4 Things to Do Before Listing Your Home

Was this the summer that you realized your family has outgrown your house? Maybe a finished basement won’t add the type of space you need, or maybe it’s already finished and still not enough. Maybe you just want a change, and have your eye on a larger house across town. If the time has come to list your house, there are a few things you should do to make the process as easy as possible.

Check your concrete

“Curb appeal” is a term thrown around in real estate listings, and uneven, cracked concrete can lower curb appeal in an instant. No prospective buyer wants to walk up a sinking driveway or trip over an uneven sidewalk. Getting your concrete leveled and lifted will go a long way to set a good first impression.

Check for water

It’s easy to ignore your basement when you’ve lived in the house for years, but a prospective buyer will have their eyes peeled. Give your basement a good, honest once over. Is there any staining on the walls or floor? If you have a sump pump in good working order? Even if the basement is finished and you can’t see the walls or floor, does it *feel* damp down there?

Check for...smells

Whether you have a basement or a crawl space, if you have even a little humidity problem, it’s probably creating some not so great smells. Again, it’s easy to get used to a smell, but someone touring your house is going to notice it immediately.

Call us

The goal of selling your home is to get the best price possible with the fewest bumps in the road. The best way to avoid those bumps is to get out ahead of them by anticipating potential concerns from your buyers. 

By getting a free inspection and a full view of what could affect your sale, you can avoid that doubt that creeps in for a buyer when there’s a problem in the home. You’ll get better and more stable offers. We often tell people in this situation, you’ll end up paying to fix the problem - whether it’s before you list or in the form of lower offers and more concessions. Why not make it easy on yourself?

Listing your home is a big deal; it’s a bigger deal when there are issues with the home. Save yourself the hassle and headache of selling a fixer-upper and call us - you know your buyers will.