The Pittsburgh real estate market has been red-hot since COVID started. While we all feared the industry would stall during the pandemic, we’ve seen the market turn to favor sellers, with offers streaming in almost as soon as a house is listed. And while that’s great for sellers, they should still take the appropriate steps when preparing to sell their homes.
Sellers are in the right spot to receive their asking price—or more—and proper preparation can help them make as much money as possible.
Checklist: Preparing Your Home For Sale
If you’re getting ready to sell your home, follow these steps before listing your home on the market:
1. Pick a Good Time to List.
Some of the sellers we work with don’t have the luxury of time on their side. Some are moving for work, some need to make room for their growing family, and some simply want to free up cash flow by moving into a less expensive home. In these cases, extraneous factors in their lives influence their selling timeline.
However, if you can afford to be flexible, you can potentially pick a time when your home is more likely to sell quickly and for more money.
Pittsburgh historically has had the strongest market between mid-March through mid-July. Since COVID, the market has continued to favor sellers even during other seasons, but the late spring is still the most favorable time of the year to sell. If a house is competitively priced and well marketed, we are seeing many houses sell in under a week, occasionally with a dozen or more offers (Read our blog on weighing offers on your home to learn best practices!).
However, we’ve seen even more uncertainty in recent weeks with rising mortgage rates. As the rates increase, we may see the market cool slightly, and late spring and early summer may once again become the best time to enter the market. While we can’t predict the future, we’re watching the market closely so be sure to reach out with questions to learn more!
2. Declutter.
Look through pictures of really well-staged homes, and you’ll start to notice an important trend: None of them have any clutter! The toys are all tucked away into their toy chest, small kitchen appliances are stored in the cabinets, and the beds are neatly made.
There’s not a bit of clutter throughout the entire home!
This sort of decluttering is critical and offers two benefits:
A tidy home is more attractive to the buyer.
A tidy home makes it easier for potential buyers to envision a future in the home, as they can better visualize any changes they might make.
It pays (literally) to ensure your home is in order. Find a storage locker for your extra belongings, or hold a yard sale to make some extra cash on your excess stuff.
Important pro tip: Don’t try to get away with shoving everything into your closets! Anyone who tours your home will peek into your closets to check how much space you have, and an organized or empty closet will feel like a larger closet.
3. Clean, clean, clean (especially if you have pets, which come with smells and hair).
If you’re going to open your home to visitors (and that’s becoming more common as we head out of covid), be sure it’s clean everywhere. Visitors will take the opportunity to look through closets, underneath your sinks, and behind the shower curtain.
Have your family over to help deep clean the home, or hire a specialist to really give your home a good scrub down. Be sure to:
Scrub your floors
Vacuum and steam your carpets, if possible
Thoroughly clean your bathroom, and be sure to remove all of the soap scum from the shower
Dust the tops of windows, picture frames, bookshelves, and cabinet doors
Clean your windows inside and out
Powerwash the exterior of your home to remove any built-up dirt or moss
Powerwash your sidewalk and deck
Lay down fresh mulch
Trim bushes
Mow
If you have pets, pay close attention to your carpets and furniture to pull the hair out of the fabric. Consider tucking away pet food and bowls (at least ahead of tours) to prevent the room from smelling like pet supplies. Be sure to clean the litter box and keep it out of the way. If any of your pets have had an accident, or if your house has a strong smell of your pet, be sure to deep clean the area and consider using an air freshener to help mask the smell.
Take note, though, that an air freshener should be used in moderation, as certain scents can be distracting to some people, and it could turn certain buyers away! It’s better to address the smell at the source as well as you can.
4. Play handyman—or hire one for a weekend.
There’s no shortage of small improvements you can make to your home, but walk through your home and pretend it’s your first time visiting. Look for:
Squeaky door hinges
Squeaky floorboards
Leaky faucets
Old or outdated door fixtures on your kitchen cabinets
Old or outdated curtains or blinds
Knicks in the walls or paint
Many of those issues can be managed pretty quickly if you have the right supplies, and the results can be worthwhile, especially if it means it means potential buyers are more likely to like your home.
5. Interview potential real estate agents.
There are plenty of reasons to work with an experienced real estate agent instead of selling your house on your own. A few of the biggest:
Access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a massive database of homes that other real estate agents can access
Smoother transactions and quicker negotiations
A robust, established network of trusted industry partners (like mortgage brokers and home inspectors) who can lend support during the sale
Work With A Trusted Real Estate Agent
If you’re still looking for a trusted real estate agent, contact us at theblocks@blocksintheburgh.com. If we’re not the best fit for you, we’ll do our best to recommend someone who is!
Cheers,
Julie & Ted