When the time comes to move, you’ve got a lot of take care of. Whether it’s for a job, a certain school or you simply wanting a change of scenery, moving takes planning. But knowing when it’s time to move is only a fraction of the process. There are a lot of other things to do, including selling your old house. Putting your home on the market is the first step, but people who are new to this may not know how to go about it. Here is how you can prepare to put your home on the market.
Learn to Let Go
If you’ve lived in a house for years, possibly since childhood, it’s only natural to become attached to the place you grew up in. But once moving time comes, you’re going to have to let go. Sure, it may be difficult to do so, however, moving to a new home should be an exciting change. A great way to go about this is realizing that while your time in your old house is limited, your memories are not.
Repair Everything
No matter where you live, it’s not uncommon to run into problems. Home problems can be anything, like plumbing issues, cracked walls, flooring issues or damage to the infrastructure. Whatever problem is, take care of it as soon as you can. No one wants to move into a new home that has these kinds of problems. The cost of repairs will vary on the type of problem and the severity. For example, if the roof is missing shingles and causing leaks within the walls, the repair could be expensive. And since moving is a massive investment on its own, you may find yourself struggling to pay for it.
One way you can easily pay for repairs is to take a lump sum of funds right away by choosing to sell your life insurance policy. A life insurance policy is a way to financially secure yourself and family. A death in the family isn’t the only way you can cash out a life insurance policy. If you’re considering doing this, it’s recommended you contact the insurance company to get a rough estimate on how valuable the policy is. You can also do this yourself using a life insurance calculator. This allows you to calculate the value of your policy, so you can budget accordingly.
How much you get from selling a policy depends on the value and your insurance company. In most cases, people usually get a 20 to 30 percent cut from the policy, but if your company is generous, it’s possible to get more. So, for instance, if you had a policy that’s worth $100,000 and the company lets you keep 30 percent, you would receive $30,000.
Remove Any Lingering Clutter
Another part of moving is preparing the house for tours and advertisements. As you work on selling your house, you want to have as many offers as possible. The only way to accumulate offers is to make the house look warm, welcoming and habitable. Before posting pictures, go over the entire interior of your home and get rid of anything you consider clutter. Clutter can be anything from clothes and trinkets to whole pieces of unused furniture.
Homebuyers want to see a lot of free space when going over various houses. This helps them plan out their own way of personalizing their house. Seeing a bunch of unnecessary clutter in the photos is a surefire way to turn them off. The same rings true for the exterior of your home as well. Get rid of any unnecessary outdoor furniture and decor. It’s also worth mentioning that as you declutter, you take out any personal items, like family photos and pieces of art. You want to give all potential buyers a general view of the house. Finally, remember that prepping your home can make selling your home a lot less painful.
