Ultimate Checklist for Selling a House (2021)

If you are getting ready to sell your house, you have a lot of work ahead of you. It’s not enough to post a “For Sale” sign on your lawn if you want to draw in potential buyers. You need to present your home to viewers in the best light. Buyers want to feel like they could move into your home as it is, which means it needs to be perfect. 

Along with writing a detailed listing for your home, it’s time to start getting into the selling mind frame. This is a good opportunity to start the letting go process and start looking at your home through the eyes of the buyer. What would you like to see in your home? What needs to be done to make your home look its best?

From boosting your curb appeal to giving every room a deep cleaning, there are plenty of chores to complete before listing your home for sale. Let’s take a look at some of the items on the ultimate checklist for selling your home. 

Curb Appeal

More than half of home buyers claim that they decide about a home in the first few minutes. This means that your home’s exterior needs to make a huge impact. Take a look around your home and decide where you can spruce things up. At the very least, your home’s exterior should be neat and tidy. You can try these things to help boost your curb appeal:

• Add exterior lighting
• Lawn maintenance
• Paint your garage door
• Paint your front door
• Reseal your driveway
• Weed the gardens
• Ensure address numbers are clearly visible

Depersonalize

Buyers may be uncomfortable touring through a home that has a lot of personal items. They want to envision themselves in the house, so it’s time to take down some of your items. You should clear out most of your family photos and pack up any memorabilia items that are too personalized. Your goal should be to create a blank canvas where the buyers can imagine their things.

Declutter

The more things you have in each room, the smaller the space looks. When selling your home, you need to concentrate on the idea that less is more. Cleaner and less crowded rooms will give the appearance of more space. Before you open your doors for viewings, you need to get rid of your clutter. You can declutter by following these tips:

• Clear off all counters
• Clear off all tables
• Reduce clutter on shelves
• Clean out closets
• Clean out the medicine cabinet
• Clean out storage areas

Neutral Colors

Everyone has their own sense of style, but neutral is the way to go when you are selling your home. You may love your purple accent wall, but it may not be to everyone’s taste. You want to appeal to the most people to increase your odds of getting more offers, so it’s best to cover up any dramatic features and colors. You can use nature-based colors like browns, beiges, and greys to open up your space and create a calm and serene look that will appeal to buyers. 

Repairs

Potential buyers will notice every little detail about your house. If you have been putting off a list of small repairs, now is the time to get the job done.  Home’s that have visibly needed repairs may turn off buyers as a poorly maintained home. 

Cleaning

Before you schedule your open house, it’s time to give your whole home a deep cleaning. Viewers want to come into a home that looks and smells clean. Focus on your high traffic areas and take care of these cleaning chores:

• Wash the floors
• Shampoo your carpeting
• Deep clean your kitchen
• Clean the oven
• Clean the fridge
• Dust all rooms
• Wash the walls
• Launder your drapery
• Wash the windows
• Powerwash the exterior

Preparing your home for sale will take a bit of work. Follow this checklist to prepare your home for sale. You want your home to look its best to draw in the best offers.