Homeowners are routinely surprised by the amount of “stuff” they have; and, from time to time, host a yard sale and give things away to charity. That amount piles back up over many months, and when it comes time to sell their property, homeowners can be overwhelmed by having to pack up all their belongings and moving into a new home.
Even small homes, like villas and condos have a lot of furniture and moving it isn’t a cheerful thought. Many folks hire a moving company, others opt to do it themselves, regardless of whomoves what, it still has to be done and that’s a big part of a selling a home.
When a homeowner decides it’s come time to sell, they generally thing first and foremost about pricing it and their next home, but the transition is very important, especially if moving from a large property to a smaller one. Every bit of square footage counts, and it’s the little things which account for taking up so much precious space.
Listing Your Home For Sale
Listing a home is a lot more than staking a For Sale sign in the front yard. It has to be ready to show and that means ready to impress. This is where you can effectively kill two birds with one stone. Since one of the rules of selling is staging your property, this is a great time to take advantage of one of the key aspects of staging: depersonalizing your property. One big mistake sellers make is to show their home, complete with their family, and theirlifestyle.
“These days, change is the only constant and when it happens, Americans aren’t afraid to pack up their belongings and find new digs. Is your family growing? Are you in search of lower rent or moving to live in a better home? Has a new job or job transfer landed you in a new city? Whatever the reason for your move, getting everything you own from one home to another can be difficult to orchestrate. So, rather than just play it by ear and hope everything gets done in time, it’s a good idea to make a solid plan well in advance of your move. What kinds of things should be included in your relocation strategy? “–Amanda Arnold and Danielle Fisher, TLC.com
Buyers, however, are not interested in purchasing your life, they are interested in buying their new home. So, start packing away the family photographs, box up all those little decor knickknacks, and pack up what you can to make the home look more like a model home than yourhome. That will take off a bit of pressure, and you can move on more smoothly with your move. This will also have the added benefit of preparing you emotionally, especially if you’re very fond of your home. It gets you ready mentally to part ways and look forward to a new chapter with new memories to make in your new place.
Planning Your Move
After you’ve spruced up the curb appeal, depersonalized the entire space, and have made any necessary repairs, you’ll be ready to list your property. This is the time to get serious about moving because it could very well happen before you know it. Here are a few tips to make the move go smoothly:
- Job relocation? Finance your move. If you’re moving to relocate for your job, see how much the company will kick in and which vendors they work with.
- Lighten the load. Now is a good time to host a yard sale, sell stuff online, and donate to charity.
- Come-up with a moving day plan. You’ll need to decide what goes with you and what goes on the moving truck. Plus, pack food, drinks, a change of clothes, toilet paper, towels, trash bags, and fun stuff for the kids.
- Bring your pet along. Make sure you have food and water ready and available.
- Schedule utilities. You’ll have to schedule both shut-offs and connections, be sure to make these work for you.
- Label “open first” boxes. These are things you’ll need immediately like flatware, bedding, towels, toiletries, extension cords, light bulbs, tools, clock, pens, paper, and cleaning stuff.
When you’re ready to list your home here in Sarasota and want to sell it as soon as possible for the best price possible, then contact us. We can not only list your home on the MLS, but give you advice about changes to make as well as market your home locally, nationally, and internationally. We are a full service real estate firm and have the experience and skill to sell your home and assist you with finding another property.