You might not realize it, but by the time you finally decide to call a real estate agent to list your house for sale, the idea may have been kicking around for a year or two… or three!
It starts off subtly…
- You start wishing your commute wasn’t so long and sizing up towns closer to work.
- Or maybe you work from home, but your home office is basically just the kitchen table until dinner time, and you start to envision an entire room dedicated to your work.
- Maybe the schools didn’t matter to you when you first bought your home, but now you’re doing some research on the best school districts even though your kids are still a few years away from attending.
- Hosting too many relatives in too little space over the holidays could get you envisioning guest rooms and a bigger dining room someday, even though you’re not planning on moving before next year’s gathering.
- Or you decide you’re sick of hosting holidays and think about how downsizing would be a great excuse for not having to host every year!
You’re not necessarily even looking up houses for sale to get a feel for what’s on the market. You certainly haven’t circled a moving date on the calendar. You probably wouldn’t even describe yourself as “thinking about selling” to your best friend (or even your significant other).
But the thought is there.
It can stay there for months or years before you decide to do anything about it. Which gives you something homeowners often wish they had more of once they do decide to sell.
Time to prepare.
The trick is using that time wisely. Some people put everything off until they’re ready to list, then scramble to get the house ready. Others spend years tackling projects they assume will help them sell, only to discover they spent more than they needed to.
You don’t need to turn a passing thought about moving into a renovation schedule. But a little planning now can make things considerably easier later.
Start With Things You Keep Saying You’ll Get Around To
There’s a reason advice about preparing a house for sale often includes decluttering, touching up paint, cleaning, and fixing minor problems. Those things can help a home look and feel better without requiring a construction loan.
They’re also easier to tackle when you aren’t trying to do all of them by next Thursday.
You could start sorting through the closet you close quickly so nothing falls out. Donate things you already know you wouldn’t take to another house. Fix the dripping faucet, loose cabinet handle, or door that only latches if you lift it slightly and say something encouraging.
These are the projects people often promise to tackle “someday.” Then someday becomes the weekend before the photographer arrives.
Starting earlier lets you spread out the work and expenses. You also get to enjoy the results instead of fixing everything just in time for someone else to live there.
Before You Do a Full-Blown Kitchen Renovation…
Once you start viewing your house through a future buyer’s eyes, it’s easy to develop an expensive imagination.
The kitchen looks dated. There really should be another half bath. Surely new flooring throughout would add value.
Maybe some of those improvements make sense. But a project can increase your home’s appeal or selling price without increasing it enough to even cover what you spent.
You might pay for a full kitchen renovation when a few smaller updates would have been sufficient. Or add features buyers in your price range aren’t likely to pay much extra for.
There’s also a difference between improving your home for your own enjoyment and improving it specifically to sell. If you’ll enjoy a renovated kitchen for a few years, that has value to you. If you’re doing it mainly for a future buyer, you’ll want a clearer idea of whether the likely return justifies the cost.
You Don’t Have to Impress an Agent Before Calling One
Whether homeowners plan to do a little or a lot, they often assume they should finish all of the projects and renovations they plan on doing before even inviting an agent over.
It’s understandable. You want the agent to see your house at its best and give you the highest possible estimate of what it could sell for.
And condition certainly does matter. An agent seeing a clean, updated, well-maintained home may reasonably assess it differently than they would have before the work.
But that doesn’t tell you whether every project was necessary, or whether you spent your money where it would make the biggest difference.
Had the agent seen the house beforehand, they might have suggested skipping a project entirely. Or putting a fraction of that budget toward something else.
You don’t need to apologize for the clutter or outdated bathroom sink. Seeing the house as it is helps an agent give you useful advice about where to go from here. They’d rather help you figure out what’s worth doing, and what isn’t, than break the news that the work you did didn’t add as much value as you’d hoped.
Have the Conversation While There’s Still Time to Think
Even if selling is just somewhere in the back of your mind, consider inviting an agent over for a walkthrough.
You don’t need a firm timeline. You can explain what you’re considering, ask what’s worth tackling, and discuss what can wait or be left alone.
From there, you can develop a manageable list that fits your budget and possible timeframe. As plans change or new projects come up, you’ll have someone to bounce ideas off.
You may sell next year, several years from now, or even decide to stay. Either way, you’ll have a better basis for deciding what deserves your time and money.
