HARMONY REALTY GROUP

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Getting ready to sell your home? Before you start spending money on improvements, take a step back and make a plan. Preparing your home can be more manageable when you know what to prioritize.

This checklist will help you get started, whether you’re planning to move soon or simply thinking ahead.

✓ Start With a Conversation

Talk with a Realtor before taking on major projects. Your home’s condition, likely price range, and competing properties can help guide which improvements are worth considering.

Your first step: Make a list of the projects you’re considering and review it before hiring contractors or buying materials.

✓ Declutter One Room at a Time

Clear countertops, organize closets, and remove extra furniture that makes rooms feel crowded. Pack away personal collections and items you won’t need before moving.

You don’t need to empty your home. Aim to make each room’s space and purpose easy to see.

Your first step: Start with the entryway, kitchen counters, and main living area.

✓ Clean Thoroughly

Give extra attention to kitchens, bathrooms, windows, floors, baseboards, and light fixtures. Wash bedding and address the source of pet or other household odors.

Your first step: Make a cleaning list and decide what you can handle yourself and where professional help would be useful.

✓ Take Care of Small Repairs

Walk through your home with a fresh set of eyes. Look for:

  • Leaky faucets

  • Loose cabinet handles and door hinges

  • Burned-out light bulbs

  • Damaged window screens

  • Doors that stick or won’t latch

  • Worn or missing caulk

Have qualified professionals evaluate electrical, plumbing, or other concerns that require specialized work.

Your first step: Write down the repairs, then prioritize them with your Realtor.

✓ Refresh Paint Where Needed

Touch up scuffs and worn areas. Consider fresh paint in rooms with heavily marked walls or strong colors.

A few carefully selected updates may be enough. Discuss the overall condition before committing to repainting every room.

Your first step: Check the entryway, hallways, and main living spaces.

✓ Make the Entrance Welcoming

Trim shrubs, clear walkways, tidy landscaping, and clean the front door. Check that exterior lights work and house numbers are easy to see.

During Northwest Ohio’s fall and winter months, keep leaves, snow, and ice off steps and walkways.

Your first step: Stand at the curb and look at your home as if you were arriving for the first time.

✓ Gather Your Home’s Information

Collect the records you already have, including:

  • Approximate ages of the roof, furnace, air conditioner, and water heater

  • Receipts for repairs and improvements

  • Available warranties and service records

  • Utility information

  • HOA documents, if applicable

  • Well or septic records, if applicable

If you don’t know an item’s age, note that rather than guessing. Discuss known concerns with your Realtor early.

Your first step: Create one folder for your home’s records.

✓ Get Ready for Photography and Showings

Before photography, put away laundry, clear counters, make beds, and tidy outdoor spaces.

For showings, plan for pets and secure valuables, medications, and personal documents. A simple routine can make appointments easier to manage.

Your first step: Create a short checklist you can complete before leaving the house.

✓ Think Through Your Next Move

Consider where you’ll go, your preferred moving date, and whether you need to coordinate another purchase.

Ask for an estimated seller net sheet so you can review potential selling expenses and mortgage payoff before making plans around your proceeds.

Your first step: Write down your ideal timeline and discuss where you have flexibility.

Before You Spend Money, Let’s Talk

Every home needs a different preparation plan. Some benefit from a few small improvements; others may be better suited to selling in their current condition.

Harmony Realty Group can help you decide what to tackle, what to leave alone, and how to prepare for your next move.

Serving Maumee, Toledo, Perrysburg, and surrounding Northwest Ohio communities.

Call Harmony Realty Group: (419) 740-3225

Visit HarmonyRealtyGroupLLC.com

Local Expertise. Honest Guidance. Real Results.