Whether you are moving to be closer to work or simply need more space, getting a home ready for the market, selling, buying, Home Sellers Checklistand moving can seem like an overwhelming experience. After living in your house there are plenty of projects you’ve probably wanted to tackle. Maybe you’ve thought about adding a backsplash, painting the living room, or updating the countertops in the bathrooms. What project will add the most value to the house and attract a good offer? You can spend the time doing online research or talk to friends and family about what you think matters most, but your best bet is consulting a real estate professional. Contact your real estate agent, even if selling seems like months away.

Start with contacting your agent

Contact Your Agent

Your agent spends a tremendous amount of time with buyers, walking through homes for sale, and gets immediate feedback about what is top on their list and what makes a buyer leave a home uninterested. Invite your agent over for a discussion on your plans about when you are thinking to list the house. Take them through your home and point out what you love about the home and what projects you want to accomplish before you list. Because you’ve lived in the space for awhile it may be harder to be objective about what is worth your time, effort, and money.

Pack a Box or Two

Packing at this point may seem a bit premature, but you need to clear out the clutter. Over time we accumulate items that get tossed into a drawer and remain unused or clothes that you aren’t wearing still hang in the closet. No one is asking you to give these items away, but to simply move them out of the space so you can show potential buyers the space available to them versus your belongings. You’ll be surprised by what you can live without and in most instances items are rarely missed when unpacked at the new destination.

Where should you put these boxes? If you have plenty of storage, like an attic then neatly put the boxes away. In some cases there are pieces of furniture or large items, like bicycles, that might need storage at a facility. There are many options in the Triangle area for climate controlled storage to keep your home goods in good condition for the next home.

Tackle the Staging List

Many realtors work with a professional home stager to accentuate the best features of your home. Working with a professional stager is part of the selling experience with My NC Homes, at no additional cost to the seller. Malissa McLeod has often helped our clients understand how to place their current furnishings in a way that brings more light, space, or interest to a space. Take notes and start to tackle the list to get your home ready for the photographer and showings.

Take a Break

Your Listing goes Live

This is likely the best time to go on a weekend getaway. Luckily the Triangle is just a couple hours from great beach and mountain destinations. The first couple of days on the market tend to be the busiest, especially with the low inventory of homes in Cary, Chapel Hill, and Durham. A quick weekend getaway will keep you from the inconvenience of having to vacate the home for each showing. You will approve showings electronically and your agent will share the feedback once the showing is complete. Time away takes the pressure off from any showing restrictions that first weekend.

Crossing the Finish Line to Closing

This stretch of contingent contract, pending, to closing can go quickly as the home is inspected and details are worked out with the buyer. During this time you’ll also be packing and preparing for your next destination. Maybe you know where you Crossing the Finish Lineare headed or maybe you have just started the buying process again. The top items on our list for this stage includes:

  1. Determining your move date and scheduling the movers. Professional moving companies will stop by and do a walkthrough of the house to determine how much furniture and boxed goods will be moved. This helps them figure out the size of moving truck to make available and the number of persons that will be there on the day to move your items.

  2. Notifying utility companies of your impending move. This will help you figure out if their services are available in your next destination and when the last day should be to bill you. You might have the following utilities to call: alarm, cable/satellite, electric, gas, phone, or water. If you are in the position to close on a home after you sell, you’ll need to setup your new utilities and notify companies of your move-in date.

  3. Changing your address. You can do this online now and set the start date. Try not to wait until the last minute. It is important for your bills, letters, and other financial information (investments, banking, paystubs) to make it to your next destination. It also notifies companies that you are no longer residing in the home.

  4. Determining the best move app. There are several move apps available that will help organize your transition. We have checked out Sortly and MoveAdvisor, which give you greater control over your move experience. You’ll find checklists and prompts to get you from one place to the next.

Selling your home may feel overwhelming, but having an experienced agent guiding you through the process will give you greater confidence that you’ll accomplish it all. At My NC Homes we check in to see how things are progressing with staging, contingencies, and the upcoming move. We take care of the last minute details, such as making sure the home you are vacating is cleaned. We know it is a big decision to sell and are here to answer questions on the process and how to get started.


Co-authored by 3 Bossy Bees

Posted by Larry Tollen on

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