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By: Shirley Martin

How to Prep Your Home and Sell It Safely During the Pandemic

Sometimes, you just have to move despite what’s going on in the world. Selling your home during the pandemic will come with a few extra challenges, but it’s entirely doable. By staging your home well and taking extra precautions with cleaning, you can make your home stand out from the rest. Below, find out what projects you’ll want to tackle to make your home shine.

Revamp Your Exterior

Even though many showings are done virtually, your home’s curb appeal still matters. Having attractive landscaping and clean siding will make your home look its best in your listing photos. However, you have to keep in mind that realtors can also show the outside of your home on virtual tours just as they would during in-person tours.

You could easily spend thousands boosting your home’s curb appeal, but there are many simple ways to help your home look better. Adding sleek new address numbers is just one inexpensive way to modernize your home. You can also add a splash of color by planting a low-maintenance flower bed or repainting your front door a bold new color.

Declutter and Depersonalize

It’s almost impossible for buyers to picture themselves living in your home if it’s full of personal items. With that in mind, it’s important to take down family photos and stash other items that might prevent a buyer from visualizing life in your home.

Not only will this make your home into a blank slate, it can also help streamline your move if you pack away items as you go. Donating unwanted items to a charity will also lighten your load while making your home look appealing.

Focus Your Cleaning Efforts

Did you know that more than 50 percent of today’s house hunters find the home they end up buying online first? And with the onset of the pandemic, buyers these days are relying on virtual tools more than ever.

With this in mind, you’ve got to leave buyers with a great first impression from your listing. Giving your home a one-time deep cleaning is one of the first steps. When you do this, your home will stand out for its listing photos, and you’ll only have to do routine touch-ups before any virtual tours or in-person tours take place.

A deep cleaning may set you back $325 or more, but it’s a small price to pay when it helps your home look its best online. Plus, only having to worry about touch-up cleanings is a lifesaver if you’re still getting used to working from home.

It’s also important to have your home cleaned before any in-person tours take place. Remember that even if many tours are done virtually, this often means that a realtor will be entering your home to take buyers on a live video tour. Wiping down commonly touched items like doorknobs, light switches, and faucets will keep things germ-free for real estate agents and any buyers who may enter your home. Sanitizing your kitchen and bathroom and washing your hands regularly will also keep germs at bay.

Get Great Photos Taken

Decluttering, cleaning, and sprucing up the exterior will all come in handy when your listing photos are taken. You might also want to hire interior designer freelancers to help you stage your home before having photos taken. These professionals can offer a simple consultation to help you arrange your existing furniture, or they can provide full services by adding their own decor and furniture.

With your home staged to impress, you’ll need to decide whether you want professional photos taken. While it’s possible to get great results with DIY listing photos, there are many benefits to hiring a professional photographer to do it for you (which typically costs $110 – $300 per shoot). Not only does a pro have the expertise, they also have top-of-the-line equipment that will show your home in the best light possible.

Before beginning any of these projects, your best bet is to enlist the help of an experienced and skilled real estate professional. A professional realtor like Kathy Koops will have the expertise you need to market and sell your home.

Selling your home during COVID-19 takes a little extra work on your part. However, if you spend the time to deep clean, revamp your exterior, and have great photos taken, your home will look sparkling clean both for its online listing photos and virtual tours.

About the author:  “Shirley Martin has always had a knack for keeping spaces clean and organized. She decided to turn her love for perfectly organized closets, drawers, and cabinets into a career by becoming a professional home organizer. Through Tidy Life Today, she shares her own expertise and all the handy tips she picks up along the way.”