Home Seller’s Checklist

Prior to listing your home for sale, there are several things that might need to be addressed so we have put together this home seller’s checklist to walk you through the most important steps to help you get your home ready for market. We absolutely love working with seller’s because we know that our proven marketing plan and seller prep prior to listing will help us gain top dollar for your home under the best terms for our client.

First impressions truly matter so it is important to give buyers a sense of cleanliness with a sparkling clean and de-cluttered house. The goal is to have buyer’s walk through the door and fall in love with your home. A neatly trimmed front yard that is free of weeds will give you a step up on curb appeal. Freshly painted neutral walls and trim will also make a huge impact and will be money well spent.

Here is a full list of tips we have put together as a Home Seller’s Checklist:

• Curb appeal matters so be sure to keep your front yard neatly trimmed and free of weeds.
• Consider painting the front door and polishing/replacing door hardware and put out a new front door mat.
• Ensure that your doorbell is in working order.
• Clean all of your exterior lighting so there are no spider webs or debris.
• Consider re-painting the exterior of the house and trim work if it is in need. Buyers are looking for move-in ready and a house with new paint inside and out is very appealing when a buyer starts comparing your home with other houses on the market.
• Clean the driveway and garage and power wash if necessary to remove stains.
• Have your windows professionally cleaned inside and out so they sparkle!
• Ensure your garage door opener is working properly, many buyers will check.
• Consider re-painting the interior of the home with a nice neutral color palette to make a big first impression on buyers who walk through your door. Fresh paint screams move-in ready!
• Have your carpets professionally cleaned and/or replaced prior to listing. Again, buyers are looking for move-in ready homes and a home with brand new or freshly cleaned carpet in excellent condition is a huge selling feature.
• Make sure your other floor surfaces in the home are sparkling clean, including grout if you have tile flooring.
• Wipe down the cabinets both inside and out and tighten any loose doors or hardware.
• Make sure all of your windows are doors are fully functional and not squeaking.
• Repair any leaking faucets and make sure bathtubs and showers are clean and freshly caulked if needed.
• Remove any small area rugs or mats from your flooring and store them in a closet. Large area rugs are acceptable, but removing the smaller mats/rugs will make your home feel much larger to prospective buyers.
• Repair/replace any noisy or non-functioning ceiling or ventilation fans.
• Make sure your kitchen appliances are clean both inside and out because buyers always check!
• Pack away your personal items, including family pictures and de-clutter the house by removing collectibles and storing away special things. The goal of selling your home is to move, so packing away some of your personal effects will only help you in the long-run and it is important that the buyer can picture themselves living in your home!
• Keep dirty laundry and dishes out of sight.
• Replace all the air filters in the house. Many buyers will check and new air filters will give an impression of a well-maintained home. A home inspector will also make note of the condition of the air filters once they do a home inspection after the house goes under contract to be sold.
• If you have a pool/spa, make sure all equipment is in working order and that the pool/spa are sparkling clean!
• Paint and/or replace any fences/gates/latches if they are in need.

This may seem like a bit of a long list, however, these are the areas we have identified as being most important to buyers and our goal is always to help you sell your home quickly and for top dollar. This checklist is based on our experience working with both buyers and sellers. Part of the service we offer to our sellers prior to listing is to walk through their home with them and help create a checklist that is specific to their property. The checklist will vary greatly from one home to another, but in general, the list above is a great starting point.

If you are thinking about selling your home in the East Valley of Arizona, including Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Mesa, San Tan Valley, or the surrounding areas, then please don’t hesitate to reach out! We’d be honored to help you buy and/or sell!

April Anderson