Now Is The Perfect Time To Prep Your Home For Your Future Sale
February 23, 2021
Prepping a property on your own always takes longer than anticipated, and the need to get the work done always pops up sooner than expected as well. The vast majority of people pour so much time and energy into their property search, that by the time they successfully find that next home and pop open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate, they are quickly overwhelmed by the herculean task of now getting their current home show-ready in record time – all while continuing to live, work, raise a family, and so on.
Our suggestion is simple: Take advantage of the time you do have, while you actually have it! Doing work under pressure and out of sheer necessity is always more challenging than a well-planned project. Break down a large job into smaller, manageable parts – delegate, shop around, ask for help, and get cost-effective options.
Doing thirty-seven runs between homes with a hatchback full of your stuff is a noble right of passage that is best left back in your college days. Finding a competent mover to take the strain (pun intended) off your back, leaves you with the necessary time to focus on the bigger picture. This holds true for many other tasks and we have many contacts to help our clients tackle these.
Most of the prep work (de-cluttering, purging, painting, small fixes, cleaning, etc.) would have to be done regardless, so why not get the ball rolling once you’ve committed to your new home search? Things such as time, help, materials, and contractors, are more plentiful during off-seasons, and waiting until the peak real estate market will surely be more challenging and expensive. Getting the grunt work out of the way will allow you to at least enjoy the experience.
When sorting household and personal items, we recommend breaking them down into four distinct piles: Keep, donate, sell, and trash! This is the most emotionally draining part of the move process, and everyone’s experience is different. Give yourself – and your family – time to reminisce, laugh, and even cry, as you work your way through the memories you made along the way.
Make a masterplan of clear objectives and deadlines, with contingency plans and a list of resources, should you find yourself in need of assistance. This includes: Any small maintenance issues you’ve been putting off; sorting through personal items; de-cluttering to create space; storing seasonal items; addressing curb appeal.
As daunting as it looks from the sidelines, with the right team, it is very doable.