Two Simple But Important Things You Need To Do Before Listing Your Home For Sale

When you are ready to sell your home, your first thought may be to call a real estate agent and have the person list the house as soon as possible. However, here are a couple of things you should do prior to that to prepare your home for the selling process and to avoid unpleasant surprises when it comes time to transfer ownership.

Make Sure the Title's Clear

The most important thing you can do before listing your home for sale is to make sure the title is clear. Very few things will end a potential sale faster than having a search of your home's title uncover problems, such as liens from unknown sources or erroneous information that makes it appear as if you don't actually own the property.

So it's a good idea to pay the $75 to $100 fee charged by title loan companies to have researchers check your home's title. This will give you time to clear up any issues before you get an offer on the property. If there is a lien on your title by a subcontractor who wasn't paid when you had your home renovated, for instance, you can contact the project manager and get the situation remedied.

Even if researchers don't find any issues, you can use the title search as a selling point, positioning it as one less expense the buyer has to pay for when closing on the home.

Deep Clean Your House

The other thing you should do before listing your home is deep clean it, especially if you have pets. You may not realize it because you may have become immune to it from living in the house day in and day out, but your home probably smells. Years of cooking, burning candles, taking off stinky shoes, and letting the dog run around have culminated into a unique odor that home shoppers may find off-putting.

The solution is to deep clean your home by shampooing the carpets, cleaning the upholstery, and even repainting the walls. Not only will this make your home more pleasant to tour, but it may uncover deeper issues. If your home continues to smell badly despite all the cleaning you've done, that may indicate mold or plumbing problems that should be addressed before you try to sell the house to someone else.

For more information about preparing your home for the market or assistance with selling your property, contact a real estate agent.