Prepare your home
Now that I’ve decided to sell, what do I do next?
When you chose to meet with The Kelly Domaille Team, our goal is to simplify the selling process for you. We will answer all your questions, evaluate your wants and needs for selling, tour your home and make recommendations and start developing a strategy to maximize your goals.
The listing agreement
At your first meeting with The Kelly Domaille Team you will sign a listing agreement. This document outlines our obligations to you and contains the terms under which your home will be made available for sale. And, of course, we will answer all of your questions before you sign.
Staging your home for “the right look”
Preparing and staging your home can increase its value. A properly prepared and staged home is essential in standing above the competition and showcasing your home for a fast sale at the best price.
Here’s where more professional help comes in. The Kelly Domaille Team may enlist the help of a professional stager to evaluate your homes’ exterior and interior and create a specialized to-do list based on our assessment of your home. (So don’t be offended if we ask you to put away your knick-knacks for safekeeping).
Here’s a handy checklist of the tasks you will want to complete to prepare your home:
- Hire a professional cleaner. This cleaning might save you money if it means you can avoid painting. (Make sure they clean all the windows too.)
- Minor upgrades like new carpet and modern paint colors can go a long way toward improving your house’s value.
- Make sure your yard is in good shape. Plant flowers, trim the grass, and sweep the walkways. In the winter, make sure the driveway and all walkways are completely shoveled, free of snow and ice and ready at all times. The buyer often evaluates your home from his or her car window and may decide from there whether or not to go inside.
- Let the light in! Replace burned-out light bulbs, buy some extra floor lamps at Target, and open the blinds or curtains to let in the sunshine. Do whatever you can to let light into the house.
- Repair all those little things you have been meaning to fix when you have time: missing trim work, the stained ceiling from the roof that leaked last year, or your missing deck railings you’ve been meaning to get to.
- Organize! It is as important as cleaning and repairs. Attention to detail in your closets, pantry, laundry room, cabinets (especially under the kitchen sink), and all the other places where clutter tries to take over. Buyers like a clean, organized home.
- Pay attention to the finishing touches: new towels and shower curtains, tidy beds, door hinges oiled and fresh flowers all comfort and relax buyers.
Go to the next step: Set the price
