Not many people are thinking about selling their home this time of year, but for those that are, you might be considering selling after the new year. This is a very common occurrence in many people consider selling but don’t really think about selling until January 1 hits. If you’re thinking about selling your Camano Island home around the first of 2019 there are some things you can be doing now to get your home ready and take a little stress off of your shoulders when the time does come to list the property. Here’s what I would suggest doing between now and the end of the year if you plan on listing the home in January or February.
#1. Take care of all minor repairs.
If there is a destroyed doorjamb, leaky windowsill, squeaky door, leaky faucet, or other minor issues that have just become commonplace in your house, trust me, buyers will notice them and they will stick out like a sore thumb. Take the next three weeks to make a list of all the little items that need to be dealt with and then take one at a time. This will be a lot more manageable than having a huge chunk of work that needs to be done a week before the property lists. If you are not sure about what your house needs, have a trusted friend or even your real estate agent to browse the home making lists and notes on items that will stand out to buyers. You might not have noticed it for years, but a buyer certainly will.
#2. Start packing.
Take one room at a time and pack up everything you probably won’t need until the new house. This could be seasonal items, books, files and paperwork, close, holiday decorations, and pretty much anything you know you won’t need over the next month or two. This is a great way to pack up your home stress-free giving yourself smaller chunks each day so that by the time you list the home is clutter-free, clean, and ready to list.
#3. Don’t neglect the landscaping.
If you start now, by the first week of January you might have a lush green lawn that’s perfectly trimmed and buyer-ready. If you only have a day or two before the listing hits the market, you probably won’t have enough time to make the landscaping all you hope to could be. By adding some fertilizer or nitrogen to your lawn now, you’re more likely to have a lush, green lawn the first or second week of January. And, you never know when working to get snow around here, so trimming back trees, taking a look at any low hanging branches that could be hazardous, and trimming shrubs and edging lawns is a great way to get started on your curb appeal.
Check out our tree removal service: Lineage Tree Care for any landscaping issues dealing with trees, branches, pruning, or trimming.
Need a Listing Agent for Your Camano Island Home? I’ve worked on the island for decades and KNOW Camano Island real estate. Let me help you list and SELL your home in Stanwood or Camano Island today.