Home-Selling Checklist: Important Steps at Every Stage of the Process

What is the benefit of using a home-selling checklist? Well, the process of selling a home has many moving parts. Especially if you’re looking to sell quickly and maximize your profits. Your Realtor® is there to ensure you do everything you need to achieve your home sale goals, but nonetheless, it’s nice to have a home selling checklist, so you know what to expect at each stage of your home sale. 

What boxes do you need to tick before you list your home while it’s on the market and after accepting an offer? You’re about to find out! Whether you’re a seasoned agent or a first-time seller, this home-selling checklist will ensure your sale goes (and closes!) smoothly.

Home-selling checklist, part 1: your pre-listing home-selling checklist

Once the decision has been made to sell, most homeowners want to get their homes on the market quickly, but sometimes it makes sense to wait. Regardless of your timeline, there are several things you should take care of before listing your home to ensure a smooth and successful sale.

Do your research

Real estate agents have a wealth of knowledge about market trends and factors that impact home value, so you should certainly lean on their expertise. But with so much information out there, many homeowners can’t help but do their own research on what they need to do to prepare for the market and sell their homes. Understanding the home sale process and what goes into a home’s value can also make the selling process a lot less stressful and confusing. 

To get an idea of what your home might sell for, you can do a little comparative analysis. Look at what homes similar to yours — AKA comps — have sold for recently. You can use listing sites like Redfin to get an idea of the market value of homes in your neighborhood. Make sure to consider the size, location, and condition of your home to get a good idea of its market value. 

In other words, don’t compare your home to one that’s much larger, located in a completely different zip code, or with much newer flooring, roofing, and appliances. Some of this, of course, you won’t know —and your real estate agent can help fill in any gaps. 

Get your finances in order

Selling your home doesn’t come without cost. For example, you may have to pay for essential repairs and home improvements recommended by your real estate agent, as well as staging, cleaning, and junk removal.

There are standard expenses on every home-selling checklist, too. You may need to pay: 

• Your mortgage in full, along with any related fees 
• The buyer’s title insurance, which protects them against financial loss if there’s a defect in the title or with the property
• Capital gains taxes, which are taxes on the difference between the amount you purchased your home for and the amount when you sell it
• Transfer taxes, which are required in some states to transfer ownership of a home from one individual to another

You’ll want to get a clear understanding of what costs are associated with selling a home so you can factor them into your home sale plan before you list.

Hire a reputable real estate agent

One of the costs associated with selling a home is the commission you pay your real estate agent, as well as your buyer’s agent.

Take care of deferred maintenance

77% of of buyers won’t consider purchasing a home that isn’t move-in ready.¹ Think about it — no one wants to spend all their cash on a home, then turn around and have a plumbing or electrical emergency to take care of.

If you’re like most homeowners, there are probably some repairs that you’ve put off because they weren’t quite necessary or because you didn’t have the cash to tackle them. Taking care of repairs pays off in both time and money. In fact, pre-listing projects consisting simply of repairs and touch-ups not only result in an average ROI of 167% and net profit of $5,578 for home sellers, but they also help homes get to closing faster. By tackling repairs before listing, you’ll attract more buyers, receive a good offer quicker, and fly through your home inspection.

Below are a few specifics to pay special attention to:

• Issues with your electrical and plumbing systems
• The age of your roof
• Building code violations that will be flagged during an inspection
• Other safety issues such as front or backyard pathways with uneven concrete that could be a tripping hazard

Home-selling checklist, part 2: daily to-dos while on the market

Once your home is on the market, what do you need to do to get and keep potential buyers on the hook?

Keep your home clean and clutter-free

It’s not uncommon for buyers to ask to tour your home on short notice. So it needs to look its best at all times. That includes: 

• Making your bed(s)
• Picking up things that are lying around (e.g., shoes, toys, or other items on the floor or couch)
• Cleaning your bathroom and kitchen
• Taking out the trash
• Sweeping or vacuuming your floors
• Putting valuables such as electronics, jewelry, and documents containing your personal information in a safe place

You’ll also want to consider having a place for you (and your pets) to stay while your home is being shown. 

Ask for feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask what feedback your agent has received from buyers’ agents or what thoughts they might have on the best strategy to get you to closing! If you didn’t take on repairs and/or home improvements, and it’s been a couple of weeks, you may even want to consider taking your property off the market to make some updates. 

Home-selling checklist, part 3: steps to ensure a seamless sale

Now, let’s fast forward a bit and imagine you’ve received a great offer on your house. Here are the final tasks to round out your home-selling checklist.

Tackle punch-list repairs after the home inspection

Whether or not you tackled deferred maintenance before listing your home, there’s a chance that some repairs will come up during the inspection. No need to fret! Inspection repairs generally aren’t dealbreakers. Oftentimes, you can tackle the repairs before closing or offer buyer credits so that the buyers feel comfortable tackling the repairs post-close. If you choose to work on the punch-list repairs, Curbio can take care of them quickly (with same-day estimates and immediate availability) to prevent any delays to closing.

Get ready for the final walk-through

Before the buyer does their last walkthrough of your home:

• Double-check that you’ve completed any and all repairs agreed to (if there was a repair contingency clause in your contract)
• Make sure that any items that are supposed to be left in the home — such as appliances — are present and in working order

You don’t want to give the buyer any reason to back out of the deal or prolong the closing process.

• Your government-issued ID or driver’s license
• The purchase contract
• The deed to the house
• The house keys, garage door opener, gate access codes, smart locks, etc.
• Any last utility bills that need to be paid
• Your checkbook and cashier’s checks for closing costs and any agreed-upon repair credits

Once all the documents are signed, your house will officially be considered sold!

Don’t stress about the items on your home-selling checklist. Work with Curbio to get your home in its best condition. We’ll manage all of your home improvements! Learn more about our award-winning solutions.

Sources: 

1. Curbio (2022). Preparing to Sell: 2022 Home Improvement Report