How to Prepare Yourself and Your Home for a Successful Sale

If the idea of selling your home feels overwhelming, you’re not alone.

In one report, 83% of survey respondents reported experiencing stress. And 71% of those home sellers said it was among the top five most stressful things they’d done in their lives. 

But the home sale process doesn’t have to be that way. If you inform yourself, get professional support, and strategically upgrade your property before it hits the market, you can enjoy a smoother ride. 

Here’s how to prepare yourself and your home for a successful sale—and perhaps even take some enjoyment from the process.  

Prepare yourself 

Real estate transactions are stressful because they’re a veritably big deal. You’re eager to earn a sizeable amount on a sale and move into your next dream home (while letting go of a place you’d come to love). Emotions run high, and lots of money is involved. 

Mitigate stress by preparing yourself for the home selling process. Here are a few tips that can help.

Hire a listing agent 

While the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) route can be tempting for those hoping to save on real estate commissions, hiring a listing agent is generally a wise choice. These professionals know the local market and can offer excellent insights that help you make a fast, high-value sale. Plus, they’re experts on the documentation and legal proceedings that comprise a real estate deal, saving you from potentially detrimental process errors. 

In the long run, paying for a seller’s agent’s support can save you money—and stress, which is priceless. What’s more, while sellers traditionally have paid both buyer’s and seller’s agents' commissions at a rate of 5 to 6 percent, the times are changing. You may now be able to negotiate a competitive commission rate and split payment with a buyer. 

Hire a Titus real estate agent and get expert representation from one of the best professionals in the field. You’ll also gain access to an exclusive line of zero-interest credit for home renovations and repairs, which will help you

Inform yourself about the real estate process

All in all, a real estate transaction takes months—with several weeks dedicated to a closing process that includes a home inspection, appraisal, and likely some negotiations with your buyer. 

Talk with your agent, and familiarize yourself with the steps of the sale process, from preparing your home for the market to transferring the property on closing day. 

Learn about closing costs 

Before you start counting up your projected sale earnings, inform yourself about closing costs. Closing costs are fees buyers and sellers pay to complete a real estate transaction. As a seller, you’ll likely be liable for paying for a home inspection, transfer taxes, and a certain percentage of the agents’ commissions. Talk with your realtor and gain clarity on how much these fees will amount to. Be sure to get the agent’s commission rates in writing in your representation agreement.

The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to have cash on hand for closing costs, as they can come out of your home sale. Nonetheless, it’s important to figure these fees into your overall earnings, so that you aren’t disappointed by receiving a lesser amount when you close. 

Take advice

Take advice from your real estate agent and other professionals (like home inspectors and stagers). The agent will give tips on how to price your home, when to sell it, and how to make it more attractive to potential buyers. These pointers are golden since realtors have plenty of first-hand experience with the local market. 

And when you get your home inspection report, heed repair recommendations. Making these fixes can save you from negotiations with an interested buyer that’ll ultimately drive down your asking price thanks to existing flaws.

Finally, a realtor and professional stager will have advice on optional upgrades: cosmetic changes that boost the value and appeal of your property. Even if their tips go against your instincts or style inclinations, trust them. These professionals know what gets prospective buyers excited about a home.

Prepare your home

Once you’ve hired a realtor, informed yourself about the real estate transaction and costs implied, and gotten advice on how to improve your home, it’s time to prepare the space for sale. The following tips can help you make your property more attractive to buyers.  

Make essential repairs

Issues like water damage, broken roofing tiles, or a pest infestation can cost you. When a home inspection turns up these problems, a buyer can leverage this information to drive down the property’s sale price. 

Instead of taking a hit on the sale value of your home, make essential repairs. If you don’t have the funds on hand for this work, a closing line of credit (CLoC) from Titus allows you to cover repairs now and pay back later.  

Make high ROI upgrades 

A cost-versus-value report and articles written by experts on high-value home upgrades can help you prioritize aesthetic and functional renovations on your home. You’ll learn which upgrades imply a solid return on investment (ROI).  

These sources also detail renovations that are poor ideas, like putting in a luxury kitchen or a pool. Certain upgrades don’t earn back the investment—or worse: home buyers view the changes as flaws with the home.

Consider extensive home improvements carefully

While some bigger repairs and remodels can make sense (be sure to get sound advice), completely revamping your home slows down your go-to-market timeline and turns your property into a construction site. 

Several small, impactful upgrades, like updating bathroom tiles, repainting walls in neutral colors, and installing trendy, new light fixtures can make your home look move-in-ready to buyers—all without tearing down walls or fronting exorbitant expenditures. Performing a deep clean and removing personal items can also help the space become more buyer-friendly without much work or spending on your end.

Stage

Once “the bones” of your property are in the best possible condition, focus on the details. Stage your home to maximize its beauty and spatial potential. Home staging entails decluttering and depersonalizing your home, moving around the furniture to maximize space, and swapping out your decor for pieces with more universal appeal. 

Consider getting help from a professional stager. These design experts tidy and rearrange spaces, lend you hip, high-quality furniture and knickknacks, and give rooms a polished finish. 

Focus on your home’s curb appeal 

Your home’s exterior won’t get two chances at a first impression, so ensure it makes a visual impact on visitors by improving its curb appeal. Keep up with landscaping, transform your home’s patios and porches into inviting seating areas, and give the exteriors a fresh coat of paint. 

Cost-versus-value reports also find that upgrading your garage and front doors is a worthy investment. Do a simple DIY revamp by painting each in an amenable hue and swapping out old hardware for contemporary pieces.

Prepare for a successful home sale with a CLoC

Getting your home ready for a sale can be costly and demanding. Make the process easier on your stress levels and wallet by using a closing line of credit (CLoC) to fix up your home, instead of paying out of pocket. 

With a zero-interestTitus CLoC, you can make repairs and cosmetic renovations to your property, and pay back once you’ve sold your home—at top dollar thanks to those upgrades. Plus, CLoCs don’t show up on a credit report, so you won’t have issues getting a mortgage at a fair rate from a lender. Find out how it works here.