According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price for an existing, single-family home continues to rise in most markets\u2014thanks to continued low inventory. In fact, a recent report has the median price at $254,000 in the third quarter of 2017. That\u2019s up 5.3 percent from this same time last year.<\/p>\n If you want to cash in on your home\u2019s equity, you need to make sure your house is in tip top shape and attractive to buyers before listing. A real estate expert will know how to make sure you home becomes what buyers are looking for<\/a> so that you can sell your home for top dollar.<\/p>\n These are the \u201cTo Do or Not To Do\u201d questions you need to ask your agent (and what your agent will probably answer).<\/p>\n Yes. Unless your walls and floors are in brand-new, pristine condition, the answer to this question is always: Yes. Even fresh paint and new flooring may need to be replaced if you didn\u2019t go for neutral hues.<\/a><\/p>\n According to top real estate agent Dawn Krause,<\/a> who ranks at #2 out of 1,475 seller\u2019s agents in the Wildwood suburb of St. Louis, MO, \u201cIt\u2019s super important to make sure that we are appealing to the largest palette for today\u2019s tastes, that we are a neutral choice for buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve recently painted your walls within the last year in a neutral color like off-white, beige or pale gray, you\u2019re in luck. All your walls need is a good scrubbing from baseboard to ceiling to restore them to freshly-painted condition.<\/p>\n For sellers who need to repaint, concentrate on the main living spaces, including the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom where your buyer will spend the most time. You\u2019ll also need to remove wallpaper<\/a> in those spaces if it\u2019s non-neutral in color or pattern.<\/p>\n Steam cleaning older carpets simply won\u2019t do if you intend to sell for top dollar. Krause advises: \u201cBuyers have the tendency to catastrophize the cost of repairs and upgrades. So you\u2019re going to pay for new carpet one way or the other. If you do it up front, you\u2019re controlling the cost\u2014because what you\u2019d spend as you\u2019re moving out of the home is not what a buyer would spend who\u2019s moving in.\u201d<\/p>\n Generally, if it\u2019s more than a few years old you will need to install new carpeting.<\/a> Tile, linoleum and wood flooring that\u2019s not stained or damaged may just need a thorough cleaning. But if they are scratched, chipped or torn, they also need to be repaired or replaced.<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of cleaning, this is one question you don\u2019t need to ask an expert on\u2014the answer is always: Yes.<\/p>\n A dirty home signals<\/a> to buyers that the current owner hasn\u2019t taken care of the place. Instead of seeing themselves as future owners of your home, they\u2019ll be looking for problems and think that the house needs more work than it actually does. Buyers who suspect your home may be a lemon will either make lowball offers or walk away.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re planning to sell, a typical tidying up isn\u2019t enough. You\u2019ll need to deep clean everything.<\/a> And we mean everything\u2014ceiling fans, air vents, behind the fridge, under the furniture\u2026 When buyers are \u201ckicking the tires\u201d of your home they\u2019re apt to look in the unlikeliest of places, and if they find dirt, you, the seller, will pay the price.<\/p>\n Absolutely, yes. At both open houses and private showings you want to make sure the buyer is seeing your house and not you. The best way to achieve this is by decluttering and depersonalizing<\/a> your home.<\/p>\n Along with items that show your family\u2019s names and faces, you\u2019ll also need to hide all the quirky furnishings and clutter that give your place its personality. So what should you do with all of those knick-knacks and photographs that make the house your home? The smart play is to pack them.<\/p>\n Boxing up as much of your personal property as possible (including rarely-used kitchen gadgets and out-of-season clothes) makes your home more spacious and move-in ready<\/a> to potential buyers. Store your boxed belongings in low-traffic areas like the basement or garage. Even better, stash your packages completely off the premises in a month-by-month storage locker for anywhere from $20 to $200<\/a> depending upon the space you need.<\/p>\n For sellers having trouble deciding which decorative accessories to pack and which to use for staging your home, you might just need the help of a professional.<\/p>\n For staging? Maybe. The to-do or not-to-do for staging really depends on the value of your home. For homeowners in a lower price bracket, paying for staging may not be worth it, but for a higher end property, it\u2019s practically a must.