Is selling your home one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2022? Now is a great time to list your home. We’ve been in a seller’s market for quite some time, and that trend will likely continue well into the coming year. But even though the market favors sellers, it’s still important to prepare for your upcoming sale. Here’s what you need to do to get ready.
Get familiar with the market
First things first — start getting familiar with your local real estate market. Doing your homework before you put your home on the market will help you manage your expectations. Look at homes that are similar to yours and see what they are selling for. Comparable homes should have features that are like yours, including size, amenities, and location.
Clean and declutter
Next up — cleaning and decluttering. This is one of the most important steps you need to take when planning your 2022 home sale. And now is the perfect time of year to do it. As you put away your holiday decorations, start going through items in your home. Donate those items you no longer need. You might also consider beginning to pack up items you don’t often use and keeping them in storage. Once you’ve decluttered, give your home a deep clean until it sparkles.
Make needed repairs
Even though we’re in a seller’s market, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make needed repairs on your home. Making small repairs can have a big impact on how quickly you sell and for what price. Walk through your home and think like a buyer — what would you like to see fixed? This can include repairing lighting fixtures, fixing leaky faucets, and patching holes in drywall.
Spruce up your curb appeal
Curb appeal is especially important when you’re selling your home. What does your home look like on the outside? Does it need some sprucing up? Some of the ways that you can improve your curb appeal are cleaning up the yard, washing your home’s exterior, fixing cracks in the sidewalk and driveway, swapping out lighting fixtures and mailboxes, and painting the front door. Small changes can really add up.
Start detaching emotionally
Selling your home is a huge financial transaction. And you should think of it from a business perspective. We understand that can be hard to do. You’ve made many memories in your home, and it may be hard for you to detach emotionally. But the more you can begin to think of your home sale as a financial transaction, the better able you will be to navigate the selling process.
Work with a trusted real estate professional
Finally, when it’s time to sell your home you should work with a real estate professional you can trust. An expert in your market can help make sure that you sell your home quickly and with less stress.
