If you’re thinking about selling your home in a few months, there are several things you can do right now to start getting ready for the sale. This guide explains three of them that will give you a head start (and probably enable you to sell your home at a higher price).
3 Things to Do NOW if You Want to Sell Your Home in a Few Months
Check out these three things you can do right now to improve your home’s appeal to buyers. The best part? Even if you change your mind about selling, there’s great news: your home will be updated and you may love it even more.
- Make all major and minor repairs
- Pull up carpet
- Install new light fixtures
Task #1 to Prepare to Sell Your Home: Make All Repairs Now
If you know that your home needs repairs, whether they are cosmetic or structural, now is the time to make them. If you knock these tasks out of the way now, you don’t have to worry about them later – and as you probably know, selling a home is a lot of work. It’s best to spread it out over several months to make things easier on yourself.
Start with major repairs, which are likely to cost the most money and require professional help. Then, dive into cosmetic fixes, such as repainting your home’s interior, replacing window screens and other small tasks that you can do yourself.
Task #2 to Prepare to Sell Your Home: Pull Up Carpet
If your home is carpeted, you may want to consider pulling it all up and putting in hardwoods, laminate or tile. Buyers tend to steer clear of homes with carpet; it’s no longer a feature people are looking for.
However, before you dive into making a large investment on a home that you’re only going to turn around and sell, you should talk to a real estate agent. Sometimes it’s best to leave the existing flooring in place and allow buyers a credit so they can replace it themselves; that way, buyers know they’re getting something they like without having to pay for it out of their own pockets.
Task #3 to Prepare to Sell Your Home: Install New Light Fixtures
Light fixtures make it easy for buyers to date your home. The last thing you want is for a prospective buyer to sink your home is old or to walk away with the feeling that it could use some major updates. One of the easiest things you can do to revitalize your home’s look is install new light fixtures.
Walk through each room and look at your light fixtures with a critical eye; if they look a bit dated, consider heading to your favorite home improvement store and browsing the lighting section. You may be surprised at how affordable modern light fixtures are – and even how easy they are to install yourself. In most cases, you can replace a light fixture in just a few minutes.
