Preparing your home for a sale is a big deal. It usually means that you are going through a big life change, and for most people, this is something that is done only a few times in their entire lifetime. Although big changes can be overwhelming, listing your home doesn’t really have to be that hard. The key to getting this right is to make sure that you are organized and prepared before you list your home for sale.

When your home hits the market, one of your first tasks is to have it listed as an open house. If you want, you can list it with a real estate agent, and your agent will inform you how you can prepare your home and organize an open house, but if you decide to list it without an agent, then it is all up to you.

If you hire someone though, you can both take steps to ensure that a maximum number of people will actually see your home, and this will increase the chances of selling it quick and for a good price. While technology has impacted the whole concept of open houses, the importance of making a good impression is still what matters most.

Everything has changed with the internet. Years ago, you needed to put an ad in the newspaper, and place some signs around, and now everything feels like a pop-up store. People find ads on the internet and come to open houses without any fuss. Nowadays, you can even use smartphone apps to find open houses that are near you, and also view prices for similar homes.

Data from 2014 showed that 92% of homebuyers use the internet to find houses, so listing your house online is very important. It does not matter how you prepared your home and how beautiful it is, if you do not tell people about it.

You should also share your listing and the date for your open house throughout your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Your friends, colleagues, relatives and neighbors might know someone who is looking for a new home. Who knows? Maybe a Facebook post will attract someone outside of your direct network.

Real estate agents often argue about whether open houses really sell homes. Some of them believe that open houses help them find new clients, others say that they are not that effective when it comes to selling. However, both agents and sellers find them valuable and it is good to have an open house at least in the first weekend the house is listed.

Have in mind that many of your neighbors will attend your open house, even if they are not searching for a new home. This is all because of curiosity. Real estate agents encourage that, because they may have relatives or friends who are looking for a new place. The more people that come to see your house, the better the chances that you will sell it.

If you list your home with an agent, they are likely going to put it on a broker’s open house, where snacks or lunch will be served and other agents are invited to see the house; in many cases, without their clients. Broker’s open houses are important.

Now, let’s see how you can prepare your home to ensure a sale.

Clean and Depersonalize

This is a piece of advice you are going to hear frequently, since it is very important. Your goal is to make your home as crowd-pleasing and generic as possible. This means that your space needs to be clean, and you will need to take time to remove any personal artifacts and family photos that make your house a home. It may feel strange, but this makes a big difference and it enables the buyers to visualize their future in the new space. Your home needs to be in excellent condition when you host your open house. If needed, hire some professional cleaners who will wash the windows and clean your carpets.

Make Your Listing Description and add Details about Your Home

To properly list your home, you need to know your property from head to toe. When you list it, you are going to need this information:

1. The square footage of your property

2. The size of your lot, if you own a detached property

3. The number of bathrooms and bedrooms

4. The year when your home was built

5. The details about heating and cooling

You will also need to prepare a compelling listing description, which will contain about 400 characters or less.

Stage Your Home

When you are staging your home for a sale, you will need to pay attention to two main things you need to achieve.

1. You will want your home to look spacious.

2. You will want every space in your home to have a function that is obvious.

In order to achieve this, you will need to store everything and anything that does not have a critical function in a room, and this includes extra furniture. Then, you will need to arrange the rooms to look like a furniture store or a showroom. If you want to add a wow factor, you can add small decorative accents and create a visually attractive space.

Consider small touches, like fresh towels in the bathroom and vases with flowers. If you have some colored walls, you should repaint them and, depending on your budget, you can paint kitchen cabinets and add some new faucets or hardware.

It is important to know that you can just store everything in your garage or basement, because potential buyers will want to see that space also. You can opt out for portable storage pods or some storage units that are affordable and will simplify the whole process.

Write a Description of Your Listing Accompanied With Great Photos

Writing a description of your listing we will provide potential buyers with information on your home features, location and the type of lifestyle your neighborhood provides. Since your description needs to be under 400 characters, you need to pack it with relevant info. Photos are the most important element of a successful listing, so it would be best if you hired a professional to take pictures of your property, to achieve better results. This is a small investment, but it can do a lot for you.

So, what kind of photos do you need? You will need a great photo of the exterior of your home, photos of your bathrooms, closets, kitchen and any unique features you have in your home. Studies have shown that these images are very important in the eyes of potential buyers.

Research the Market

Once you have done all the basics, you will need to look into the market to get an idea of the timeline you will need to follow. Market information can be obtained from several local and national real estate sites, and you can even look up real estate agency software rankings, to create a good starting point. Once you have seen how the market is positioned at the local and national level, it will be easier to develop a timeframe.

Decide On How You Will List Your Home

There are two ways to do it; with a real estate agent, or with the guidance of a home selling service. Most people opt for working with a real estate agent, but there are affordable and easy options for making a sale that can save up to thousands of dollars. You can use a bit of help from technology, and once you find out all your options, you can choose the right one.

Determine the Price of Your Home

Every homeowner is biased about their own home, and research has shown that, because of this, the expected selling price is higher by 8% than the real market value. This is why you need to understand the current market and look at similar homes that are for sale in your area, to get a realistic idea of the price of your home.

You also have an option of requesting a comparative market analysis or CMA from a real estate agent or appraiser. CMA will give you a professional opinion of the value of your home in the current market, which will serve as a great tool for an accurate price of your home.

After you have done all of the things mentioned above, the only thing left to do is create a marketing plan. This will provide exposure, which will help you sell your home fast. Create a marketing plan that will outline all of your marketing options you will want to pursue, and the amount of money you are planning to spend. Also, decide on what type of targeting will be most effective in finding the ideal buyer. This may all seem like a lot, but it is worth it, if you want to sell your home fast and for the right price.