Getting Your Home Ready To List, Evict The Racoon
I have walked into listings where the seller genuinely believed the house was show-ready, and it wasn't even close.
Our selling season in Red River and Angel Fire runs about twelve weeks. You do not want to spend the first four of them trying to get your house ready to photograph and show.
Check the House Before You Do Anything Else
Many of our listings are vacation homes, which means the seller has not been there in a while. Before you start hauling out the staging gear, go check on the place. Something may have moved in.
I am not speaking hypothetically. Raccoons are real, they are motivated, and they don't really have anywhere else to be.
Inside: Clear Out, Light Up, Clean Out
Once you have confirmed sole occupancy, start inside. Clear the surfaces. If every wall is covered in family photos, a buyer cannot picture themselves there, they're just picturing you there.
Replace every burned out light bulb. And open the refrigerator before the buyer does. You're just going to have to trust me on that one.
Outside: Curb Appeal Wins or Loses the Sale
Then get outside. Mow the weeds and clean up the yard. Buyers pretty much decide as soon as they pull up whether this is the house for them or not.
A little prep work up front saves you weeks of lost selling season on the back end. If you're thinking about listing a home in Red River or Angel Fire this year, start now.
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Have questions or want to learn more? Give us a call at 575-613-4243, we're happy to help.
Rob Swan | Qualifying Broker | Swan Realty Inc.