5 Things You Should Fix Before Listing Your Home for Sale

Planning on posting your home on the market soon? That means it’s a great time to begin thinking about ways to improve your home’s marketability and buyer appeal. You should begin strategizing the things you plan to fix before listing your home for sale.

Investing time to conduct some home improvements to refresh your home is a best practice recommended by top-selling agents. Even a little bit of effort put toward fixing up your home before listing it can improve your home’s market performance — and ultimately streamline the experience you have selling.

5 Things to Fix Before Listing Your Home

Before you begin creating your home’s listing — by taking photos, videos, and writing the listing description — and posting it online, consider the following items as things you should fix before listing your home.

#1. Repaint Dull Walls

One of the best ways to get your home listing-ready is to paint the interior walls. This will help your home feel clean, new, and less “lived in,” which can help buyers imagine your listing as a potential future home.

When choosing a color, it’s recommended to opt for a muted neutral tone like whites, creams, and beiges. Lighter colors increase the perceived size of your home and help to appeal to buyers’ unique tastes better than a dark, intense color. Don’t forget to put a fresh coat of paint on all of the baseboards, door frames, and window panes.

#2. Spruce Up the Landscaping

How’s your home’s curb appeal? When you publish your listing, you never know when nearby local buyers may want to drive by unannounced to check out the home in person. In these cases, the only thing buyers will be able to see is the outside of the home — making it important to ensure that your lawns, yards, and entrances are well-groomed and attractive.

Spend a day out in the yard or call in professional landscapers to make sure that your home is neat and clean.

You’ll want to remove any trash and debris from the property, prune plants, cut overhead hanging branches, and trim the grass. You can also consider pressure washing the exterior of your home if it appears to be dirty, as well as installing decorative plants around the entryway.

Refreshing the landscape will be critical when it comes time to welcome touring buyers and conducting open houses, so it’s a good idea to get a head start before you list your home.

#3. Fix Drafty Doors and Windows

If your home is letting air in and out through closed windows and doors due to unsealed openings, this will be identified during the home inspection. You should address the problem in advance by making this an item you fix before listing your home.

Drafts make it more difficult for your home to regulate its internal temperature, stressing the HVAC system and running up the property’s power bills. This can be a red flag for buyers, so make sure that you call in a professional to inspect and repair the issue before you list your home on the market.

#4. Replace Outdated or Broken Appliances

Appliances are a key marketing feature for listings on the market. By replacing your old, used appliances with new eco-friendly models, you can highlight the new appliances when writing the listing description.

Buyers may feel comfortable moving into a home with all new appliances since they have not been previously used, and are less likely to break down or require repairs — which can save buyers time and money down the road.

New appliances can also benefit buyers if they are environmentally friendly and consume less energy. This can help the new homeowner save money month-to-month on utilities like power and water.

When shopping for replacement appliances, consider looking at smart models that can add an additional marketing key point to your listing description.

#5. Check On All Water Fixtures

Buyers visiting the home do not want to find a leaky faucet or slow-flushing toilet when inspecting the property’s water fixtures.

Homeowners planning to sell should check up on all externalized plumbing features in the home. If you suspect that there is an issue with your home’s plumbing system, call in a professional to diagnose the problem so you can make repairs before listing your home.

Always Work with a Top Agent

By working with a top agent in your area, you will have an experienced professional expert on your side to guide you through the transaction — from listing preparation to closing. When you hire a top agent, they will be able to visit your home and identify all of the areas that need to be fixed before the listing to facilitate a successful sale.

Eager to begin searching for the right agent for you? Rely on RealEstateAgent.com to connect you with your perfect agent!