Selling your home? There are two major hurdles to overcome: the home appraisal and the home inspection processes. Home appraisals determine your property’s value in the market. The value is based on your home’s condition, features, and location. You will want to make sure that the appraisal goes well. If it is bad, the potential buyer may have trouble getting a loan from the bank. If they cannot make up for the difference in cash, you may risk losing the sale. So, how do you prepare your home for an upcoming appraisal?
Competitor Research
You need to know how much money other homes in your area are being sold for. To estimate how much your home is worth, you can look at recent real estate listings and closing sale prices in your neighborhood. An experienced real estate agent can pull this kind of information for you. Next, you should pay attention to listings of homes that are similar to yours. Don’t forget to compare interior and exterior features, and the general condition of the home. Let’s say that you find a home that is sold for the price you are aiming for, and it has a nice yard, it means you may need to make some upgrades IF you want to get the same price.
Facilitate A Deep Clean
Who likes cleaning? It is troublesome. If you plan to sell your home, you should do a deep clean for one last time. A home looks more “valuable” when it is clean. When it is time to get your hands dirty, start cleaning the common areas, which are part of your usual cleaning routine. After that, focus on areas such as the corners of ceilings and cabinet interiors. To make your walls look new, you can use a melamine sponge to remove scuffs marks. By now, your carpets may have a lingering odor or stain. If so, shampoo your carpets. Cleaning the exterior of your home is important too. You should never neglect the sides of your house, the floor of your garage, the outsides of your windows, and the gutters.
Enhance Curb Appeal
Home landscaping is an important affair that requires your attention. You can increase your home’s value by upgrading your landscaping from average to stellar. For some homeowners, doing a complete overhaul is impossible. However, you can still make some small landscaping investments. For example, you can add landscape lighting, plant some small trees (well-placed plants can make any space look clean, modern, and fresh), replace areas that have dead grass, or give your front door a fresh coat of paint. These actions go a long way!
Ensure Home Fixtures and Appliances are in Working Order
Two scenarios can happen: 1) A home appraiser may under-appraise a home when he or she spots a broken fixture. 2) A home inspector requests for the homeowner to fix it when he or she spots a broken fixture. Don’t do things that may decrease your home’s value! So, start assessing your property and ensure everything is working properly – patch up cracked walls, make sure smoke alarms are working, replace faulty bulbs, etc. No matter who are dealing with, it is in your best interest to make sure your home is in working order.
