Here’s How to Get Your House Ready to Sell in the Spring Market

Spring will be here before we know it — and with it comes the bustling housing market. If you’re planning to sell in the spring market, it’s important to start preparing now so your house is ready to make a great impression on prospective buyers.

5 things to do now if you’re selling in the spring market

1. Hire a real estate agent.

When you’re getting ready to sell, the first step should be to hire a real estate agent. Put simply, a real estate agent will be able to help you put together a plan for getting your home on the market. With their assistance, you should be able to list as soon as the spring market opens up in your area.

If you don’t already have a real estate agent on call, your first step should be to ask family and friends for recommendations. Then, your next step should be to search the internet for top producers in your area. Be sure to read plenty of reviews.

Once you have a shortlist of candidates, it’s a good idea to take the time to interview each real estate agent. Let them tell you a little bit about their experience and ask plenty of questions. By the end of the interviews, there’s a good chance that you will zero in on someone who is the right fit.

2. Determine the right list price.

After you’ve chosen the right real estate agent for selling in the spring market, the next step is to determine the right list price for your home.

In real estate, the list price will help determine how much interest buyers show in your property. Unfortunately, if you price your home too high, you’ll be competing with other listings that have more to offer for the money.

When you’re trying to determine the list price for your home, your real estate agent will be an essential part of the process. He or she can help generate a comparative market analysis for your home. That comparative market analysis will show you what other, similar homes have sold for in recent months and help you determine the right price range for your listing.

3. Fix any small issues now before selling in the spring market.

Every homeowner has a list of small, property-related fixes that they will get around to someday. However, when you’re thinking of selling your home, that day needs to come sooner rather than later. With that in mind, make it a point to fix some of those quirks before you put your home on the market.

In this instance, taking the time to make sure your home is in top shape will help you fare better during the home inspection and appraisal. Often, signs that things aren’t in working order will diminish your home’s overall value and can give potential buyers cause for concern.

On the other hand, if your home is in great shape, it will prove to buyers that your home is worth what you’re asking in the list price. It may even put buyers under the impression that they are getting a great deal of value for their money.

4. Make a plan for curb appeal.

When you’re putting your home on the market, curb appeal is paramount. At its core, the term “curb appeal” refers to the way that your home looks from the outside. Ideally, you will want your home to look well kept and inviting in order to make a good first impression with potential buyers.

While it may still be too cold out to start planting flowers or doing any other exterior renovation project, you can start planning for selling in the spring market. For instance, if you are thinking of doing some landscaping, it may make sense to call a landscaper and get on the books for an initial discussion. Meanwhile, if you are planning on doing any home improvement projects, start planning how and when they will happen.

Finally, you should also start to make a plan for when you are going to do regular maintenance. Often, regular maintenance can be the thing that really makes a home look as though it’s been taken care of over the years. Given that, it’s crucial to add things like cleaning out the gutters and mowing the lawn to your schedule for the time being,

5. Stock up on plenty of PPE.

Lastly, even though the vaccine is being distributed now, odds are good that the virus is still going to be with us for the foreseeable future. To that end, you should start stocking up on as much personal protective equipment (PPE) as possible. This includes hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and extra masks.

In addition, you will also want to think carefully about any concerns that you have about potential buyers coming in and out of your home. It’s important to talk this over with your real estate agent so that you’re all on the same page when you’re selling in the spring market.