Checklist of what to do to get your house market ready

Laura Zone 10 · #1 03/27/13, 08:10 AM

I am going to sell my house.

I would like to have a sign in the yard, by June 1rst.
Is there a check list of what I need to do to get the place market ready?

I know the obvious; purge, fresh paint, small repairs....(new carpet upstairs).....but I was wondering if there was a comprehensive check list?

simi-steading · #2 03/27/13, 08:15 AM

Lot's of lists out there... This will save us all some typing..

http://statenislandnyhomes.com/HTML/..._checklist.pdf

http://www.realestateabc.com/homeguide/selling.htm

http://www.home123.com/mortgage/home...lchecklist.php

katheh · #3 03/27/13, 08:19 AM

It's different for every market. Check your local listings in your area and see what they are advertising (fresh paint! new carpet! updated kitchen!).

The biggest factors that sell houses are:

1) Remove all STUFF except furniture pieces, and don't have many of them out, either. Remove all personal items. ALL. Remove 50% more furniture than you think is reasonable. People need to see how large your rooms are, and be able to visualize their stuff in there. They can't do that if your stuff is in there.

2) Clean pretty well. Doesn't have to be spotless. Uncluttered is better than shiny. Wash the windows inside & out. Get rid of the dustbunnies. Take any curtains off the walls (blinds are OK). Get into the habit of having your home show-ready. This means beds made every day, no clutter, dishes done and put away, blinds open, sparkly bathroom, and not one iota of a hint that you have any pets at all, if you do have any.

3) If anyone has smoked in your house, then paint every single room, including ceilings and wood trim or it will always smell of smoke. If not smoked in, then pick the worst room (in worst shape, dirtiest walls, ugliest color) and paint it a light tan or white and nothing else. The smell of the paint sets off triggers in the subconscious and makes lookers think you painted more than you did. It gives them a pleasing eye that skips over flaws in other rooms because they have that yummy new paint smell in their heads. They are going to paint it the colors they want after they buy it, anyway.

4) Wash your front door, get some flowers in pots outside, and have a welcome mat. Wash mud off sidewalk if needed, etc.

If you really get your personality off your house and get it as empty as possible, it can have a LOT of flaws and still sell for a competitive price (or even higher than comparably nicer homes). EMPTY homes sell quickly. Nicely remodeled/updated homes that have too much stuff in never sell. Unless someone smoked, I would not paint more than one room, and that just for the "new paint smell." I would not replace ANY carpeting. It's much easier to offer an $400 allowance for carpet in the contract. Then they pick what they want and you don't have to deal with it.

Lastly, June 1st is TOO LATE. Spring is a huge house-buying time in every single market, every area of the country. People want to look/buy in the spring to be moved in by summer, so their kids can transition into the new school district seamlessly in the fall.

Good luck!

Laura Zone 10 · #4 03/27/13, 08:23 AM

It will take me that long to get this place ready.. It's huge and I will not have a lot of help.

katheh · #5 03/27/13, 08:28 AM

The cost of renting a POD that you can quickly throw your stuff into and have it taken away to storage will reflect on a higher selling price for you if you can get your house listed sooner, in the right season for optimum price. You have boys right? Get 'em home for a weekend for their muscle.

Anyway, weigh the alternatives. Good luck!

Laura Zone 10 · #6 03/27/13, 08:40 AM

I do have a boy, and he has friends!! The boy will be home at the beginning of May.

I am way below the 'average American' when it comes to 'clutter and stuff'.
I am very confident I could completely purge this house of all clutter in a weekend.

I have minimal furniture, and nothing on the walls.

My biggies are as follows:
I need to finish dry walling the 1/2 bath and laundry room ceiling (pipes broke 5 years ago)
I need to drywall a settling crack (about 3 ft long) at the 10 foot mark of my 23 foot wall.
Re-paint the back hall way, repaired ceilings, foyer (23 foot walls) living room, and spot paint the dining room.
Replace the upstairs carpeting
Re-stain the front door

The garage is not my domain.

I have 14 credit hours of college classes till mid May.
I have summer classes that start at the beginning of June and end the middle of Aug.
Mid May is when I plant my garden (15) 10x3 raised beds + what I plant in rows. Plus flowers for "curb appeal".
PLUS I am working 30-35 hours a week bar tending (sometimes till almost 1 am).
All of this and I battle with PTSD/Depression.....
Time is my enemy right now, but I want to get started.....every little step I take each day, is one less thing I have to do when I get larger chunks of time.