<\/p>\n If a full staging is out of your budget, consider getting a consultation which runs about $150 to $400 for two hours.<\/a> Once the expert lets you know what to do (and if your existing furniture and accessories are neutral enough), you can do the heavy lifting yourself.<\/p>\n But for professional photography, the answer is almost always: Yes. According to the NAR, a whopping 83% of buyers<\/a> start their housing hunting online. So it\u2019s worth that investment of $140 to $180 for a professional photographer<\/a>\u00a0because those photos are the first impression potential buyers get and are a deciding factor in attracting an in-person visit. Properties being sold as-is are the only exception.<\/p>\n Sometimes yes, sometimes no. This one really takes an agent\u2019s expertise to decide as a pre-listing inspection<\/a> has the potential to both help and hurt the seller.<\/p>\n If you suspect your home has some major issues, such as bad wiring, faulty plumbing or damaged roofing,<\/a> your buyer\u2019s inspector will find it. And when they do, you\u2019ll pay for it\u2014both the repair costs and probably a hit on the final sale price, too.<\/p>\n For major issues like these, it\u2019s best to know and fix before you list so that you can control the costs. Plus, the better shape your home is in, the better your asking price will be. If you don\u2019t suspect any major issues, it\u2019s best to wait.<\/p>\n Since inspection costs run between $350 to $600,<\/a> it\u2019s better to let the buyer bear the expense if you don\u2019t suspect major repair problems. That way, they\u2019re financially invested in the sale and less likely to be scared off by the inspection results.<\/p>\n Also, in most states,<\/a> anything you find in a pre-listing inspection will need to be reported in the seller’s disclosure.<\/a> That can lead potential buyers to come with lowball offers, demand that all items be addressed or walk away without ever making an offer.<\/p>\n Yes. While a full pre-listing inspection might not be the right move, there are some other reports and inspections you may need. For starters, it is the seller\u2019s responsibility to make sure their home meets fire safety standards, so it\u2019s best to get a home fire inspection<\/a> before listing.<\/p>\n If your home has been remodeled or has an addition, you may also want to get a municipal building inspection.<\/a> While this isn\u2019t a full home inspection, the report will let you know if you have any code violations<\/a> that need to be addressed. If the code violations require major repairs, you can sell your home as-is, but it will cost you.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to get a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE)<\/a> report done. The report lists any insurance claims made on the property by you or the previous owners. In most states, you\u2019ll need to include these details in the seller\u2019s disclosure, so use the CLUE report to ensure you have your facts straight. One thing no report can tell you is whether or not to make upgrades to your home.<\/p>\n Maybe. Like the pre-listing inspection, this decision often comes down to the current market value of your home. According to Krause, \u201cWe need to do market-appropriate upgrades. If it\u2019s a lower-priced home where you wouldn\u2019t expect to see super high-end flooring, then don\u2019t do it. But if it\u2019s a high end, million dollar home, then it needs to have million dollar features.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, granite countertops cost an average of $3,100 to install<\/a>. In median-priced and higher homes, installing a neutral granite in the kitchen and baths can attract buyers and add value.<\/a> But if you\u2019re installing them on outdated cabinets, or buyers in your area prefer other countertop materials, you won\u2019t see a return on that investment.<\/p>\n![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/list-your-home-for-sale-sellers.jpg\")
<\/a>Before You List Your Home for Sale, Ask:<\/h2>\n
1. Should I Refurbish My Walls and Floors?<\/h3>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/best-way-to-sell-your-house-dawn-krause.jpg\")
<\/a>2. Should I Deep Clean?<\/h3>\n
3. Should I Declutter, Depersonalize and Start Packing?<\/h3>\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/list-your-home-for-sale.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\n
4. Should I Get Professional Staging and Photography?<\/h3>\n
5. Should I Get a Pre-Listing Inspection?<\/h3>\n
6. Should I Investigate My Home?<\/h3>\n
![\"When](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/list-your-home-for-sale-upgrades.jpg\")
<\/a>7. Should I Make Upgrades?<\/h3>\n