Preparing a home for sale for top dollar can take more time and effort than your clients may realize. This is where you need to engage, and possibly even get in front of potential clients who may not be ready to sell now but possibly will be soon.
No matter what state of mind your clients may be in, it’s never a bad idea to keep a list of important pre-sale tasks to share for when it comes time to sell. Here’s a list of five things your clients can do to further prepare their property for selling.
#1. Purge and Donate
Moving can be an expensive task; there’s no reason to pay to pack and move items that have sat unused and will remain unused in a new home. Although people may have items they keep for sentimental value, freeing up space is a great start toward an eventual move. Tell your clients to start by going through closets and sorting unwanted items into donate piles. Closet space is essential in selling a home so freeing up valuable storage areas contributes a positive selling point.
Another positive to remind your sellers of in this conversation is the donation aspect. There are many deserving charities that’ll benefit from clothing and household items they no longer use. And don’t forget to mention the possible tax deduction.
#2. Deep Clean
Now that there’s more space in the home, it’s time to convince sellers to roll up their sleeves and get to work. There are areas of the home that typically never get a good scrub unless you dedicate time to it or hire professional cleaners.
Remind clients to think about spaces such as under beds, inside appliances, fan blades, blinds, and windowsills. Remind them to ensure their showerheads and tubs are free of calcium and rust stains. This is also a great time to get the HV/AC unit serviced and cleaned.
#3. Home Inspection
It’s probably been a while since the property’s last home inspection, so you may want to suggest a prelisting inspection. This’ll allow any known issues to be dealt with sooner rather than later. This will not only save time when their home is officially on the market, but also can put both the sellers’ and buyers’ minds at ease while building trust and transparency between the two parties.
#4. Repairs
There may be some repairs that the home inspection report suggests undertaking. If there are larger issues that need repairing, such as electrical work or plumbing issues, hiring a professional is the way to go. Smaller fixes like cabinet doors and knobs that need tightening or fixing broken door locks can be done by the homeowner if they’re comfortable with the work. But if there’s a long to-do list, it’s best to hire a handyman.
#5. Updates
Often there’s a to-do list that sellers have been fidgeting with since the initial move-in, but never got accomplished. Maybe it’s taking out carpet, removing wallpaper, adding a backsplash to the kitchen or getting cabinets replaced. Go over this list and help your clients decide what, if anything, should be done before listing the property.
Freshening up a home is a key low-impact way to get the property market-ready. Simple tasks like clearing out closet space or replacing kitchen cabinet handles are small touches than can make major impacts. These are mostly inexpensive ways to prepare a property for the market, but also smart ways potential sellers can get a head start on the selling process, even if they don’t plan on putting their home on the market for several months.
To learn more about the ways you can prepare a property for market and better serve your sellers, start your free seven-day free trial of AgentEDU and watch our “Representing Sellers” course for vital information.
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