What to Do Before You Move
Hello, again readers! So you’ve decided that you would like to sell your house. Now what? How do you get ready? Here’s 7 things you can do to make selling your house so much easier (in no particular order)!
1. Declutter and Depersonalize
This might come as a surprise but people don’t actually want to see your family photos when they are viewing your house. Actually, what they want to do is envision their own pictures in place of yours. Help them break down that mental barrier and remove your photos that you’ve hung throughout your house. In this moment, it’s about potential buyers, not about your memories as a seller.
Depersonalizing your home will help get rid of clutter. Anything that you don’t need in your house to live in it, remove it. Clutter will only distract people from seeing your home as their own. Clutter loves hiding in bookshelves, garages, corners of rooms, and in closets. If you don’t need it, box it up or throw it away! (You’re going to have to at one point any way right?)
2. Talk With a Real Estate Agent About Repairs and Your Destination
Knowing what repairs you’re going to have to make prior to selling your home can reduce so much stress! Sometimes depending on how extensive your needed repairs are, they create a huge dent in your savings. Talking to a realtor can help you know ahead of time if you will need to save a little more here and there for the next few months until you are able to sell your home. Your realtor most likely will be able to find things that you probably weren’t even aware that were in need of repair that the inspector you have identified later on.
They can also help you plan your move by connecting you with professionals in the area that you are looking to move to. They can also provide an estimated timeline that most houses in that area are closing in as well average costs and current homes on the market.
3. Have a Place to Move to
Have you considered where you want to end up? There are some hot states right now: Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and of course Idaho (we might be biased). Knowing where you want to go is important. Just as important is knowing why you want to go there. If you’re looking for cool weather, you probably don’t want to go to Phoenix, Arizona. If you are looking at places with less people and less traffic, you probably don’t want to move to Dallas, Texas. If you’re looking for no snow, you also don’t want to move to Rexburg, Idaho.
Ask yourself, what is it about the place you are looking at moving to that is attracting you there? Is it a 10% pay increase, but you’ll end up spending 50% more time sitting in traffic? Is it for open spaces but you like going to the mall regularly? Make a list of your top preferred places and do as much research as you can. Who do you know that lives there? Who is the realtor that’s going to help your process go smoothly?
4. Clean Up the Yard for Curb Appeal
We already discussed the decluttering and depersonalization of the inside of the house. Think about the first impression people are going to have when they see your house on the outside. Is the yard infested with weeds? Or those pink flamingos that people love to stick in the lawn? When is the last time your kids played in the front yard? Are the toys left out there for all to see? Has the driveway been pressure washed recently?
These might seem like meticulous things to think about but trust us. When your home is put on the market and people start rolling by seeing the for sale sign, you’re going to want to leave a good impression, not a bad one, and good curb appeal is the first step to attracting potential buyers there.
5. Do You Need Moving Boxes?
Moving boxes are extremely overpriced. Here’s some easy ways to score some decent boxes for FREE:
- Talk to your agent! Real estate agents have great community connections and can often hook you up with organizations that can help you score boxes for free. They may even have a collection of their own!
- Visit Local Grocery Stores! These places go through so many boxes in one day. If you’ve never worked in one, you’d be surprised at just how many there are. Call them up and see if they haven’t gotten rid of them yet and if they can hold them for you. Just try to beat them to the baler!
- Check out Facebook Marketplace! People are always selling boxes on Facebook. Often times they are listed as free. With the amount of Amazon shipments people receive it would be surprising if you didn’t see at least one person on the Marketplace in your local area with boxes listed.
6. Talk to Your Lenders Early!
Lenders are the gatekeepers between you and your new dream home. Working with them to create a home buying plan can reduce so much stress! You can find out how much you are pre-approved for which will help narrow down your search. They can also give you an idea of how much you might need to save up in order to actually purchase your new home. Believe it or not, the individuals working at the lender’s office do actually want to help you.
7. Have a PLAN
Now, you’re probably wondering why this one wasn’t listed as #1. We have a solid explanation. All of the above should be part of your plan! Doing all 6 things above can help you be prepared for the day that you decide to sell your house. Do a little of each here and there. Speak to your lender, maybe you can sell some of your clutter. Depersonalize by storing your stuff in the boxes that you snagged for free. Know your destination by speaking with your realtor. All of these things will help your transition to a new home go so much more smoothly! If you’re a checklist person make one! If you’re a “I’m just gonna wing it person” well, by all means do it (we don’t recommend it though). We’re here for all of it! If you need help relocating to Idaho give us a call! Our whole office has made the trek from the Golden State to the Gem State!
You can reach us at (208) 860-2004 or by contacting TreasureValleyDave@gmail.com we’re always looking forward to helping you get home!
