If you’re thinking of selling your home in 2025, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a list of the 6 top things to do to get your house market ready so that when you’re ready to list, so is your house!
1. Declutter, clean, and organize.
The first thing you’ll want to do is declutter your space. Sell or donate clothing and other items you no longer need. Not only will this make your house look better, but this also means you’ll have less stuff to pack up on moving day.
In doubt about an item? Ask yourself if you’ll want to move it to your new house. Is it worth the effort? If not, get rid of it!
For items that you want to keep, but add clutter to the room, consider moving them to a storage unit. That extra chair in your bedroom? It needs to go! You want to get your space as minimalistic and clutter-free as possible. That way, the buyer can imagine their things instead of yours in the space. Additionally, less stuff means that rooms look bigger, which is a great selling point!
After you’ve decluttered, you’ll want to give your whole house a thorough cleaning. Make sure to dust baseboards, steam clean carpets, and wash windows. You may want to hire a professional to deep clean the air vents and AC filters.
Finally, you’ll want to organize everything, including your closet spaces and cabinets. Here are a few tips:
- Hang and fold all clothing in your closets—no more shoving things in wherever they fit! Consider getting shoe racks, shelving, or other organizational tools to tidy closets. You can also get storage bins to put extra clothing in bins under the bed or move any out-of-season clothing and shoes to your storage unit.
- Organize your kitchen cabinets. Have designated spots for Tupperware and other bulky items. Move less-used items that you can temporarily do without to your storage unit so that the cabinets look clean and clutter-free.
2. Throw on a new coat of paint.
Painting your walls will instantly make your house look new. Realtors recommend painting the walls a neutral color and making the overall space as neutral as possible. You want prospective buyers to be able to envision the home personalized to their tastes. While you may love your bright orange accent wall, a prospective buyer may not, so it’s best to keep it as neutral as possible.
3. Take care of any repairs you’ve been putting off.
This goes for anything from a sticking closet door to a hole in the wall. While you may not pay much attention to a cracked tile, a prospective buyer may notice, so you’ll want to fix any imperfections you can. Here are some common ones you may overlook in your day-to-day:
-Chipped shower tile
-Sticking closet door
-Dent in the wall
-Leaking faucet
-Stained grout
A little bit of effort may make a huge difference in a buyer’s first impression of the house and is well worth it!
4. Boost curb appeal.
Clean up the exterior, mow the lawn, and refresh the landscaping. Get the home power washed if it needs it. For extra appeal, you may also consider adding potted plants, painting the door, or getting new shutters.
5. Take care of routine maintenance.
Check that all major systems and appliances are in top shape. Also while you’re at it, see if you can find the warranty information for major appliances so that the buyer has it handy should any issues come up.
6. Get an inspection.
Consider a pre-sale home inspection. This will alert you to issues you may not have known about and give you a chance to fix them before listing the home.
Final thoughts on preparing to sell your house in 2025
You’ll want to get started on this list as soon as you decide to sell so that your home is listing ready when the time comes. Happy selling!