Yvonne's hubby · #7 03/27/13, 08:43 AM

Move the outhouse over a fresh hole... and be sure to cover the old one!

Laura Zone 10 · #8 03/27/13, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvonne's hubby

Move the outhouse over a fresh hole... and be sure to cover the old one!

I have indoor plumbing......

Chad · #9 03/27/13, 09:17 AM

Are you on a well? If so get it tested, and get a clean bill of health BEFORE listing it. Even the tiniest trace amount of bacteria will scare most buyers. Having a good clean well with the documentation to prove it is a BIG plus.

Jennifer L. · #10 03/27/13, 09:37 AM

Make the front walk way and door inviting. Potted geraniums if nothing else. A neat front of the house always makes a place look attractive to people. Drive around your area and see what makes other people's houses attractive to you for examples. In other words, get people feeling positive about your house before they even get out of the car.

Ardie/WI · #11 03/27/13, 09:43 AM

Laura, I think that you have a handle on this already!

Just don't exhaust yourself TOO much!

unregistered353870 · #12 03/27/13, 10:27 AM

"Mid May is when I plant my garden (15) 10x3 raised beds + what I plant in rows. Plus flowers for "curb appeal"."

If you plan to sell this summer dont bother with the veggies its too hard to keep them looking nice and you hopefully wont be there much longer anyway. I'd also consider hiring pros to do your drywall repairs and such if you can afford it they can have it done in a day or two and it isnt that expensive.

Maura · #13 03/27/13, 01:30 PM

Don't be afraid to hire someone to do things like drywall and paint. They can do it faster than you, and it will look good. This is the sort of thing that sells a house, and is cost effective.

Ditto on what everyone has said. Stand across the street and look at the house. This is your "curb appeal" moment. You may need to just wash the front door, but you may need to paint it. The front should look pretty and well kept, so people are attracted to enter. If needed, trim lower branches of trees. Don't park cars where your for sale sign will be blocked. Don't have junky looking cars near the house or in the drive. Put the sign out in mid-May. People sometimes hear about a house from a neighbor of yours. They also drive around the area looking. If you get a call before you feel the house is ready, simply say that such and such a date will be good for you. There's no rule that says you have to show a house the day people call (though its a good idea to show it within 48 hours).

If a realtor calls, thank them and say you will keep them in mind. We sold one house via a realtor, and one via a lawn sign.

Ardie/WI · #14 03/28/13, 07:58 AM

Laura, don't push yourself too hard to get everything done on schedule. If the sign goes up in the middle of June, it isn't plasma. Nobody will die.

Bret · #15 03/28/13, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ardie/WI

Laura, don't push yourself too hard to get everything done on schedule. If the sign goes up in the middle of June, it isn't plasma. Nobody will die.

Now plasma we can help with.

Ardie/WI · #16 03/28/13, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bret

Now plasma we can help with.

MoonRiver · #17 03/28/13, 03:45 PM

Leave a couple of easy to fix problems. That way, the new owners can point them out and ask that they be fixed. And since they are easy, you have no problem doing it, but they get to feel good about finding the problems.

keenyrampton · #18 04/12/13, 05:39 AM

See selling your home is not a big deal but to be frank don't make it so nice that affects your pocket money

But you can re mold or re-furnish the things which are looking very odd!!
And ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR NEW HOUSE!!

SJSFarm · #19 04/12/13, 07:38 AM

If you have pets, especially cats, rehome them temporarily. Cat pee can be smelled for a long time, even if you keep the litter box totally clean. You won't notice the smell, but a non-cat owner will.

Also, if anyone smoked, the walls and ceiling can be cleaned and smell removed by washing it with vinegar. My first house was the 20 year home of two heavy smokers. I got that yellow mess and all the smell out without paint, just vinegar wash.

Good luck!

And regarding the depression; I found reading the bible to be of such help. Also listening to inspiring music gives me such a feeling of incredible peace.

geo in mi · #20 04/12/13, 08:48 AM

It's about curb appeal., They have already looked at the listing to see if they like the features, the price, the school district, the tax rate--and they probably have done a drive-by. By making an appointment they are halfway committed already. The first five minutes will sell them. If not, they will spend the rest of the walk thru convincing themselves NOT to buy it............. What they see, feel, and smell during that time from when they get out of the car and into the second room will be what you should concentrate on first and foremost. The rest, if you get to it, will just be a bonus and help you get your asking price......

geo