“New Year, New Me,” is a common sentiment for those using the New Year as an opportunity to focus on self-improvement. For some homeowners, that saying might be a little different: New Year, New Home. For anyone hoping to sell their current property in the coming months in the hopes of finding somewhere new to call home, there are a few resolutions you can follow to help make those dreams a reality. Making the right resolutions can help you prepare ahead of time to ensure your house sells quickly and for the best possible return.
- Move Up Spring Cleaning – Don’t put off what you can accomplish today. A deep cleaning of your home is a great place to start. Declutter your home, both inside and out. Make sure everything has been cleaned, and if necessary, do some cosmetic touchups. Move furniture and appliances. If you want to sell, don’t wait until spring to do your cleaning!
- Address Neglected Repairs – Hire that handyman or break out the tool belt and handle any deferred maintenance. Make sure your utilities and appliances are serviced.
- Think It Through – Not all renovations and upgrades are guaranteed to turn a profit. Don’t overspend! Minor issues which can be easily fixed, and major faults can both be equally important to consider. Focus on fixes, rather than “changes”.
- Stage Your Home – Depersonalize your home and stage it. Whether you hire someone or do it yourself, this is the time to rearrange your furniture to make your rooms look bigger and brighter. Staging can help transform a home, highlighting its strengths and attracting buyers.
- Interview Real Estate Agents – Hiring a real estate agent is critical to your Take the time to interview a number of agents and choose the right one for your needs. Ask friends and family for recommendations, and keep an eye out for testimonials that highlight an agent’s best qualities, like integrity and good communication.
- Check out the Competition – Go see homes listed for sale in your area and adjust your timing, staging and pricing based on the market. Much of real estate is based on comparable properties, so seeing them for yourself can help give you needed perspective- and you might even find somewhere you might want to choose for your next home!
- Prepare Mentally – Selling your home is often a stressful experience, even if you’re spent a lot of time and effort preparing for it. Real estate can be time intensive process, on top of the emotional roller coaster of leaving the place you’ve been calling home. Be prepared for low offers, picky buyers, drop-by agents and odd Prepare yourself now so you will take them in stride when your house is on the market. Having a great agent is one key to helping alleviate some of this stress!
A new year is upon us, so make the most of it- find the motivation to prepare yourself- and your home- for the future!