Before you put your house on the market, there are things that you should do before your first open house. Implement these easy, do-it-yourself suggestions to get the most money for your home in the shortest amount of time:

 

1.    Go through your entire house and reduce the visible clutter in each room:

 Potential buyers want to imagine themselves living in your home. As such, it is important to keep things clean, organized, accessible and impersonal.

·       Get organized

·       Declutter all surfaces

·       Remove personal pictures

·       Remove excess furnishings and décor

 Remember…less is more!

 

2.    Declutter your closets and cabinets:

 During an open house, potential homebuyers will be looking in your closets, kitchen drawers and cabinets to see if there is enough storage for their needs. 

·       You can showcase what your house has to offer in terms of storage by decluttering your closets, cabinets, and drawers, to show off the potential those spaces have to offer.

 

3.    Think about small, but important, details:

 Show the potential every room in your house has to offer:

·       Add some plants or flowers

·       Make a room look larger by adding a mirror

·       Make sure to have the right lighting

·     Make sure that you turn on all of the lights, open the blinds and shades before your open house.

 

4.    Gather your documents:

·       Put all warranties, manuals, service records, and repairs done to your house in one place as they will be needed by different parties at different times while selling your house.

·     If you’ve made recent upgrades like a new deck, new roof or installed a new kitchen, make sure your agent knows and have the paperwork to back it up.

·      During the home inspection process, inspectors will go through your house to check everything carefully. 

·     Be proactive and gather all your service records so you’ll know ahead of time if something needs to be taken care of before listing your home.

. Title companies require very specific documentation in order for you to sell your home including the following:

  •  Mortgage loan information which will show any outstanding mortgage balance or pay-off balance if applicable
  •  Final purchase and sale agreement
  •  Deed
  •  Title report
  •   Property tax information including most recent tax statement
  •   Homeowners insurance
  •   Lease agreement if you’re currently renting the property
  •   Any reports or documentation that relates to the property:
  •   Warranty paperwork, permits, service documentation, instruction manuals, dates of home improvement projects, and age of the roof, furnace, hot water heater, HVAC, and all the other major appliances.

Author: Dina Braverman