What should I do before listing my house for sale?

1) Treat floors and walls

What home wouldn’t benefit from a new coat of paint and new or freshly cleaned carpets?

2) Declutter, declutter, declutter

Clear out a third to half your stuff. If that’s too much work, at least focus on three key areas: countertops, kitchen pantry and master bedroom closets. In the pantry and master bedroom closets: Clear the floors entirely and make plenty of empty shelf space. Message: The home has so much space we can’t fill it all.

3) Get it clean

The house should be pristine. Your agent wants to be able to say the house is immaculate. No one wants to move into someone else’s dirt. And, seriously, don’t sell a smelly house.

4) Have it inspected

Yes, inspection is a step usually reserved for the buyer. But you get the advantage if you do it first. You can either repair any problems or budget those needed repairs into the askingprice.

5) Consider some staging

If you want to do it on the cheap, hire a stager or organizer for a consultation. For a couple of hundred dollars, they’ll tour your home and make suggestions. Keep decor neutral and classic. Not everyone shares your love of those chartreuse walls and orange shag carpet in the basement. At least leave photos of unusual decor out of the online presentation.

6) Research your own home

If buyers like your home, they’ll research it. For $15 to $50, they can find out about the home’s ownership, mortgage, insurance losses and any permits that have been pulled for work on the home. Consequently, the buyer or lender might request details on repairs, renovations or losses. Request your home’s Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report. If you’ve had any insurance losses related to your home that will be in the report. Why it’s vital: Anything that slows the transaction can stop it. So if you know the issues and have documentation at the ready, you can keep that sale moving.