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The time has come to sell your house. You are ready for your next adventure in a new home, or you are at least starting to think about that possibility. First, you will need to sell this home before you can move into the next one. But what if buyers are hesitant to make an offer on your house, and it ends up taking longer than you expect?
Selling your Potomac, Maryland, home can be a stressful experience. It is important to prepare your home for the sale years in advance by taking care of it the entire time that you own it. For example, it is probably unwise to ignore major repairs until they become absolutely necessary when selling the home, as they will likely escalate and become more expensive.
To have the best chance of selling your home for a good price that can finance your next home purchase, you need to prepare it well. Here are a few tips to follow to make sure your Potomac, MD, house is ready to be sold.
What's Inside
De-clutter
When people are looking to buy a house, they want to envision what things would look like for them in the new space. That is a little harder to do if the current state of the home is cluttered and messy. Cleaning up the inside of the home and decluttering will present a much more attractive picture to potential buyers.
This cleaning should first be done when taking pictures of the property that will be posted with the online listing. However, you should also keep up with cleaning in case your real estate agent schedules a viewing with a short turnaround. If an open house event is on the calendar, then you will certainly need to focus on maintaining a clean home.
Keep up with Maintenance
This is a process that should have started the moment you first moved into this house. Maintenance is one of those hidden costs of homeownership. You are responsible for the upkeep of the property, which often means taking preventative steps to maintain the various elements of the property.
The more preventative maintenance you do, the longer your home will last. If you haven’t already, start focusing on these maintenance tasks right now. Change out the filters in your furnace according to the model recommendations. Take care of our roof through cleaning and regular inspections. Inspect your appliances and take action if any repairs are needed. A well-maintained home is far more likely to sell quickly.
Invest in Needed Repairs
Selling your home for top dollar should be the goal. Anything you can do to keep the listing price high will yield more profits in your pocket. Unfortunately, many homeowners end up accepting a lower offer because they put off necessary repairs and the inspection revealed them. Part of maintaining a home is making repairs when necessary.
If a faucet starts to leak a little, deal with the problem quickly so it does not lead to a full-blown mold issue. If the furnace is showing signs of slowing down, hire a professional to inspect it and diagnose the problem. If you wait until you are selling the house to address these issues, you will either have to spend a lot on repairs or accept a lower offer from buyers who would rather not inherit these problems.
Upgrade the Property
Another way to prepare for a home sale is to improve the home or the land. In general, home improvement leads to a higher property value, so you can charge more for buyers. The key is finding a balance between spending money on these projects and recouping their value when you sell.
There are many different projects you can tackle to improve your property and appeal to more buyers. Bathroom and kitchen renovations have the highest average ROIs in terms of raising property value. Additions to the outdoor space, such as timber frame pavilions or patios, can add to curb appeal and draw more buyers inside.
New siding can reassure buyers that the home is more efficient and protected from the elements. Investing in home improvement can greatly increase your chances of attracting buyers while also raising the price of your Potomac, MD home.
Maximize Your Profits from a Home Sale with These Steps
Who doesn’t want to make as much money as possible when selling their home? There are plenty of details that can impact the final price of your home, so you should focus on putting those details in your favor. Keep the home clean for better property pictures and a clearer vision of life in this home during viewings and open houses.
Keep up with maintenance and repairs so you don’t have to blitz on all of them right before selling and spend a ton of money. Invest in upgrades that raise the property value and fulfill the needs of potential buyers. With these strategies in mind, you will be well on your way to selling your Potomac, MD property.
