How To Get Your House Ready To Sell in 30 Days

Everywhere you look around the Lehigh Valley, you’ll see homes for sale, signs for open houses, and people in the process of moving. The regional real estate market is red-hot right now, making it a great time to buy your new dream home! But you’ll also need to get your home in good market condition to ensure a quick sale. And because these transactions and offers happen quickly, you’ll want to get a few shortlist tasks in order. Here’s the ultimate guide and to-do list on how to get your house ready to sell in 30 days or less, so you know precisely what to do to get your home ready to sell for the highest offer possible.

How Much Should You Pay to Get Your House Ready to Sell?

Before you start any renovations or pre-listing home improvement projects, you’ll want to give yourself a budget. If the goal is to prepare your home for sale in 30 days or less, you likely won’t have the extra time or budget to fix or replace everything. But understanding your home’s current market value can help you prepare for a range to expect for offers. You can then set monetary goals for yourself in terms of how much to invest before you sell. Some improvements will yield better results, while others might not be as noticeable to the bottom line. For example, if you can invest $5,000 in repairs, can you add that $5,000 to your asking price? Look at what neighboring properties in your area are currently selling for right now. And trust the Homeway Real Estate professionals to help you get organized.

Assessing Your Home’s Condition

The first mission-critical step in getting your house ready for listing should be assessing the current condition of your property. Walk around outside and tour the interior as if you were a buyer yourself to create a list of problem areas you see visually. Look for loose gutters, chipping paint, hard-to-close doors, or signs of water damage. You can also look for more cosmetic opportunities for improvement, like replacing light bulbs and outlet covers. For a comprehensive look at what your house might need before it sells, consider hiring a certified professional inspector to come in and provide you with an official pre-listing inspection report. You can then decide which items on the list you can tackle yourself and which might need a qualified contractor to fix.

Addressing Big Repairs to Get Your House Ready to Sell Quickly

If your basement floods every time there’s heavy rain, you’ll need to disclose that to any potential buyers. If your basement takes on a little water because you don’t have the proper downspout extensions for your gutters, that’s a problem you can fix yourself. You won’t likely have the time and budget to fix everything, but there are a few big-ticket fixes you’ll want to prioritize if you can afford them. If you want to sell your house quickly, consider replacing the roof if it’s in poor condition. Address any HVAC, water heater, or plumbing issues, as well. These are the more significant fixes that potential buyers may not want to deal with in a new-to-them home. And while they’re usually the most expensive upgrades you can make right now, doing so before listing can significantly improve your rate of return on the repair investment. If one of these major repairs sets you back $5,000 now, it won’t sting as bad when you get an extra $8,000-$10,000 at closing. Trying to sell your home as-is will only translate to lower offers and a longer time on the market.

Storing, Decluttering, and Donating

Most homeowners want to know how to handle their own belongings, especially when the goal is to sell the home and move fast. You might not be ready to move just yet, but you don’t want your home to appear cluttered with boxes and messy for potential buyer walkthroughs, either. Get your things in order and create three distinct categories for your items: what to put in storage, what to throw away, and what to donate. Then you can move through your home, room by room, and begin your decluttering process. Fewer items occupying space can create a more open feel for potential buyers. Rooms and closets will look bigger if they’re free of knick-knacks and unnecessary belongings. This purging process will not only help you sell your house quickly, but it will also make packing, loading, and moving a whole lot easier when it comes time to do so.

First Impressions and Curb Appeal Tips

Aesthetics matter. Another pre-listing preparation step should be sprucing up the curb appeal to make your house and property more appealing. Some estimates suggest the right kind of landscaping can improve the value of your home by up to 28% alone! The yard and exterior of your house is the first thing any browsing homebuyers will see. Overgrown shrubs, trees, or foliage will need to be addressed to make sure people can actually see your property. Painting the front door, replacing worn light fixtures, and adding in some landscape lighting can also be impressive. You don’t have to give your yard a major overhaul, either. Instead, look for the little things that accentuate your home’s best features from the curb. Almost 30% of sellers improve their landscape before listing. And to help get your house ready to sell in 30 days, it’s a task you’ll definitely want to add to your list.

Deep Cleaning to Get Your House Ready to Sell

If you do nothing else before listing your house for sale, consider deep cleaning. Now is the time to have any carpeting professionally cleaned. Scrub those baseboards and wash the ceiling fan globes. Get into the corners with the vacuum and bust out the grout cleaner for the bathroom tile. Windows that have been cleaned inside and out can allow more lighting into the space. Shiny kitchen appliances look better than stained or dingey ones. A clean environment will be more inviting to potential buyers during the showing process. Anything less than spotless can be a home-offer deterrent.

Little Things to Fix Up When Selling a House

You may not have the time or budget to invest in every major remodel project right now. And that’s ok. If you’re in a hurry to move, like many are these days, you’ll just want the super shortlist of improvements you can handle right now. And there are little things that make a huge impact on the look and feel of a space. Consider replacing all the knobs and handles in the kitchen, for example. A quick run to the local home improvement store and a screwdriver can give your kitchen cabinets a fresh look on a budget. Grab some paint and touch up any wall scuffs or marks. Change out the light fixtures in common areas, like the kitchen or den. Replace any mismatched drapery with discount shades of white curtains for brightness in a space.

Don't go it alone if you’re ready to take advantage of the hot Lehigh Valley housing market. Get your house ready to sell fast with the help of Homeway Real Estate! Find your dream home today and prepare your home for a quick listing with the local experts who can help!