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5 Things To Do Before You Put Your House Up For Sale

By
Real Estate Agent with All Real Estate Options

5 Things To Do Before You Put Your House Up For Sale

Home for sale. This is post is about preparing to get your home for sale.   Welcome to my blog! I'm a real estate agent in Northeast Florida and I write seller and buyer tips, plus information about the area, which includes Jacksonville, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, St Johns County and the Beaches.

Today's blog post is about 5 things you should do before you put your house on the market. There's more than 5, but these are the biggies.  

Where To When What's your end game? Where are you going when your home closes? Do you need to close on your current house before you can buy your next one? If you need to sell before you can buy, what will you do if you can't find a home to buy right away? I know I just threw a bunch of questions at you, some that may have made your anxiety level creep up a little. Like the one about where you're gonna go if you can't find a home to buy right away. This is when you should figure that out, so when the time comes to sell your current home, you won't feel pressured or rush. Some ideas is staying with family. Find a short term rental or stay at a hotel. Ask for a longer closing, like 60 days.  

Try Some Shoes On Nooooo, this doesn't mean to run out to the mall and buy some new shoes. This is about looking at your house through the eyes of a buyer. Remember when you bought your house? What was it about your house that talked to you? Yes, houses talk to you. I'm not crazy. Well, slightly crazy, but admit it, even if it's only to yourself, you know your house talked to you. Take a drive and come back like you are going to a showing appointment to look at a house. Your house. Look at the curb appeal, is it inviting? Does the exterior look clean and crisp? How's the roof? Go inside and look at every room the same way. Does it smell? Does the paint look dingy? Do you think it's time for the shag carpet on the wall to go? Be brutally honest with yourself, it can help you get the most money from your home down the road.  

Declutter I don't think I really need to go into much detail here, but get rid of the stuff you never use. Get rid of oversized furniture that you don't sit on. Have a yard sale and get some cash. It feels great to purge stuff that has no sentimental value, useful value and are just more things to move. As you get closer to listing date, put away personal photos and small appliances that you never use or use once in a blue moon. No, I'm not referring to your coffee maker. That's important and needs to be easily accessible.  

Fix It or Forget It Closet doors off the hinges. Faucet drips. Missing caulk. These are small things, but buyers will notice them and wonder if there's bigger things that need repair. You could get an home inspection done and repair the things on the list. The buyer can still have their own inspection done, but will make them feel like you're on the up and up with them. Now, before you go pressure washing your house, it's best not to pressure wash your roof and windows. That can cause damage to your shingles and cause the window seal to pop. Easy does it best.  

Line Up Your Listing Agent This should actually be first, because an awesome agent can be objective, tell you what you need to hear to help you get top dollar. So, having someone help you from the beginning of your decision to sell, can help make the process less overwhelming when it comes time to list. Yes, this will be a blatant plug for myself. 😁 I know many agents talk about how great their marketing plan is, and mine is pretty sweet as well. My other amazing traits as an agent is being the calm during the storm, and being able to tell you what you need to hear, even if it's not what you want to hear. I also play well with others. So what does that mean? There are times things don't go as planned in a transaction and I handle it with calmness, taking the emotion out of it. I don't lash out at the person giving the not so good news. Instead, I am immediately looking for solutions and work with them to get things done. I'm not afraid to tell you what needs to be done to get your house sold for top dollar and the least amount of hassle, without being a jerk. No need for that in the world. If that sounds like something you want in a listing agent, then give me a call or text at 904-910-3516.

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Pam lists and sells homes in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Middleburg,Ponte Vedra, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Orangedale, Fruit Cove, Switzerland and St Johns County Florida.

Are you facing foreclosure? Call Pam at 904-910-3516 to discuss your options.

Pam Graham with All Real Estate Options handles Jacksonville Florida short sales, Orange Park Florida short sales, Fleming Island Florida Short sales, Middleburg Florida short sales, Green Cove Springs Florida short sales, St Johns County Florida short sales, Ponte Vedra Florida short sales, St Augustine short sales, Palm Valley short sales, Duval County Florida short sales and Clay County Florida short sales.

 

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Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Disclosure

ALL Real Estate Options is not associated with the government and our services have not been approved by the government or your Lender. If you stop paying your mortgage you could lose your home and damage your credit. Your Lender may not agree to the change of your loan and/or a Short Sale.With a Short Sale, there are no guarantees offered and we cannot provide legal advice. Seek legal advice.

Comments (2)

Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Hi Pam,  Great blog.  Thank you for sharing these great tips on the things you should do before selling your home.    I am sure this will be of interest to many.

Oct 07, 2020 05:30 PM
Pam Graham

I appreciate your feedback Bob Crane ! Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Oct 08, 2020 12:15 PM
Realtyna Inc
Realtyna - Newark, DE
WordPress Real Estate - IDX, RESO Web API, CRM

Hi Pam, great list. And I agree. The coffee maker should always be easily accessible.

Oct 08, 2020 02:23 AM
Pam Graham

Yes!!! The coffee maker is from personal experience!

Oct 08, 2020 12:15 PM