Consider These 7 Steps Before Listing Your Home

Selling your home is a very personal and time-consuming experience. Navigating market analyses and closing legalities can be intimidating to anyone, from the first-time home seller to the well-researched, HGTV-watching DIYers. Though the process can be daunting, you don’t have to go through it alone. Our experienced Senné Associates have compiled these seven important steps to take before you sell your home.

Research your local housing market

Knowing the value of homes in your neighborhood will go a long way in determining the value of your own. Use comparable sales calculators to get an idea of how your house stacks up against similar ones. Find a good selection of homes that are around the same size, have similar amenities, and in the same area as yours. Remember these figures are only an approximation of your home’s worth, not its actual value. Instead, trust the knowledge of a real estate professional who knows the market and can give you the best estimate.

Hire a professional

A crucial first step, obtaining a real estate professional could be essential to the successful sale of your home. A qualified seller’s representative should be familiar with the neighborhood your home is in and nearby comparable sales to offer viable suggestions for getting your house ready for listing. At Senné, our Associates work with a talented Marketing team who will photograph and market your property effectively. Using a combination of traditional networking and cutting edge marketing resources, they can place your home in front of eager potential buyers.

Assess your home’s condition

Do a thorough walkthrough of your home and identify areas that may need fixing. Fixing potential problem areas beforehand can sometimes be the difference between making or breaking the sale. Go through each room carefully, taking note of cosmetic touch-ups that could revitalize these spaces.

Do a deep clean

Be sure to meticulously clean high foot-traffic areas like the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms before staging your home. Wipe down walls and baseboards and wash and vacuum flooring, carpets, and rugs. Pay special attention to prominent items like refrigerators, dishwashers, bathtubs, and sinks that are sure to garner attention from visitors.

Declutter and depersonalize your home

As you work through the cleaning process, you may also want to start depersonalizing some spaces. Sentimental items like family photos sometimes make it harder for potential buyers to visualize themselves in the house. Removing personal items will keep visitors focused on the space, allowing them to see how they may fit into the home.

Stage your home

Staging your home is another crucial step in the home selling process. Consider a new layout in each room for an updated look. Move excess furniture into storage and organize the remaining pieces into an open plan that maximizes space. Walkable paths allow buyers to move through each room efficiently and lets them visualize how they might decorate the space as theirs.

Select images for your listing

The crux of real estate marketing, photography is the driving tool behind the sale of your home. Before listing, your Realtor will connect you with someone to shoot your property. A good photographer knows how to tell a story through crisp imagery and can highlight your home’s best features to create a powerful first impression. Sellers should also consider Matterports and virtual tools that lend a realistic feel and allow viewers to move through the house at their pace.

Stay on task. To make things easier, download our Pre-Sale Checklist for Homeowners. We work closely with homeowners like you to establish clear and defined objectives for your home selling process. We place a high value on communication and use our collaborative approach to meet your goals. Whether selling your home or buying your first, we are here to help. If you are interested in selling your home, give us a call at 603-356-9444 or reach out via phone or email to one of our realtors.