5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Selling in 2020
The New Year is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start making some resolutions and plans. If one of your goals is to sell your home, then you can get started right now. It would be amazing if you could simply list your home and sit back and wait for the offers to pour in. Sadly that is not how it works. Even if you have a perfect home you still need to prepare your home for selling in 2020.
Those of us without perfect homes have to do a little more work. If you spread out the work by starting now it won’t seem so intimidating. As a bonus, the offers may pour in sooner than you think. Unloading a home can be a great relief, so now is the time to start thinking about how you can prepare your home for selling in 2020. A few tips should be all you need to get your home prepped and ready for its next owner.
1. Organize and Sort Your Finances
Most people have a file, folder, or cabinet where all of their financial papers go. If you happen to be organized, everything may be perfectly accessible. If you are not, then it’s time to start. You need a lot of documentation to sell your home. Gather your tax information, homeowner association fee payments, and proof of recent home repairs.
While you sort through your paperwork, it is a good idea to also group all of your appliance manuals together, find your property tax records, and any documentation of home upgrades. If you are selling your home and buying another, use this opportunity to gather your own personal financial information so you have an easier time at the lending agent.
2. Cut Down on Clutter
To prepare to sell your home in 2020 you need to start organizing now. Things just have a way of piling up and without even realizing it random stuff is everywhere. In order to sell your home you need to reduce the mess, because ideally your home should present like a blank state.
The goal of staging is to keep things simple so that potential buyers can envision their life in your home. Clutter distracts the eye and takes up space. You want your home to appear open and spacious. The holidays can make it harder to avoid trinkets everywhere. If you start now and continue working at cutting down it will be easier. If necessary, consider renting a storage unit to keep things in until the sale is complete.
3. Organize Closets and Cabinets
On the topic of clutter, your closets and cabinets are probably full of it. This makes any space look smaller. You can remedy this situation by trimming down what you keep in your closets and cabinets while showing your home. Cleaning out closets and junk drawers can take a long time, so start now.
On the bright side, you can combine this task with a New Year’s resolution of simplifying your life. Try to only keep ten or less items in your closet and clean out drawers so just the first layer is in use. You may have to live out of storage for a little bit, but leaving your cabinets and closets sparse will instantly create the illusion of space.
4. Use January Sales to Stage Your Home
As you declutter you also need to depersonalize your home. Your home should be a blank slate with minimal decor. Anything that is left behind should be strategically used to accent the natural layout of your home. Garland over a mantelpiece in a neutral color or a simple sleek lamp are several examples of great staging items. January is a great time to grab after holiday sales on a wide range of home items. If you know you need to prepare your home for selling in 2020, take advantage of the good buys.
5. Maintain Your Curb Appeal
The winter months can be tough for home sellers because they make it hard for homes to appear crisp and clean. However, do your best to maintain your curb appeal. Place a few arrangements on the porch and always shovel your walkways. Also ensure that any Christmas decorations are packed away by the close of the year. Generally they muddle the appearance of a home and serve no purpose once the holidays end.
If you are serious about selling your home in 2020, request a cash offer from SellHouseFast.com to find out how much your home is worth. You may be surprised by the offer you receive. The best part is, if you accept an offer from SellHouseFast you can skip over all of the above mentioned tasks and simply enjoy fresh cash in your hand.