Step 2: Pre-Marketing Activities and Considerations

To begin, the first step is to organize and declutter each room in your home. The adage less is more definitely applies here; packing, sorting, and placing things in storage is time well spent. You are guaranteed to get more interest if buyers can easily see the size of the rooms, potential furniture layout, and available storage your home offers. Click here for specifics on decluttering your home.

Conducting inspections prior to your home going on the market is vital. Identifying any needed repairs in advance allows you to address these prior to your home hitting the MLS.

There are four key inspections:

1. Property
2. Termite/Pest
3. Roof
4. Chimney

Providing inspection reports and doing needed repairs in advance reassures buyers, making them feel more at ease about placing an offer. These reports minimize a buyer’s ability to negotiate a lower sale price based on an issue that might have gone undiscovered if we hadn’t conducted inspections before putting your home on the market. Click here to learn more about the importance of pre-listing inspections.

Once the inspection reports are received, Dawn will review them carefully and make recommendations on any repairs she feels are warranted. Fixing issues before your property enters the market puts you, the seller, in the driver’s seat with regard to negotiating the highest possible sale price. Learn more about the importance of making home repairs in advance.

The next step is to deep clean your house. Gleaming floors, sparkling windows, spotless bathrooms, and immaculate kitchens make a huge difference in showcasing a home. It also allows your home to shine in professional photographs, a key element of marketing your home. The Dawn Thomas Team has fantastic recommendations for housecleaning services that we can share if you don’t already have a cleaner you prefer. Continue reading more about deep cleaning your home.

Now that the house has been decluttered, professionally cleaned, and all repairs have been made, your home is ready to be staged to look and show its best. Just like each of the previous steps, staging a home is a must, especially when we’re trying to entice today’s discerning buyers. A home can be staged using a combination of the owner’s items augmented with pieces from the staging company or the entire home can be professionally staged. Learn more about the role staging plays in selling your home.

Last but not least is having your residence professionally photographed. This is the final key step before putting your home on the market. Photos are generally scheduled and paid for by your agent as part of the marketing of your property. You don’t need to be home when photos are taken, but we will let you know when the photographer will be on-site so you can do a few final touch-ups to prepare. Click here for more specifics on photographing your home.

Before your home goes on the market to the public, The Dawn Thomas Team will let other agents know about your residence. Called a pocket listing, this advanced advertising creates a buzz about your home, getting buyers excited, and building momentum for the actual go live date and open house events. Find out more about how we will pre-market your property.

Now is the time to start thinking about managing your pets during the entire process of selling your house. There will be a lot of people in and out of your home during this preparation period as well as once your home is on the market. Think about where you will keep pets during vendor visits, buyer showings, and open house events. And ultimately, when your home sells, you will have to put a plan in place to make the move as stress-free as possible for your furry family members. Click here for more suggestions on managing animals during a home sale and move.

Your home is ready for sale! Let’s talk about what comes next.