Frank Jermusek discusses the five most important things to remember before you put your house on the market.

1. 5 Things to Know
Before Putting Your
House Up For Sale
F R A N K J E R M U S E K . O R G

2. If you’re gearing up to sell your house, you may feel overwhelmed
by the sheer amount that has to be done. From cleaning every
inch to painting everything a neutral color, it can seem like
selling is more of a hassle than what it’s worth. And will all the
hard work pay off? While there are endless articles written about
everything you need to do before selling, some factors hold more
weight than others. Here are the five most important things to
know before putting your house on the market.

3. It's Not Personal
Those neutral colors are recommended for a
reason. When selling a home, you want a
potential buyer to be able to imagine
themselves in the space. A love for red in the
dining room may have been perfect for you, but
a potential buyer may not be able to envision
themselves in the space. The same goes for
personal belongings. If pictures of your family,
mementos, and knick-knacks are scattered
about the home, it blocks the buyer from seeing
their family in the space.
Additionally, outdated fixtures and
furniture can distract people from the
possibilities that lie in every inch of the
house. Small, inexpensive measures can be
taken to update the home in an impactful
way. Most experts agree that, if it’s in the
budget, hiring a professional stager to
design the home is good step to take.

4. Another thing to do in those sixty days? Start
taking high-quality images of your home.
Photos that are grainy, blurry, or improperly
angled all play a big role in the amount of
inquiries your home receives. The process is
long in general, but the more prep time you
allow yourself before actually putting your
home on the market, the less stressful it will
be.
Early Bird Gets the Worm
Many first-time sellers don’t know that the
process takes as long as it does. If you want
your home on the market in October, you
should begin the process as early as sixty
days before listing. In this time, meet with
real estate agents, research the local
market, and begin the upgrading and
staging process.

5. Light It Up
People are affected by light more than they know. Lighting is often the
difference between a popular versus an unpopular retail store, and for good
reason. The light that occupies a space plays a major role in how we perceive
the space. It’s the reason hospitals are so bright. It imparts a clean and sterile
feeling.
The same principle applies to homes. Natural lighting is key, as is warm lighting
for an evening open house. Natural and warm lights make a space feel fresh
and cozy, respectively, which is what homes should feel like. Selling your house
is all about making someone feel like they could live here and lighting plays a
big part of that vision.

6. When the exterior of the house leaves a lot to
be desired, you’re pushing away customers
before they even walk through the door. Make
sure the house has been pressure-washed,
weeds have been pulled, and that the yard is
clean and tidy. Put out some flowerpots and a
doormat and fix the cracked concrete
stepping stone that’s been forgotten about.
What You See is
What You Get
It’s important to remember that the goal of a
potential buyer being able to picture
themselves living in a space extends to the
exterior of the house. You want to buyer to be
able to imagine themselves throwing a ball to
their dog, sitting on the porch looking at the
flowers, or playing catch with their kids.

7. Taking away the personality in your house
isn’t personal, but it is emotional. Remember
that it’s okay for the process to feel
emotionally overwhelming. That’s another
reason to take your time. The more time you
invest in the process of selling, the less
painful it’s going to be when you sell because
you’ve had time to process the experience.
Getting Emotional
You’re changing everything about the
house you’ve lived in to disrupt the
reflection of your family. Home’s see a
lot of personal and life changes. Kids
grow up. Promotions and dreams come
true. Now you’re painting over growth
notches in the door frame and taking
down graduation pictures.

8. Take a deep breath, finish ordering the bulk
packing boxes, and concentrate on the aspects
of selling a home that you can control. As long
as you keep these five important aspects in
mind, you’ll have an easier time saying goodbye
to the space you called home for years.

9. Thank You
F O R R E A D I N G
F R A N K J E R M U S E K . O R G