime condition, you will wonder why in the world you are moving!
