It’s the end of January. People have been stuck in their homes for 2 months now with this winter. But just as gardeners are scanning through the seed catalogs dreaming of warmer weather, homeowners are thinking of getting their homes ready to put on the market when spring comes. (I’m sure it will arrive … eventually.)
I’ve had several calls from sellers this month to discuss what they need to do now while they’re stuck inside. Might as well start working on the to-do list when there isn’t much else to do except shovel snow and shiver.
Best time to put the home on the market?
I recommend having it ready to put the for-sale sign in the yard at least by the first week of March. Lest you think that sounds far away, it’s only 5-weeks from now. That’s not much time if you have much work to do.
Concerned about a buyer’s home inspection?
If you’ve not kept up with home maintenance or if you’ve done some work without getting proper building permits, you might choose to hire a home inspector to allow you to fix things in advance so they don’t become deal-killers later when you have an offer. If you didn’t get building permits that were required, you’ll have to disclose that on the Residential Property Disclosure Form that must be given to the buyer. Call me for names of some reputable home inspectors.
Is your carpet & paint in tip-top shape?
I just did this fix-up in December, so I can make recommendations if you don’t want to paint yourself. Carpet installation should NOT be a DIY project. While it’s not inexpensive to do these repairs, you’ll get the money back in price or time on the market. Call me for names of companies that will give discounts.
Do you need to de-clutter?
You know it’s got to be done, don’t you? Yes, I know it’s not fun, but … it will need to be packed for your move anyway, so start early. If you haven’t used it for 6-months, make it go away. You can consider giving it to charity or sell it to consignment shops or simply trash it. I called 1-800-GOT-JUNK to get rid of some old, old furniture that I no longer wanted. I can get you a discount.
Not sure what you need to do?
Give me a call and we can schedule an appointment to discuss further. That’s one of the services I do for my clients.
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