How Easy is to Sell a Home?

Selling a home can be an overwhelming experience for most people.

Especially if it is your primary home. There may be an emotional attachment, specially if you have lived there for a long time.

In order to diminish the amount of stress, energy and better prepare yourself for this life changing event, you will want to try to follow these 15 home selling tips.

Most importantly, mentally prepare yourself ahead of time with the step that you are about to undertake.

By following these steps, you will not only be better prepared and more calmed through the process, but you will be able to gain the highest price for the sale of your home:

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below and made commissions for purchases made through links on these posts, but this are all products that I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I have not verified or personally used.

1.- De-clutter your Home

We recommend an initial Moving Sale to sell all unwanted items. Most people accumulate more things than needed in the course of many years and moving expenses can be high and not worth hauling unwanted items. Besides, you can earn some extra cash in the process. Many people hire an Estate/Moving Sale Company if unable to do it themselves.

Then you will want to pack and box any knickknacks, picture portraits and basically most items that are not needed in the average time that you spend at home. A lot of people would place their packed boxes in the garage or place them in storage for a fee.

All kitchen counter tops should be cleared of items, tables and other countertops should be cleared as well.

2.- Paint Interior of the Home

One of the main things that really can make a great impact on the desirability of your home is a fresh coat of paint. It’s the least expensive way to help make your place look clean, updated and new. Neutral colors are best from a home selling perspective. Contemporary colors in particular are the most desirable; I have found that the satin line PRESTIGE P400-P-SW6000 Interior Paint by Sherwin-Williams really makes the interior of a home showcase well.

3.-  Hire a Professional Cleaner

Deep cleaning can be a lot of work. An excellent professional cleaner can take the burden from you and really make a difference.

4.- Get Rid of Odors

The first impression a home buyer will get when they first open your front door is what the home smells like. This is why painting,  deep cleaning and replacing carpets if needed makes such a great difference. I also highly recommend investing in the best deodorizing air freshener that I believe it’s on the market. For under $8 you can buy Arm & Hammer Deodorizing Air Freshener with Baking Soda. It neutralizes the odors and does not cover them up. I have only seen this product for sell online, I have not seen it in brick and mortar stores as of yet.

We all love our animal friends. But particularly if you have cats, you will want to make sure you find a temporary home for them. Unfortunately, I can share many stories of how cat urine odor has not only deterred home buyers from purchasing a home that they would had otherwise. But cat urine actually destroys homes. I have had clients who have changed the flooring and repainted the whole house, only to find out that the smell never goes away unless the sub flooring and the drywalls get replaced, which can cost thousands. And the worse part is that cat owners can’t smell it. By all means take your Realtor’s advice on this one.

5.- Replace Carpeting if needed

If carpets are stained badly, have them replaced. If you are looking to get the most value out of your home, old carpets, stained carpets have to go. Even in a seller’s market and depending in the area your home is located at. Most buyers will expect at least clean carpets. You may choose to use a good carpet vacuum steamer. I highly recommend the Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner.

6.- Hire a Realtor

An excellent realtor will make all the difference in not only helping you get highest price for your home, but also making sure that the legally binding real estate agreement is followed by all parties, contingency removal deadlines, coordinating with lenders, title companies and other agents, providing real estate advice and making sure that your interests are protected. A real estate agent owes a fiduciary duty to the party he/she represents.

7.- Considering Home Staging your Home

This is an area that I consider to be the exciting and fun part of getting your home ready for the market. Hiring a home staging company can be very costly, but if you can’t do it yourself it can be a good investment. I generally advice my clients and/or help them get the home staged. This is something a realtor can help you with as well. There are great ways to get your home staged without spending thousands and using some of the furniture that you already have. The rule of less is more holds true for home staging as well.

For example, if you have an ugly comfortable couch, instead of hauling it away and buying a new one for staging, you may want to consider just buying a fitted cover for it which you can find online for under $30. If your couch has an odor, it may be time to part ways with it and purchase a new one. The mid-century or contemporary design is the most desirable for staging.

8.- Consider Making Inspections/Repairs Recommended

If you need repairs to be completed, you will want to obtain at least a couple of bids from licensed contractors.

The reason you will want to use a licensed contractor is because you will need the minimal assurance that the person offering the services: (1) have the requisite skill and character; (2) understands the local laws and codes; and (3) knows the basics of administering a contracting business. Secondly, hiring licensed contractors helps to minimize the risk to your financial security if a worker is injured on your property, your property is damaged, or if the work is incomplete and/or faulty, which will cause further problems and risk of liability during or after the sale of your home.

By obtaining a few bids for the repairs needed, you will be able to narrow down the best contractor for the job. I recommend getting contractors’ estimates through HomeAdvisor, where you can select from several qualified contractors and compare them according to recommendations.

9.- Complete All State Required Disclosures Ahead of Time

There are several disclosure forms that are required to be completed by the seller. Your realtor will be able to guide you through the process. Basically you will want to make sure that you disclose all the material facts affecting your property. Some common ones include: existence of easements, roof leaks, electrical problems  (knob & tube electrical), water intrusion, cracks, malfunctions, etc. Sometimes sellers ask whether or not they should disclose something in particular. The golden rule is that when in doubt, disclose!

10.- Install All Required Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Water Heater Strapping per California Standards

The State of California requires a smoke detector for every bedroom and a carbon dioxide detector for each floor level. You can either purchase the battery operated smoke detector online, or if you are able to have them hard-wired, you can still buy them online for a few more dollars.   In addition, if you have a big water heater, it must be strapped per California Standards. I highly recommend the tankless water heater. Not having these in place may not only cause delays in your closing, but since it’s a requirement for sellers prior to transferring the home if you fail to meet this requirement you may be subject to fines and/or liability.

11.- Price your Home to Sell

Your realtor should provide you with a list of sold and active comparable properties to yours in the area. This is what it’s called a Comparative Market Analysis. In addition to this report, your realtor should provide you with local real estate trends and recommendations on things you can do to make your property more appealing to a buyer.

12.- Arrange a Moving Company Ahead of Time

Getting a few estimates from moving companies ahead of time will result in less stress at the last minute. It will also insure that you get better rates. HomeAdvisor is a great resource to find and compare professional moving companies based on their rating and rates.

13.- Have Clear Showing Instructions for Your Realtor

Making your house accessible to buyers with short notice will increase your chances of selling. Typically, a realtor’s lockbox is placed near the front door so the home can be shown by all local realtors.

14.- Take your Pets with you When your Home Is Shown

If you have pets, it’s best that you take them with you when the property is shown or find a temporary home for them. Specially certain types of dog breeds, you don’t want to have on the premises when the property is shown to avoid deterring buyers from entering the home or liability.

15.- Make Sure you Understand The Purchase Agreement

Make sure that your realtor explains the entire purchase agreement from A to Z. A realtor cannot provide legal or tax advice. However, a good realtor will provide you with a summary sheet outlining all the deadlines for contingencies, closing date and estimated seller’s net sheet.