Selling a home is a major financial decision and an emotional process. If you’re selling for the first time, research, preparation, and experience are key components to a successful home sale. It’s a great time to sell in a hot market like DeLand, but make sure you give yourself enough time to set up your property for success. By putting in the work, you’re more likely to see a strong ROI on your home sale.
Bee Realty Corp has some of the industry’s best REALTORS®, and we’re experts on the DeLand real estate market. We always tell clients that selling a home doesn’t have to be intimidating. We have put together a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.
Here’s how to begin preparing your house for sale in DeLand:
1. Start With A Deep Declutter
The first step to readying your home for buyers can be one of the most difficult for homeowners to tackle. Eliminating or relocating junk – that is, decluttering –is important for several reasons. Buyers want to picture themselves living in the home, and this can be challenging for them if it’s still full of your stuff. Decluttering also makes it much easier to clean your home. When the time comes to move, a decluttered house speeds up the packing process, too.
But decluttering can be a challenge. Getting rid of items, especially older ones, might be an emotional process. To make it easier, be sure to give yourself plenty of time. Go through the basement, the attic, and the closets, separating what you find into “donate” and “keep” piles.
2. Knock Out Minor Repairs
You might not notice that loose doorknob or leaky faucet anymore, but you can bet buyers will. When selling a home, you want to “sweat the small stuff.” Minor issues can give buyers the impression that your home wasn’t properly maintained. Walk through every room of your home and make a running list of what needs to be done. Whether it’s touching up paint, tightening handles, fixing toilets, or replacing light bulbs – take care of these small things before you put your home on the market. They add up!
3. Don’t Underestimate The Importance Of Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is a term that describes how your home appears from the street, and it’s crucial when it comes time to sell. Your home’s facade is what shows up first in listing photos, so the face of your home and your front yard both need to look great to garner the foot traffic you want.
We’re not talking about a major landscaping overhaul – small things can make a big difference.
Try to reseed any bare spots on the lawn, trim the hedges, and remove any weeds. Add a fresh layer of mulch to your flowerbeds and put in a few colorful flowers where it makes sense. Give the front door or porch a fresh coat of paint, and power wash your driveway.
These easy steps can go a long way toward making your facade shine.
4. Clean Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before
Buyers notice everything. This includes dust along baseboards, stains on carpet, and dirty countertops. Your home must be pristine before your listing goes live. Scrub every room from top to bottom, shampoo your carpets, and make sure all surfaces are sparkling.
Not sure if you can do it all alone? Hiring professional cleaners goes a long way.
Deep cleaning is only the beginning. You’ll also need to ensure you can maintain this level of cleanliness throughout the showing period. Take some time each day to wipe down surfaces and make sure things are put away.
5. Stage Your Home
Home staging is one of the most effective tools for selling a home in DeLand. When done well, staging can enable buyers to see the full potential of your home. It can help them create an emotional connection, and that can drive them toward submitting an offer.
Bee Realty Corp can offer a few home staging tips:
- The first step of home staging is to remove any personal items like family photos and art.
- Then, open blinds, add lamps, and do everything you can to maximize light in every room.
- Next, highlight the best features of every room.
- For example, set the dining room table or create a cozy scene in the living room.
- Remember: The key to successful home staging is to keep everything as neutral as possible.
Preparing your house for sale is the most time-intensive part of selling a home. The rest can all be handled by an experienced REALTOR®. Bee Realty Corp has helped DeLand clients successfully sell their homes for many years, and we can help you reach your real estate goals too.
Schedule an appointment today.