Don’t Forget These 5 Tasks for Your Home Sale Checklist

In the stress, bustle, and confusion of selling your home, there are a few tasks you can’t neglect.

You may have your bases covered (you found a realtor, you made some updates, you figured out staging), but did you remember everything?

5 Home Sale Checklist Items Not to Miss

Here are some tasks you shouldn’t forget to complete. These should be on your home sale checklist for a smooth-sailing selling experience.

1. Check Your Realtor’s References

A poor realtor working on your home sale could cost you time and money. Make sure you get somebody with a good reputation as well as skill – ask for references from prospects before you hire a real estate agent.

2. Make Sure Your Sale Is Promoted on Social Media

A good agent will have this covered, but check to make sure your listing is available online and on social channels. The internet is the main way people look for information. If you’re not promoting where the people are, you’ll have a poorer chance of getting your house sold quickly.

3. Fix Every Small Repair on Your Home Sale Checklist

Does the faucet drip? Does the doorbell not work? Is there a hole in your screen door?

These may be small issues you have neglected in favor of fixing larger ones, but you have to address them when it comes time to sell. Buyers will notice every little flaw in your home, and the more you have, the more they’ll stack up negatively.

Get to your honey-do list and you’ll have a better chance with buyers.

4. Clean Inside Your Cabinets/Closets

A deep clean is de rigueur for a home sale, but many people scrub the surfaces and forget the interiors.

The main culprits: Your kitchen cabinets, the inside of your fridge, your closet interiors, and other nooks and crannies.

The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” is true, so double-check that your out-of-sight spots are clean before the open house, and especially before the sale.

5. List the Items Excluded from the Sale

If you plan on taking your expensive window treatments or artsy light fixture with you when you move, you need to note it explicitly.

Why? Anything that’s bolted to the wall is fair game for a buyer. If you don’t specifically state that items you’re keeping aren’t included in the sale, you risk disappointing a finicky buyer. The same goes for any appliances – for example, your new washer/dryer or your top-of-the-line dishwasher.

Dot Every “I” and Cross Every “T” on Your Home Sale Checklist

It’s hard to remember absolutely everything you need to accomplish when your home is on the market. Add these items to your to-do list and cross them off for a more successful sale.