How to Boost Your Home's Value: Checklist for Selling a House

Selling your home is a big step and one that should not be taken unless after meaningful consideration. However, if you have decided to finally let the strings go, and move to a bigger, better neighborhood, there are a number of things you should know. 

Selling your house involves a ton of paperwork and pre preparation. However, the first step is making your home look more appealing to buyers, so they can put up a good quote for you to consider. This blog offers a complete checklist for selling a house, all the things you should know and do to ensure that home buyers find your place worth buying. Keep reading to find out more. 

Checklist To Tick Before House Listing 

Before we get into details, let’s give you a generic idea of the steps required before you start listing your house on real estate websites. 

1. Consider hiring a real estate agent: They have deeper insights into the market and will be able to tell your home’s curb appeal at a glance. 

2. Improve Curb Appeal: Your home’s outlook and architectural aspects have a lot to do with its curb appeal. Focus on areas that need improvement to alter the buyer's perspective of the property. 

3. Clean The House: No one will be attracted to an unkempt house when they come to visit. Make sure all areas are neat and dust-free. 

4. Consider Home Renovation: An in depth house renovation ensures that your house is in good shape, and is staged properly. This is a major factor contributing to raising the appeal of your home in the eyes of potential buyers. You can talk to a professional renovation contractor to find complete home renovation costs in your particular locality. 

How To Start: An Extensive List Of Required Changes

Knowing how to get a house ready to sell is a major step in your journey of moving homes. As you prepare to step into a new life, you should be able to allow exciting opportunities for someone else who might be interested in your old home. 

Creating a well-thought-out space for visitors will be the earliest and most fundamental step in this process. You want people to feel welcome in the house, allowing them to visualize themselves living in that homey space. For this purpose, start by doing the things listed below. 

Clean & Declutter

The first chore on the checklist for selling a house is giving it a thorough clean up. Many homeowners take for granted the need to remove all clutter, debris, and dirt from the house. This can be a big turn off, especially for passionate buyers who really care for the minor details. 

And when we talk about cleaning, it doesn't just mean vacuuming floors and dusting the cabinets. It is a call for a deeper inspection and decluttering to make your space look more captivating. Take a pass by the fireplace, light fixtures, HVAC vents, carpets, and upholstery. When everything looks neat and shiny, people will truly realize the value of your home. 

Make Essential Repairs

Before you step into the real estate market to lease or sell your house, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is in its best condition. This means no damage or cracks in cabinetry, no leaking faucets, no peeling paint, cracked concrete, or scratched furniture. 

Start by making a list of the things that require your immediate attention for instant repairs. Remember, a well maintained house is the key selection criteria for most house buyers. Take on every job one by one to easily get everything done in time. For more difficult work, like plumbing fixtures and upholstery replacement, it's advisable to hire professional assistance.

Repaint in Neutral Colors

If you find it’s necessary to repaint the interiors due to irreversible damage or stains on the walls, it’s essential to pick the right paint shade. Opt for neutral tones as they tend to make the home look more spacious and bright. 

Additionally, it helps to bring focus on the important elements of the house like furniture, indoor plants, and carpeting, which is likely to catch the eye of those who come by. 

Depersonalize the Space

Your goal should be to enable homebuyers in an open house to envision their future in that home. This is possible only if your personal items, like family portraits, jewelry, mail, important documentation, digital devices, and other personalized valuables are not anywhere in sight. One more reason this is a great idea is because it saves your belongings from the possibility of theft or damage.  

Check & Replace Lighting

Lighting can be a major player in conveying the mood and aesthetics of a space. Focusing on the shortfalls in the lighting will help create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, effectively enticing potential buyers. 

Think of lamps, pendant lighting, and accent bulbs. It might be a bit of an investment, but will ensure major returns by elevating curb appeal. However, if redoing the lighting is not your cup of tea, just clean and replace existing bulbs and light pieces that are damaged. 

Clean Your Roofing & Gutters

Roof is one of the fundamental factors home inspectors look at in a ready to sell home. Whether you’re putting up your house for rent or selling it for good, your roofs might make or break the deal. 

Hire a cleaning service, or use a pressure washer/aerosol spray to remove grime and built up dirt from the roof. Check for clogged roofing gutters, and unclog them to avoid leaking issues later on. 

Address Landscaping Needs

Your outdoors are the first thing people see when they enter your home. Therefore, they also set the first impression, and thus, should be your first priority when working on selling your home. 

Your patio, garden, porches, planters, and exterior walls all are to be well maintained in order to bring any value to your home. Start by mowing the lawn, pruning bushes, and removing dead plants that are no longer useful in the garden. 

Next, remove all dirt, soil, and dried leaves from the lawn, porches, and patio to create a neat space. If the outdoor paint is chipping, you might want to repaint selected walls, or the entire house, depending on the damage. 

Stage the Home for Viewing

Staging costs demotivate a lot of people as it can be a considerable investment. However, it is also very effective in hastening the selling process. A home is known for its interiors, and if it communicates style and practicality, it might even motivate buyers to offer a better price than anticipated for the property. Consider hiring a professional interior designer to take on this project, and make your home feel alive again. 

Conclusion: 

Getting a good offer on a house is a project that takes time and effort. As a general rule of thumb, the more you invest, the better your home’s curb appeal is, and the more return you will secure. The given checklist for selling a house is highly effective in most cases. Getting your home ready physically by removing all the negative elements is going to be a significant help in getting you the offer your home deserves. So what are you waiting for, pull up your sleeves and get to work!