12 Things to Do Before You Sell Your Home

When selling your house, it feels like three are so many things to do that you’ll struggle to get everyone and everything out in time. While this is a bittersweet moment for you and your family, it’s also the start of the next chapter in your life, and it’s also an exciting event for the new owners. 

You have a lot to do before you vacate the property, so it’s best to start as soon as you know you’re selling your home. You don’t want to make life difficult for the new owners, so before you close your front door for the final time, remember these essential things to do before you sell your home. 

Carry Out Essential Repairs 

Would you be happy if you moved into a new home and found a hundred things in desperate need of repair? You wouldn’t, even if you enjoy a little DIY here and there. 

So, why would you leave essential repairs for the new owners to deal with once you have left? Before you finalise any paperwork or allow viewings, you must carry out essential repairs that will make the property more comfortable and functional for the new owners. 

There are bound to be some problems you’ve put off for the time being, but the time to fix them is right now. Look around the home and inspect everything, from windows to doors to pipes and fix them wherever necessary. 

Complete Unfinished Projects 

You may also have a host of unfinished projects that are screaming for your attention. If you’re on a short time limit, you may not be able to get everything done before you move out, so call in a professional; service, whether this being a roofing company, plumber, or electrician to speed up the process. 

These unfinished projects could increase your property value, so it’s always worth completing them before putting your home on the market. It also prevents any buyers from pulling out at the last minute because they don’t want to take on the same project, as they do not need it. 

Make It Attractive From the Outside 

Curb appeal is crucial when selling a home. The exterior is the first impression potential buyers get from your home, so it’s worth making it look as attractive as possible. 

You can use bright colours on the door that immediately grabs attention or hang flowers and plants from the windowsill. If you have a porch, repairing this can cover up scuffs and flaking paint, which will make the home seem less worn down. 

It’s also worth mowing the lawn and trimming down bushes and hedges in your front garden, which can make the outside space look larger. Again, plants and flowers will also add engaging colours to the garden.  

Make The Entrance Welcoming 

Aside from the exterior, you also want potential buyers to feel at home as soon as they walk through the front door. The best way to do this is by clearing up any shoes and coats that have been thrown haphazardly over the floor while cleaning the entrance mat and surrounding floor also removes dirt and grime. 

You can also clear the way if there are any cabinets or stools in the way so they can walk into the house uninterrupted. It may be better to remove any personal items, like photographs or ornaments that are sentimental to you, as they might find it difficult to envision themselves in the house. 

Get Rid Of the Clutter 

Every house accumulates lots of clutter throughout the years, especially if you have kids who are unwilling to let go of toys or games they don’t play with anymore. As you prepare to move out, you need to do a deep dive into everything you have at home and get rid of anything you don’t need or want.

You’ll need to be ruthless, and you may encounter a few tears along the way. But, this is crucial for making your move easier and also ensuring the new owners can move in immediately without worrying about getting rid of items that mean nothing to them. 

Organise Your Wardrobes and Closets

Decluttering is easier if you are organised. So, as you’re getting rid of boxes upon boxes of stuff, you can also take the time to clear out and organise your wardrobes and closets. This shares many similarities with decluttering, as you’ll find clothes you forgot you owned or even clothes you have never worn. 

An organised closet also makes it easier to show off your home during viewings. People don’t want to see jeans or shirts hanging over the backs of chairs or shoved into a corner in your bedroom, so hide everything away to make the house neat and ready for display. 

Repaint the Walls 

If you’ve painted the walls inside the home bold and brash colours, you may want to cover this up with neutral paints. This creates a blank slate for the new owners and also ensures any scuffs, marks and stains are covered.

The same goes for wallpaper, especially in your kids’ rooms, particularly if they have drawn all over it or had patterned wallpaper of their favourite superhero. While this can be good for showing how the home is ideal for kids, it might not be suitable for their kids. 

Even if you don’t paint all the walls you can focus on rooms that are used the most, like the living room and master bedroom. 

Deep Clean 

No one wants to move into a messy, dirty or grimy home, so deep cleaning every room is essential before you move out. Deep cleaning can feel like an endless battle, but it’s something you must do if you want to avoid any problems after you’ve left the property. 

This doesn’t just mean vacuuming the carpets and wiping down surfaces. You need to dig deep into your household powers and get into every nook and cranny. You need to get rid of those cobwebs high in the ceiling corners and under the sofas.Check if you have a standard ceiling height because you might need to buy an extension pole to deep clean all the corners, but it’s worth doing!

If it’s all too much, a professional cleaning company can offer some assistance, although you should still prepare the home and make it as clean as possible before they arrive. 

Fix Any Pet Problems 

If you’ve got pets, your home will smell. You may not notice this smell, but cat litter, wet dog, and even hamster or gerbil funk can add a distinct (and often unpleasant) odour to any property. You can open the windows while cleaning to air everything out, but the odours will remain, especially in fabrics like your sofa and carpets. 

Thankfully, there’s a host of everyday household items that can remove pet odours and deliver a fresh start. This will also benefit your new home, as it gets rid of the stench from your sofa and curtains, which you don’t want when moving into a new property. 

Get It Inspected 

A pre-sale home inspection is something all sellers should do before they put their home on the market. This allows you to identify any potential problems that you’ve missed, especially structural issues or problems that can include damp or mould. 

These inspections give you the peace of mind that everything is okay, so you can go ahead with the sale without the risk of any surprises that could jeopardise your move. 

Collect Important Documents

You’ll also need to collect all the important documents you need to sell your home and keep them in one safe space. These should be together already, so it’ll be easy enough to put them together in a folder to keep close by when it comes to handing over the house deed and other important documents. 

It’s best to check that you have everything before you put your home on the market, as anything missing could impact the sale and delay it for too long, meaning the potential buyers could pull out. If you are missing anything, you need to get in touch with your solicitors that helped you organise the initial purchase and chase things up. 

Fill It With Fresh Flowers 

While the house may not possess that new home smell anymore, especially if you’ve lived there for a while, you can still try to recreate it so the home smells great when the new owners finally move in. Fresh flowers are a great way to do this, but you can also use air fresheners and scented candles, which can be more convenient as you don’t need to worry about them dying and needing to be replaced. 

It’s also an excellent way to make your home’s interior look presentable. If you have kids, you know how difficult it can be to stay on top of cleaning at the best of times. With flowers, you can beautify your home and impress potential buyers. Just make sure you get rid of them when you move out. 

Looking Forward to the Future 

While your move is full of emotion, it’s also a great opportunity to look forward to the future. By taking care of all of these issues within your home, you can feel confident that the new owners will walk in with no trouble at all and be able to make memories just like you did with your family. So, don’t be sad because you’re leaving. Instead, embrace the good times and look forward to what excitement you are bound to enjoy in your new home.