Thinking of putting your current home on the market? Interest rates rose throughout 2022 and are expected to continue to go up for at least the first half of 2023. Still, exceptional homes with great features in desirable locations will always attract buyer interest.
Many of the things to do now to prepare your home for spring listing are maintenance items you should be doing anyway to freshen your home for a new year. Procrastination is your enemy, so get going on tasks you can take care of long before you list your home.
Deep Clean
While your cleaning service may be doing an adequate job of keeping things tidy and reducing dust, now’s the time for a deep clean. It will cost you extra, but it will be worth it.
Deep cleaning means getting into all the nooks and crannies you don’t think much about, either because they’re out of sight, difficult to reach, or in parts of the house you rarely use. Clean the dust and grime on baseboards and ceiling fans, de-grease stoves and range hood filters, hire professional carpet and area rug cleaning, and scrub the tile and grout, too.
Lastly, don’t forget windows. If your cleaners don’t do windows, hire someone who will, even if you have to wait until after the final frost of the winter.
Declutter
If you’re downsizing, decluttering is necessary. Reduce the burden of cleaning out your house after you move by adopting the principles of “Swedish death cleaning.” It might sound ghoulish, but it’s just practical: get rid of things you don’t need and that none of your heirs will want.
As you declutter, don’t pressure yourself to attain an unrealistic, pristine, Instagram-worthy minimalist ideal. Just shovel out the junk as you prepare your home for spring listing. Curious lookie-loos and serious prospective buyers will open your closet doors and inspect your attic and garage.
Trim Trees
Winter is usually the best time to take care of trimming trees. Most species of trees are dormant in the winter, and the wounds from limb removal will heal faster when the tree isn’t also trying to put its energy into new growth.
Trimming trees has many benefits. It will improve your property’s appearance and safety and enhance curb appeal when you list your home. Tree trimming is a job for a professional tree service under the supervision of a certified arborist.
Replace Appliances
In 2023, new tax breaks and subsidies come into effect (depending on your income) for replacing gas appliances with electric ones, along with other clean energy and energy-saving improvements.
Even if installing a suite of new appliances isn’t in the budget, include the ones you’ve got in your deep cleaning contract. A clean, freshly painted, uncluttered home will show well and earn offers from buyers more quickly. You’ll be on the road to your new home with a bigger profit from the sale of your old one.
