Prepping to Sell Your House
Selling your house is a big deal and requires a lot of work. When you sell your home, you are probably also under the stress of buying a new home as well, or, perhaps you’ve already bought a new home and need to get your old house out of your hair.
Realtor
You might be in a situation to sell the house yourself, but it may be worth your while to use a realtor. Using a realtor who knows the area can help you set a price and manage your budget. Your realtor will also be able to advise you as to the best route to take to make your house one that lots of people want to buy.
Get it structurally sound
First things first: make sure the house is fit to live in! Keeping the structural integrity of your house will make it more appealing to buyers who don’t want to spend the labor and money on a fixer-upper. This means updating walls, flooring, siding, windows, ceiling, and temperature control. This also means making your home more energy-efficient. You’ll want to make sure that your house is up to code, especially with the windows and other exits. If you have a basement, make sure it’s properly sealed off. Lots of basements in older houses flood easily. Your floors are also essential, both as far as structural integrity is concerned as well as aesthetics. This kind of heavy work may truly require contractors and professional help, especially if you want your house to increase in value.
At least make it pretty
Of course, you may not be in a position to completely upgrade your house. In that case, talk with your realtor about the strategies you can use to make your house one that lots of people want. Many realtors suggest painting all your rooms white so the place looks bigger. Others may want you to tidy the place up but keep all the decor and furniture in so that prospective buyers can see what it looks like to live in the house. Plenty of buyers are happy to spend a little less money on a home that they’ll need to update; some even prefer it, because then they can create a unique place.
Have someone else do it
Some property development companies will buy your home and upgrade it themselves. This process could help you save a lot of time and labor, should you want to go this way. If your home is not energy-efficient, it might be worth handing it off to a company that will update it and then sells it themselves. In this way, you can get your house off your hands and do something for the planet. On the other hand, selling it to a developer may mean that your house gets torn down in order to make way for a new building, so be prepared to see your old place go away.
