Selling Your Home Next Spring? 6 Tips on How to Get Ready Now

Selling your home is never a snap decision. A lot hand wringing, sleepless nights and deep conversations go into taking that stressful step to move on. Once you’ve made up your mind, then the next step would be to think about how best to prepare for that sale. If you take into account that 2014’s housing market is expected to be a seller’s market (and quite a robust one at that), then it would behoove you to lay the foundation now for a successful sale next spring. Here are my top six tips on how to best prepare to sell your home next year.

1. Curb Appeal Doesn’t Grow on Trees

Well, actually that’s not true. A well-tended front yard makes the best first impression to potential home buyers. Don’t let the first snowfall catch you unprepared. Getting started now ensures a blooming, eye-catching garden next year. For instance, spring bulbs are best planted in the fall. Cut back those dead tree branches now. Don’t rake your fall leaves, mulch them instead and return them to your lawn and garden. And, cleaning out weeds now keeps them from digging deeper roots and doubling your weeding efforts next year.

2. Decluttering Can Help You and Others

You know that when you go to sell your home, the first thing any smart Realtor will tell you to do is to clean up. And yes, I know you’ve gotten used to those piles of (fill in the blank) in the attic, basement, closets, etc. but why put off your decluttering efforts until just before your first Open House. Take the pressure off and tackle the project now. Do one room at a time. And think of it this way: household items and old clothes are perfect donation items to your local charity. Too many families have to go without during this time of year so your decluttering can actually end up helping the needy in your community.

3. Need a Handyman? He’d Be Happy to Work Indoors This Winter

When the great outdoors becomes too harsh for home service contractors of any sort, they’ll be all too happy to negotiate good terms on the wintertime home projects you can provide them. If you’ve been putting off fixing up the bathroom, refinishing the floors or painting the guest bedroom, now’s the best time to hire the team to get the work done long before your “For Sale” sign gets posted on your lawn in the spring.

4. Don’t Have a Realtor Yet? Start Your Search Early

If you’ve started thinking about selling your home, then the most important first step should be to hire a Realtor. Ask family and friends for recommendations. Seek out client testimonials on real estate sites such as Trulia and Zillow. Even Angie’s List is a good source of customer-approved real estate agents in your community. Interviewing a few agents will give you a good sense of whom you would work with best. When it comes to selling your home you want to hire the person whom you can trust will get your home sold in the shortest time and for the best price. Someone with a strong marketing campaign strategy is the one most likely to succeed in what’s anticipated to be a highly competitive seller’s market.

5. Find Your New Home Before You Sell Your Old One

If housing trends stay on track for 2014, the spring housing market is expected to see brisk competition on the home-buying front. And for home sellers that means getting as prepared as possible to find your new home before the rush to buy begins. While the fall/winter months may be too early to start attending Open Houses, there are other ways to start your home search now. If possible, scope out potential neighborhoods now. Get pre-approved for a mortgage so you’ll know your purchasing power. If good schools matter, then research the best schools for your children now. And, most importantly, figure out what you’re looking for in your new ranch, Tudor, Cape, condo, duplex, Victorian, penthouse…well, you get the idea.

6. Don’t Wait for the Buyer’s Home Inspection

If my clients have lived in their homes for many years, than I always advise them to have a pre-listing home inspection. Problems with your home is more a case of taking things for granted over the years than as a result of purposeful neglect. The last thing you need to learn after a buyer’s home inspection is that termites have been happily munching on your home for years. Or, that “that smell” in the basement is the result of undiscovered mold in the walls. Nip any potential problems – from outdated electrical wiring to pest infestations – in the bud before it becomes a problem next year when you go to sell.

So what’s the bottom line if you’re going to sell your home in 2014? Don’t procrastinate. Plan ahead. Do the work now. If you follow my tips you may end up being the first on your block to proudly show off a “SOLD” sign in the front yard.