If you need to sell your current house before moving into a new one, you’ll want to do all you can to give it that extra edge. Even though we’re currently in a seller’s market, how well you prepare your house to sell can determine whether it sells in six days or six months.

San Antonio RE/MAX realtor, Juan Medina, says there are only two things that will keep your house from being sold – price and condition. When it comes to the condition of the house there are several things that a realtor and home buyer looks at when they first step in your front door.

Here are some tips to help get your house ready to sell as quickly as possible:

1. Walk through your house as if you were a new buyer or, better yet, have some new friends come over and walk the house with you. Make a list of anything that stands out – things that might need to be repaired, touched up or removed.
2. It’s likely you will be staying in your old home while you’re trying to sell it. If this is the case, you will want to pack away any unnecessary nik-naks, family photos and other clutter. You want any potential home buyers to be able to visualize themselves in your house, not feel like they’re just visiting someone else’s. Staging is key.
3. Upgrade outdated or dying appliances.
4. Give the house a fresh coat of paint if necessary.
5. Lighting can make all the difference. Take down any drapes and let the sunshine in. Change out worn lampshades and install soft bulbs wherever possible to give the rooms a warm, cozy feel that bright white light just can’t offer.
6. Wash the windows until they’re sparkling. This may seem tedious, but the cleaner and fresher a house looks, the more appealing the house will be to a potential home buyer.
7. When showing the house, make sure your pets or any semblance of your pet’s existence is hidden. Put away the food and water bowls as well as any toys. This goes for kid’s toys as well.
8. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home, and it’s key that simple upgrades such as wall paint and cabinet hardware be implemented. Keep in mind, even one high-end appliance can entice a buyer.
9. If the house has carpet, make sure to have it professionally steam-cleaned. Don’t just settle on renting a steam cleaner from HEB. You want the carpet as pristine as possible. If you have wood floors, polish them until they shine.
10. Although upgrades are generally a good idea, you want to avoid any major make-overs that will cost you an arm and a leg and might raise the price-point of the house to a level that isn’t realistic for your neighborhood.
11. When showing, light yummy-smelling candles throughout the house. This may seem like a small detail, but you’d be surprised how much influence a good-smelling house can have.

Before you sell your old house, let us plan your new one! Give us a call at 210-494-5400 to set up a free consultation. If you wish to be added to our private email list for our newsletter, please sign up here.