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You can fetch top dollar for your home with a few simple prep steps.
Key points
- It’s still a seller’s market in 2022.
- You can take steps to get top dollar for your home.
- Preparing for a sale can mean decluttering and completing certain tasks.
In most real estate markets, it’s still a really good time to sell your home as inventory is low and demand is high. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps to ensure you get top dollar for your property.
How can you prep your property for sale to maximize the price? Here are five tips that can help.
1. Declutter and depersonalize
Home buyers need to see your home in its best light and should be able to focus on the property’s features when they tour it. They also should be able to picture themselves in the house when they visit.
If you have a lot of clutter, you could end up obscuring features that are attractive to home buyers — such as a nice fireplace or trimwork. You could make your home look smaller and less attractive than it is, turning off potential buyers. And if you have a lot of personalized details, would-be buyers may be unable to imagine themselves making the place their own.
Since you will need to declutter and take down your personal possessions when you move anyway, you may as well get a jump start on doing so when you list your property in order to make the house more attractive to potential buyers.
2. Take care of deferred maintenance tasks
Many people have minor home repairs they put off because they are inconvenient. This could be as simple as a cabinet handle falling off or a leaky faucet.
Unfortunately, these deferred maintenance tasks can be a turnoff to potential buyers who may fear you’ve let bigger things slip as well. To avoid having a minor problem turn into a big obstacle to finding a buyer, take care of these minor repairs. Since they’d probably be identified during a buyer’s home inspection anyway, it’s best to handle the issues upfront before they interfere with a sale.
3. Ensure your home is clean and odor free
A smelly, dirty home is a major turnoff …….