Prepping to Sell During Quarantine

So you need to sell your home but are waiting until the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” rules are lifted. Our team is committed to following the Governor’s restrictions, and there are also ways we can work together virtually to ensure that your home is ready to go on the market as soon as it’s advisable to do so. 

Virtual Meetings

Usually a conversation is better than a series of emails and texts, and we can meet up over Zoom or any number of video chat apps to go over questions, market analyses, and our plan for marketing your property.

Comparative Market Analysis

It’s a quantitative analysis of your home against others in the area - we analyze against other homes that are on the market, homes that are pending sale, and homes that have recently closed. This gives us the price range of what similar homes to yours are selling for. And guess what? We can do this for you completely from our home offices. 

Paperwork & Documentation

There’s a fair amount of paperwork to sign to prepare a home for listing, and we can handle much of it ahead of time! We can prepare the documents and send them to you for your review and e-signature.

And if your property has had recent renovations, septic records or other maintenance documents, this is the perfect time to get those documents together.

Repairs & Deferred Maintenance

Even simple repairs around the house can go a long way towards showing off your home, and also to avoid dealing with them later during the inspection period. If you don’t have the tools and supplies handy, make a hit list for any necessary repairs. 

What to keep an eye out for:

• Smoke and CO alarms in working order
• Water heater is double strapped to wall studs
• Caulking around sinks and tubs
• Weather stripping around doors
• Gutters & roof
• Faulty appliances

Curb Appeal

The exterior should look as fresh and crisp as possible, which could include:

• Pressure washing
• Edging flower beds
• Pulling weeds and removing dead foliage
• Washing windows

Cleaning

You knew it was coming. It’s springtime and perfect timing for some deep cleaning around the house!  There are plenty of online checklists like this one that break down the tasks by room, or sets up challenges to break down the project over several days: we’ve collected several of them on our Spring Cleaning Pinterest board.

Don’t miss these easy-to-forget parts of your home:

• Blinds
• Baseboards
• Air vents
• Ceiling corners

*Also, as you move through the home, note any corners that seem dark, or lightbulbs that are burned out. Lighting is huge for presenting your home through photos and videography.

Moving Preparations

The more you clear out now, the easier packing will be later on!

• Start going through the fringes of your belongings - out of season clothes, the junk drawer, those cabinets in the garage, the hall closet - and removing the easy-to-get-rid-of items.  
• Still in a time of quarantine? Consider making a corner of the garage the “donate” pile and put tied-off bags there. Out of the way and easy to pick up and take as one or two larger trips when you’re able to get out and about. 
  

Clean, fresh homes, along with the professional photography and videography we provide, make an impact. In an era when 50% of buyers first see their next home online, we want yours to stand out! And when it’s time for your home to go on the market, here is how the Cohen Group NW works to keep you safe in this new normal.