Top Ten Things to Do Before Listing Your Property for Sale
By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Chris Meyers, Esq. | Last reviewed November 22, 2021
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While it takes only a few clicks of the mouse to list your home for sale, a sale at the best price typically requires research and a bit of elbow grease. Before listing your property for sale — whether it's a house, condominium, or a plot of land — make sure it's properly presented. Even minor imperfections can turn off prospective buyers.
Top 10 Things to Do Before Listing Your Property for Sale
10. Even if you think your home is in pristine condition, ask a real estate agent to walk through it before you put your house on the market. Real estate agents have seen hundreds, if not thousands of homes. They may have suggestions for repairs or small improvements that could help your house sell faster.
9. Maintain your lawn, garden, and shrubs. Keep the lawn watered and plant some flowers.
8. If you have a beautiful garden of spring bulbs, or colorful fall shrubbery, shoot a video or take pictures for a photo album for prospective buyers. Out of season, people may have a hard time visualizing what the yard and garden can look like at their best.
7. Touch up the exterior paint if it's starting to flake or peel. Touch up the interior paint if it's dinged or scraped. If a room really needs it, give it a new coat of paint in a neutral color.
6. Have the chimney for both the furnace and the fireplace checked and cleaned.
5. Evaluate what your house looks like as you step through the door. Does it look crowded or cluttered? Get rid of clutter and excess furniture. Put things in a storage locker if you have a lot of stuff. You'll make the rooms look bigger and brighter.
4. Clean every room in the house thoroughly. Have the carpets and draperies professionally cleaned. Clean switch plate covers. Wash the windows inside and out.
3. Take time now to do all those small fixes you haven't gotten to before. Fix drippy faucets. Update the knobs and handles on the kitchen cabinets. Have broken window screens replaced and cracked windows repaired.
2. Clean the mildew out of your shower and touch up the grout.
1. Line up a professional cleaning service to come in while your house is on the market so you are always ready for short-notice viewings.
Related Resources
Do You Have Legal Questions About Listing Your Property?
Are you concerned that there may be a problem with your home's title? Are there condition issues with your home that may require a disclosure? Are there encumbrances or liens on your home that you haven't been able to address? Rather than worry about potential legal problems delaying your home sale, talk with an experienced local real estate attorney before you list your home.
Next Steps
Contact a qualified real estate attorney to help guide you through the process of selling your home.
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