Getting Ready to Sell Your Home - Pre-sale Checklist

Smart Ways to Think Ahead Before You List Your Home

Selling your home is an important decision, so when you do, you'll want top dollar.
Here are some of our best tips for preparing your home for listing.

Fresh & Clean

Deep clean every room. Do one room a day or hire a cleaning service if it's too daunting, but a clean home is step one.

Clear the Clutter

We all have a place where mail accumulates, coats and shoes get dropped, or every appliance we own cluttering our counters. The adage a place for everything and everything in its place is your new best friend.

Simplify Decor

Make your future buyers envision themselves in your beautiful home by removing any collections and decor that is too unique.

Put Away Personal Items

Get rid of the magnets and lists on the fridge, and the photos of the family scattered all about. It’s a good time to start packing all your treasured mementos away for your move.  Consider a safe for important documents and stash expensive jewelry there as well or in a safe deposit box.

Light & Bright

Clean windows, clean drapes or sheers, turn on your overheads and check if you need more lighting every room should have multiple light sources so your home is bright and inviting. 

Plants & Flowers 

Beautiful plants and vases or flowers show you love your home and make every room seem elegant and finished. Decorate for the season with wreaths on doors or seasonal centerpieces on tables.

Remove Bulky, Dated or Worn Furnishings 

Large furniture makes your rooms look cramped, damaged or worn furniture makes your home feel worn too. Many buyers assess the furniture more than they realize as they tour homes so updated or staged homes sell faster and for more money. Consider staging or piece staging your home!

Start Packing Your Closets

Nothing is more important than a place to stash your stuff for buyers. Pack early and empty half your closets. Invest in some matched baskets or boxes to hide the items inside and donate while you go to make the process a win-win.  

Fix it All

 Loose hinges, leaking faucets or half-finished projects, wrap these items up and enjoy the benefits yourself while knowing how much better your home will show.

Renovate on the Quick

Slipcovers on furniture, fresh white bedding, new pillows on the sofas and lounge chairs, new cabinet hardware and updated ceiling lights and wall sconces will make your home seem totally refreshed. This is also a very good time to replace that treasured chandelier that must come with you so the buyer doesn’t miss it. 

Choose Each Room’s Purpose

No multi-use catch-all rooms such as an office/guest room/craft/storage room are not the ticket here. Choose the purpose and stage the room accordingly. 

Bathroom as Spa 

Stage your bathroom with stacked white towels, hand towels, pretty soap vessels, scented candles, and plants. Change your old shower curtain to two white curtains with liners to create an elegant feel, and make certain that products are kept at a minimum in the shower and organized with a new shower caddy or tucked into drawers.

Highlight Pretty Architecture  

Fireplace mantles, window seats, reading nooks or beautiful moldings set your home apart so help them stand out by placing flowers, pillows, and lighting to complement them.

Make Your Home Inviting

 Scented candles, flowing conversation areas, well-designed furniture arrangements and Instagram-worthy still-lifes, help define areas and purpose in your home. A beautiful bowl of red-apples, a cozy afghan on an ottoman, by the corner chair, a nearby table with lamp and a book, or a beautifully arranged bookcase all highlight the life that you live and buyers will want to live.

Repaint the Walls Neutral Colors 

White is the current hottest color for flips so it’s a smart choice. Try Benjamin Moore Cloud Nine, Simply White or White Dove or find your own favorite neutral color.

Curb Appeal “Beautiful”

Overgrown shrubs, scruffy lawns, peeling paint, cracked driveways, dinged mailboxes and sagging fences do not make your buyer feel welcomed. Get everything into shape outside, then add some landscape lighting (try solar) and some pretty plants in pots by the front door to make your home beautiful not just inside but outside too.