22 Steps to Prep Your House For Sale and Sell For More Money

When selling a home, there’s a lot of work just to prep your house for sale. However, real estate agents say it’s not uncommon for clients to forget something when prepping. We’ve assembled this list of the top things you can take care of to help your home make a great impression, entice buyers, and attract great offers. Some of these items may seem like no-brainers, but we bet there are a few that you never thought of!

Top Agents Know What Sells Homes

If you’re thinking about selling your house, partnering with a top real estate agent early in the process can be a great move. They have the experience to know how to get you through the process, from prepping your house for sale to getting to closing day.

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Prep your house for sale: Common tasks

1. Declutter, depersonalize, and deep clean

Everyone knows that your home should be as close to a blank slate as possible when selling homes. You want potential buyers to look at the beautiful features of your home without focusing so much on your items or dirt and grime. You don’t want them to see crowded closets and cabinets, cramped rooms full of furniture, and piles of junk mail on the counter.

“I’ve noticed that people forget to empty as much as they can out of the home,” says Noe Favela, one of Illinois’ top-selling real estate agents with over 17 years of experience. Instead, pack what you don’t need for everyday life as you’re decluttering and depersonalizing. The more you pack up during this stage, the less you need to pack when ready to move!

Note: If you don’t have time to deep clean your home (or hate cleaning), a professional cleaner is a great option. Professional cleaners usually charge between $118 to $236 on average, but you could pay $750+ if your house is larger than 3,000 square feet.

2. Pressure wash the exterior

You work hard to keep the interior of your home clean, but you can’t forget to clean the exterior of your home as well! “From the moment I pull up to a house, I’m looking at the roof,” says Cheryl Bare, a top real estate agent in Waldorf, Maryland, who has sold 66% more properties than the average agent in her area. “Many people have mold growing on it, and it makes the roof look old, but it might just need a good power washing.”

Home improvement stores offer rental pressure washers at $35 to $175 per day. You can rent the pressure washer for the weekend and use it to clean more than just the roof. You can use it on:

• Decks
• Patios
• Exterior walls
• Walkways
• Driveway

3. Spruce up the front entryway

The easiest way to make a great first impression is to take a little time to spruce up the front entryway. Your front entryway needs to be welcoming and make the buyers eager to get inside.

Ways to make your entryway pop:

• Give the front door a new paint job (Homes & Gardens has some great color ideas)
• Use a sponge and soapy water to clean the mailbox (or replace it for less than $100)
• Place a new, yet generic, welcome mat in front of the door
• Update light fixtures for less than $100
• Decorate with potted plants

4. Check walkways for trip hazards

A cracked or uneven driveway or walkway isn’t just an eyesore; it’s a safety hazard, and you don’t want potential buyers to trip when they’re coming to see your home. For minor imperfections, you can repair the cracks yourself. However, if there are large problem areas, your best bet is to contact a professional contractor for estimates.

The cost of sidewalk repair depends on the size of the project, but leveling concrete slabs ranges between $662 and $1,857. To repair a driveway, the cost ranges from $829 to $2,812. The size and landscape of your driveway and the extent of the damage add to the cost of a repair project.

5. Clean and tidy attic, basement, or garage

The interior and exterior of your home look fabulous, but what about those spaces that aren’t used every day? Storage spaces like the attic, basement, or garage still need to be swept and dusted like the rest of your house. But thankfully, you don’t have to make these spaces sparkle (unless they’re used as a finished living space).

6. Warranties

If you’re leaving the appliances with the home and still under warranty, be sure to have the warranty information and receipts ready to give to the buyers. You may also have warranties for landscaping, roof repairs, paving the driveway, and much more.

To cover any problems or malfunctions, sellers can also purchase a home warranty during the listing and escrow period. It can also be used as a marketing incentive because it gives buyers peace of mind knowing the condition of the house is protected when they submit an offer.

Read more about home warranties.

7. Refresh paint

Painting is a great way to revitalize any home, and neutral colors are the golden standard in terms of color. However, that doesn’t mean everything has to be white! “A common mistake [homeowners] have is that they think they should paint their entire house white,” says top-selling real estate agent from Illinois Nicole Tudisco of Team Tudisco Realtors.
You can use white on the baseboards, crown moldings, and trim, but other great neutral paint colors are popular among today’s buyers.