Preparing now can help to make selling your home easier:

1. Contact your real estate agent and request a walk-through.

If you’re planning a future sale, consider having a real estate agent do a quick pass-through. This is a good idea for multiple reasons: Your agent will know your market and possess insights into what sells a house better than anyone. Having a professional guide you through which changes might need to be made before putting your house on the market could save you the headache. Your agent may suggest many items on this list.

2. Contact your Loan Officer and get pre-approved**.

Once you list, it’s possible that things may start moving fast, depending on your market. If you want to minimize time spent in transition, it’s helpful to get all your financials taken care of. Reach out to your local Academy Loan Officer and get pre-approved** for your next mortgage. Doing this can clue you into any issues that may need attention—like spotty credit—and give you an exact idea of how much house you can afford to purchase.

“We’ve worked with a lot of lenders, and this was hands down the best experience. Excellent communication, they were on top of everything, the user interface was super easy to use, and they closed faster than expected.”

 

Find your local Academy Loan Officer.

3. Do a spring cleaning.

Time to roll up your sleeves and scrub down those often-forgotten places that a potential buyer might notice—like baseboards, windows, banisters, and more. Next, give your home a critical look and note what you can and can’t live without. Donate what you no longer need and put away personal items—like photos and knickknacks—that may make it harder for a buyer to picture themselves living in your house.

4. Boost curb appeal.

Improving curb appeal requires taking a good, hard look at the exterior of your house. Your agent may help you do this, or you could even ask a friend or family member to drive by and give feedback. When selling your home, small changes can make a big difference. For example, repainting your front door black might net you more than $6,000 over asking price.

5. Plant flowers.

Adding pops of color with seasonal flowers is a simple way to set the scene and get buyers in the mood for spring. Plant low-maintenance springtime flowers, like marigolds or daffodils, in a front garden bed, hanging pot, or window box. While all spring colors are welcome, yellow is associated with memory and happiness, which can’t hurt when it comes to buyers touring your house.

6. Make repairs.

Which repairs are necessary when selling your home, and which can be overlooked or lumped into negotiations? This is another area where your real estate agent can provide you with the clearest guidance. It can help to list out all household items that may need fixing or updating, like an aging furnace, broken shower, or stuck window, and then tackle each one based on repair cost and importance.

7. Stage and photograph.

Staging comes when all the hard work of cleaning and clearing has been done. Here, you may again take your agent’s direction or choose to hire a stager. Some industry professionals suggest creating a purpose for each room, removing everything from kitchen counters, and hanging extra mirrors to brighten and open up space. From there, your agent will take photos or hire a photographer and then put together your online listing.

8. Price it right.

Most housing markets have cooled from the red-hot levels of demand seen during the pandemic. Now more than ever, it’s important to price your home right. This is where the expertise of your real estate agent comes in again. A skilled agent can help you price your home in its “sweet spot,” a price that isn’t so high that it discourages interest, nor so low that it eats into your profits.