There are a lot of moving parts when selling your house. In the early stages, getting the house ready for the sale is imperative to getting the influx of interested buyers walking through. To give yourself the best shot at a fast and profitable sale, make sure you do these 3 things before selling your house in Houston, Texas.
Declutter Inside and Out
Declutter the entire house including the garage. When your real estate agent says, “Oh my, look at the plate collection from every state,” what he really means is, “Oh wow, no one cares about this.” Sorry. Your job as the seller is to declutter and make the house tidy and look like anyone can envision themselves living there with their own weird collections. We all have them.
Prepare to move sooner than later by boxing up anything and everything you don’t need immediately: pictures, plate collections, vases, and books. Go through closets and dressers, donating what doesn’t fit or you don’t use. Essentially if there is anything on a countertop or shelf, think about whether it still needs to be there for the listing photos.
That’s right, this all needs to be done before the listing photos since the majority of buyers do all research online before they ever walk into a house. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll wait until the open house to declutter – that’s too late!
Clean, Scrub and Polish
Do you want to live in someone else’s dirt? Of course not. As you declutter, you find dust balls and dirt everywhere. It’s under the sofa, behind the curtains, on bookshelves, and under beds. Clean the house top to bottom so potential buyers feel like they can kick their shoes off and run around carefree without getting their socks dirty.
Start at the top and work your way down. This means clean ceiling fans from the layer of gunk coating the blades. Remove and clean all light fixtures on fans, ceilings, and walls. Wash and dry them before making them shine with glass cleaner. Wipe walls down with a mild bleach solution. Sweep, vacuum and mop.
Now tackle the bathrooms. Make these sparkle. Don’t just do a quick run through like you have friends coming over for a last-minute football party. Clean grout, scrub tubs then remove the mineral buildup on shower doors and fixtures. Scrub the toilet so there are no rings or stains. If cleaning isn’t your thing, hire a crew to come and do it for you. It will pay for itself.
Once clean, keep it clean. It might be a good idea to limit home use when possible. Perhaps everyone only uses one bathroom to make maintaining things easier. Perhaps close off spare bedrooms so pets and kids don’t make more cleaning work.
Stage for Success
Wow! Counters are free and clear of things and totally sparkling. Now is the time to make your home look like it belongs on HGTV. Set the dining room table with neutral but nice dishes and placemats. Change out all light bulbs so lighting is consistent and bright. Arrange furniture so rooms look open and comfortable. Make beds and hide daily items like toothbrushes and laundry baskets. Frame windows with light or sheer drapery so they allow light to enter.
Know that everything you do in the house is necessary outside as well. Keep porches and patios open and free from tools, toys, and unnecessary items. Take the time to clean up landscaping, trim trees and remove odd or dying plants. Power wash driveways and walkways and clean the outside window frames and glass. Do all of this to make sure you highlight your home in the best possible way before selling your house in Houston, Texas.
If you would like more information about selling your house, give us a call at (713) 635-9000 or fill out our contact form.