House Selling Checklist: 5 Things to Do When Selling Your House

While you may want a stress-free and quick house sale, selling a home can be challenging. This is because house sales have many moving parts, some of which you can manage and others out of your control. What you do when selling your home determines the kind of buyers you'll attract, how fast it will sell, and how much you'll sell it for. This article discusses five things to do when selling your house.

1. Determine the upgrades to do

When determining the house upgrades to do, especially if they're costly, ensure they have a high ROI and are essential to selling the house at a higher price. It won't make financial sense to do upgrades that will cause you to lose money. Generally, getting a new carpet instantly brightens your space while giving it a fresh look. It's also an affordable way to increase your home value. However, the best color of carpets when selling house should appeal to most potential buyers.

Bathroom and kitchen upgrades have a high ROI. If your cabinetry is old, you can update its look by replacing hardware and doors without spending much money. Repainting your home and sprucing up your landscape can cost-effectively deliver a great first impression. If you're unsure of the changes to make, a pre-sale house inspection can help.

2. Hire a trusted real estate agent

Working with a reliable real estate agent instead of selling your home alone can be rewarding. Real estate agents are experienced and skilled in house selling. They understand the market better and can help you with effective strategies for selling your home. An experienced real estate agent has excellent negotiating skills, which can help ensure your house sells for top dollar. They'll vet prospective buyers and market your property to ensure it sells fast. They also reduce your risk by helping you navigate the sale safely and legally.

3. Increase curb appeal

Good first impressions are essential when selling a home. You want to wow potential homebuyers when they see your house for the first time. This will increase their urge to see the rest of your home. Increasing curb appeal improves your house’s worth, boosting its resale value. You can repaint the front door, add outdoor lighting and plants, refresh outdoor furniture, power-wash your home’s exterior, repaint the house, cut back shrubs and trees, manicure the lawn, clean your gutters and roof, and replace the mailbox to improve curb appeal and sell your home quickly.

4. Set a realistic price

Pricing your house for sale is crucial to attracting buyers and selling fast. If you price your home too high, it's likely to remain in the market for long. This will cause you to lower the price to sell even below its market price. To price your house right, use recent comparable sales, leverage real estate pricing pyramids, follow your market's seasonal shifts, or use a price estimation tool. In addition, be sure that you don't overestimate your upgrades.

5. Stage your house

Staging involves temporarily decorating and furnishing your house to make it more appealing. It helps make your online listing unique and improves the selling price. Home staging creates memorable first impressions and allows your house to sell faster.

Endnote

Knowing what to do when selling a home can ensure a hassle-free house-selling process. Consider doing these things when selling your house for an effective and profitable sale.