How to prepare your home for sale

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Collect paperwork

Collect all paperwork relating to your home. Not all documents referenced in the checklist below are mandatory, but each one has value if you have them.

  • Mortgage loan information 

  • Property tax information or last statement

  • Refinancing documents (if any)

  • Proof of Homeowner’s Insurance & any claims 

  • HOA information

  • Most recent utility bills

  • Solar documents, especially if system is leased (see our blog about solar here)

  • Manuals and warranties for appliances

  • Reports or receipts for any repair work

Assess your property from a buyer’s perspective

We can help with this! Our pre-listing meeting will include a walkthrough of the property, and we will discuss what repairs are important to complete now, and which are not. Remember that knowledge is power when it comes to negotiations with buyers. We also have a list of preferred contractors who we have worked with in the past to help kickstart the process if needed.

Deep clean and purge

The cleaner, less cluttered, and less personalized your house is, the better it will show once it is on the market. Take this opportunity to declutter and prepare for your move, and if deep cleaning isn’t your style, consider hiring a professional.

Property touchups

Now is the time to fix all the small dings, chips, and squeaks. Replace burned out bulbs, and anything that is worn or shabby.  Get your furnace cleaned and serviced - this is an economical way to help your inspection go more smoothly. Make certain that the home smells clean and fresh. Don’t forget to spruce up the front porch - this is a buyer’s first impression.  These small fixes will make a huge impact in the way the home is perceived by buyers and signals that the home has been taken care of during your ownership.  

Consider if staging is right for your home

Staging can significantly decrease the time on market, and increase offer amounts. We can provide light to full service staging. See our staging website with statistics and examples of staging here. If you are living in the home during the sale, we would be happy to discuss tips to present it in the best possible light during showings.

Contact your Agent

We can help walk you through the process of getting the home on the market, and we’ll prepare a CMA (comparative market analysis) which compares your home to nearby properties that have recently sold.  This will help to determine how to price your home to be competitive in today’s market.  Lastly, we’ll develop a listing and marketing plan to maximize the chances of a quick and profitable sale.  

Questions?  We’d love to chat!