If you are considering selling your house, there are a number of things you will need to do. Selling a home involves much more than just posting ads in local newspapers and setting up a “For Sale” sign on your lawn. If you want to get the best price for your home, you need to plan the sale strategically, make a concerted effort to showcase your property in the best light and ensure it gets a lot of visibility.

Here are top 10 things to do before you sell your home. While some of these things are pretty simple, others may take some effort. But you will find it’s all worth the trouble once you find buyers complimenting you on the way your house looks and how well it’s maintained. Hopefully, this will also act as a catalyst to get a good price for your home.  

1. Look for a credible and experienced real estate agent

Many sellers believe they would be able to sell their house themselves and save the commission they would have otherwise paid to an agent. This may seem pretty tempting at the time, especially if it’s a seller’s market, but it’s best not to take that route. It’s not uncommon for these “for sale by owners” transactions to go awry and you will only end up losing time and money.

While working with a real estate agent is definitely beneficial, you need to be prudent and choose the right professional. It’s never a good idea to hire someone blindly just because a friend has used that agent’s services in the past. It’s important that you conduct some research and identify a few local real estate agents that are experienced and reliable. Interview a few of them to determine who would be the right fit.

2. Improve the curb appeal of your home

If you were out shopping for something, would you step into a store that had a drab display window or a poorly-maintained, unappealing frontage- most likely not. Making a good first impression matters a great deal, and this is why you need to focus on how the exterior of your home looks. Make some simple changes/additions that will improve the external appearance of your home and the entrance.

Mow the lawns, trim and prune the bushes and plants, make sure there is no debris or dirt lying around and place a few attractive potted plants near the entrance to your home. A fresh coat of paint or polish to can do wonders for your front door. All of these may seem like very basic and simple things, but they go a long way in improving the curb appeal of your home.

3. Get rid of all the clutter

When you are getting your house ready to show, keep in mind that less is more. Get rid of all the excess things in your home. Go through the closets, cabinets and all other possible storage spaces and do a thorough spring clean if you must. Either donate or dispose of things you don’t need or haven’t used for a very long time. Cluttered spaces will only mar the beauty of your home and won’t give potential buyers a clear idea of what the house looks like. Curious buyers are apt to open kitchen cabinets and drawers, closets etc. to check whether there is sufficient space for their things. Clearing the clutter before you put your house up for sale means you have one less thing to take care of when you finally move.

4. Remove all other distractions

Just as clutter can distract potential buyers from actually looking at all the indoor spaces and the features and installations in it, personal items such as photographs and other memorabilia also act as distractions. It’s important that you de-personalize all the indoor spaces. If there are any bold or eccentric furniture pieces or artwork, its best to either remove or replace them with something less eye-catching. The idea is to create a blank canvas so prospective buyers will be able to visualize their own things in that space.

5. Give the walls a new look

If you have bright and bold wall colors or have an accent/feature wall, consider getting the rooms painted in subtle colors. While you may love that turquoise blue wall in your bedroom, a potential buyer may not take a fancy to it. Sometimes, features such as these or decorative elements in bold styles and themes can prove to be a turn-off and can impact the sale.

Neutral colors and subtle wall color shades are a much safer option as it’s rare for people to hate them. The light colors lend expansiveness to the space and give buyers the chance to envision how the rooms would look in the colors they like.

6. Do a thorough touch up

Even if you aren’t getting the entire house repainted, make it a point to refinish or repaint scuff marks on walls, doors, and baseboards. This will give your home a well-maintained look.

7. Fix things that don’t work as they should

Make sure that all the handles and doorknobs aren’t loose, no hinges are coming off cabinets and that there are no loose floorboards or step boards. Discerning buyers will notice all these seemingly small things; it will set them wondering as to what other things in the house are damaged or don’t work; and this is something you want to avoid.

8. Add a few special touches

While it’s best to remove embellishments such as décor pieces and extra furniture, it’s a good idea to add some plants to the indoor spaces of your home. You can also place vases with colorful, fresh flowers on the dining table or a sideboard. These will lend a very pleasant, welcoming look to the space.

It’s a good idea to consider staging. Home staging professionals will carefully evaluate the current condition of the home, the items in the indoor and outdoor areas and determine which of these will help create a great first impression on the buyers. They may also recommend that you rent/purchase a few items or may reorganize the furniture etc. to achieve a more appealing look. Want to sell your Calgary home? Get started with a FREE HOME EVALUATION by Calgary Realtor®, Scot Rose.