People often sell their homes for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they’re ready to move on to a new home, a new neighborhood, or even a new lifestyle. Maybe the house is too small for their growing family, or maybe you want to be closer to family in another state. Financial reasons can also play a part as to why people decide to locate to another home. Maybe you’ve suffered a job loss, or have received a pay raise that allows for you to move upward and onward. Whatever the reason, many people find themselves seeking new places to live.
In 2019, 5.34 million homes were sold in the United States according to statistics from the National Association of Realtors. Of this, 682,000 newly constructed homes were sold in that same year. When you move there are certain things which need to be done with your home before it is sold. Check out some of these steps which should be completed before selling your home.
Make sure your roof is in good shape.
When you sell your home, you want your home to have much curb appeal as possible. Curb appeal is how your home looks from the street or curb. This is what people will see when they drive to your home, in the hopes of possibly purchasing your house. Curb appeal can be accentuated with a nice lawn, a great paint job on the home’s exterior, and a great looking roof.
You can maintain a good roof on a regular basis by hiring a licensed roof repair specialist. Contract professionals like Arlington VA Roofing to help you to take care of your roof. They will come and inspect and take care of any issues they may come across. Some of the common roof problems which need to be tackled are leaks, poor installation, broken gutters, missing shingles, moss, and tree damage. Tackling any roof-related issues is a good first step to take before selling your home.
Make your home welcoming to potential buyers.
As mentioned before, you’ll want to enhance your home’s curb appeal for potential buyers. You want to make a great impression on prospective home purchasers so they can see your home as one that they can’t pass up. Start by making your front door visible to buyers. Do this by painting your front door if needed, clearing debris (leaves, lawn refuse, trash), and maybe adding a nice looking accessory to the door.
Make sure your walkway is clear of any items, maintain your lawn maintenance, and maybe consider planting colorful plants to catch the attention of potential buyers. At the end of the day, you want to ensure that any buyers who see your home will want to take the next step and schedule a home inspection. In that case, the most you’ll have to worry about is what to inspect during a house tour for your new home after you sell your previous house.
Remove any indication of pets or kids.
While most of us love kids and pets, there are a lot of people who don’t. You’ll want to take this into consideration when prepping your home to be sold. Some people might have allergies when it comes to animals, and for others, seeing toys strewn about throughout the house will close the book on any interest in purchasing your home.
Do your best to clean the house, and to declutter the home of any signs that children live there. As mentioned before, in the case of kids, pick up those loose toys. In the case of pets, get the pets out of the house before you host an open house or home tour.
Air out the house as much as possible. In most cases, people can smell a pet as soon as they cross the threshold of your home. Put up litter boxes, food containers, and dust and vacuum as much pet hair and dander as you can. The goal is to erase any sign that a pet lives in your current home, so you can set a prospective buyer at ease.
