A Day to Day Guide to Preparing Your House for Sale

To sell the house out….it’s not just merely advertising it up and wait for the bait, right? Right.

As much it was a huge decision for you to put it up for sale, it is a bigger decision for the buyer to purchase it.

With that said, you should upkeep your property to make sure it will reap as much profit that it can. We have prepared a 30 days list guide to sell your house. Follow these steps and you will able to sell your house with the highest price!

Day 1: Check the storeroom, the bathroom, and all other light bulbs and light fixtures. It’s easy to forget about all the bulbs that have burned out over the years, but you want your home to be as bright as possible. Lighting makes an incredible difference in how a home looks to potential buyers.

Day 2: Prep the paperwork: Buyers and agents are going to ask a lot of questions, so start digging out the paperwork now: utility bills, tax bills, renovation details, warranties, mortgage details, survey, and rental contracts.

Day 3: Get some boxes and duct tape. A big part of the adventure you’re about to embark on involves reducing clutter. Set some money aside for good packing supplies. The last you want is fine china to break because of flimsy boxes.

Day 4: Make an extra set of keys. Potential buyers and their agents will need to access your home, so you’ll need an extra set of keys. It’s worth the RM5  not to have to open the lock-box every time you want to come home.

Day 5: Tackle the bathrooms. Remove all the toiletries you have on display (nobody wants to know you use Head & Shoulders).  Invest in some new white towels for display. If your toilet seat, mirror is broken, please replace them. Consider replacing the towel rack and hooks too.

Day 6: Spruce up the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the rooms Buyers are most attracted to. Remove your appliances – you want the counters to be as clear as possible. Don’t cram all your dishes and food back in – again, you want to convey to Buyers that your kitchen has enough storage. Consider investing in some fresh flowers and a beautiful bowl with some fresh fruit in it.

Day 7: Next up: the bedrooms. The bedrooms should be inviting, and that means more cleaning and decluttering and investing in a few props. If you don’t already have one, invest in a neutral-colored duvet cover and some new fancy pillows. Remove personal photos, knick-knacks, and personal grooming products. Make it look like a hotel.

Day 11: Tackle what you can’t see: closets and storage areas. Much as I’d love to say that you can cram all the stuff you don’t want on display into your closets, the truth of the matter is that Buyers will open your closets. They’ll look in your cupboards. The last thing you want is for Buyers to think there isn’t enough storage in your home, so take the time to pack away what you don’t need.

Day 13: The entrance. Remember that most Buyers will have an emotional reaction to your home within 15 seconds of entering it, so what they experience at the entrance is CRITICAL. You want your entrance to be clean, de-cluttered and inviting.

Day 15: Hire a Realtor If you haven’t already hired someone, today is the day. An experienced listing agent will also guide you through the home preparation and staging process, so you don’t have to do it alone. You can also get our homerunners to help out 🙂

Day 16: Paint touch-ups and re-painting A fresh coat of paint is one of the cheapest ways to freshen up your home. (Tip: light colours will help small rooms look bigger). Don’t forget about the ceilings – they might need some paint too.

Day 17: Make a list of all the little stuff that you’ve been avoiding repairing including the leaky faucet, the picture holes in the wall, etc. and get it done once and for all. If you aren’t handy yourself, bring in a handyman to take care of it.

Day 18: Get the windows cleaned. I know, you probably don’t even think about cleaning your windows, but rain, sun, and dust can really make your windows dirty.

Day 21: Get the carpets cleaned. Unless your carpets are brand new, you’ll want to have them steam cleaned (or do it yourself). You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.

Day 22: Don’t forget about the floors. If your floors are scratched, there are some great products out there to make them look almost-brand-new.

Day 24: The final clean. By now you’re probably exhausted..sorry about that. While you can do this final step yourself, we always like to bring in professional cleaners who will make sure to clean all the spots you don’t.

Day 29: Photography. When your house or condo is de-cluttered, cleaned and ready, it’s time for the photographer to work his magic. This will happen a few days before you list your home for sale. Make sure to tell your Realtor the times when the light is best – that’ll make a big difference in the photos.

Day 30: The final once-over. You’ve worked hard, and now it’s time to step back and admire your work. How does it look? Do you see anything that might distract or turn off a Buyer? Take one final walk through all the rooms and adjust as necessary.

Now…Don’t. Touch. Anything. Back away slowly… et voila!

And if you’re planning to put your house up for rent, be a landlord with SPEEDHOME and you’ll get insurance coverage up to RM26,000 for your home!