How to Prepare Your Home to Move or Sell

We’ve moved. A LOT! I know that it can be a really tiring and overwhelming process however it’s something that just has to get done. Right now, we’re going through a big – and hopefully final – move too!

Because I’ve had so much experience packing up and moving, I’m sharing my thoughts and suggestions to make it easier so that your experience can go smoothly. Here are some key steps you’ll need to take in order to prepare your home for the move or sale.

Begin by decluttering and then declutter again!

I don’t think I can stress this enough. Once you start organizing you’ll realize just how much you have. This is one of the most important steps in preparing your home for a move or sale. 

Get rid of anything you don’t need or use anymore – clothes, furniture, knick-knacks, etc. Not only will decluttering make your home look better, it will also make it easier to pack when the time comes.

The first time you go through your home you might feel like there are things you can’t let go of. However, if you go through the process multiple times it can help. The first time you might get rid of 30%, the second time 50% and so on. The key is to be ruthless – if you haven’t used it in 6 months, chances are you won’t use it again.

With the items that you remove you can either sell or donate them. If you have time, selling things may give you extra income that could be helpful with your move. If you don’t have time to sell, donating is also a great option. Not only will it clear out your home, but you’ll be helping others as well.

Once you’ve decluttered, it’s time to start cleaning.

This means giving your home a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. Dust, vacuum, shampoo carpets, scrub showers and toilets – you want your home to sparkle! Simple things like professional window washing, a fresh coat of paint (if necessary or some touch-ups), caulk up spots, deep cleaning, and power washing of the exterior of your home – especially the entrance in the summer can all make a huge difference.

First impressions are important, so you want potential buyers or renters to walk into a clean and welcoming space. If this feels overwhelming or you have the financial resources, hiring a professional is a great idea.

A professional cleaner will have the knowledge and products to do a deep clean, something most of us are not familiar with. They will also be able to do it in a fraction of the time it would take you.

Presentation is SO Important

If you’re selling your home, you’ll also want to make sure it is as presentable as possible. Walk through your home and view it with a buyer’s eyes. This means not only making any necessary repairs, such as fixing a leaky faucet or patching up holes in the walls but also considering things like paint colors and furniture placement.

You might want to consider hiring a home stager to help you make your home look its best. Home staging is the process of making a house look like it could be featured in a magazine. It’s all about creating an inviting and appealing space that potential buyers will fall in love with.

If you don’t have access to a stager and don’t have the eye to do it yourself, do you have any friends or family that have this skill? Sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes to see your home in a different way.

Get Packing

Finally, once you’ve decluttered, cleaned, and repaired your home, it’s time to start packing! If you’re selling your home, you’ll want to start by packing up any personal items or things you don’t need on a daily basis.

Move items that you’ve sorted and packed into your garage or an open space – out of your living area whenever possible. The goal is to make your home look as spacious as possible for potential buyers. You may need to leave some furniture and items in your home until it’s sold but remove as much as you can.

If you don’t have space in your home you can rent a storage shed or storage space where you can move things until your new home is ready. If you have movers that are coming to take your belongings it also can make it more quick and easy if everything is packed and ready. 

A final piece of advice, try to start the process as early as you can.

Even if you’re thinking you might not move for another 6-12 months you can start the process immediately. The more time you have, the less stressful it will be on you and your family. 

I hope that your moving experience is smooth and with as little struggle as possible!