The clock starts ticking from the time you decide to put your house on the market and make a move. But don’t worry… this can be strategically planned out! Follow my helpful tips below to prepare to sell your house, to prepare for moving day, and to ensure a successful moving day.
Preparing To Sell
When preparing to sell your house, making your house comfortable and inviting is key to getting it on and off the market. From my experience, here is what you need to do to make sure that your house is ready for sellers’ eyes.
- Declutter your house before putting it on the market. What should be donated, thrown away, kept etc. GREAT time for a garage sale!
- Once decluttered have a professional cleaning company come in and give it a detailed cleaning. A clean house is always appealing. From ceiling fans and window blinds to baseboards and tile grout, no surface goes un-scrubbed!
- Most sellers’ agents agree that staging your home before selling it helps you receive an offer faster.
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GREAT TIP… Buy several laundry baskets. When you receive the call for the house to show through everything in the basket and in the car and drive away! Causes much less drama!
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Keep a list of ideas of things for your family to do while you are out of your house for the showings. Trust me on this… Please, please, please leave the house. A buyer feels awkward looking at your house when you refuse to leave.
- Furry Family members need a place to go during showings. Do not leave in the backyard for buyers to try to maneuver around.
- Make your home inviting. I had one seller leave a note talking about how much their family had loved the house with cookies and tea! (House went under contract that day!)
Preparing For The Move
You sold your home. Great! Now you’ll want to get ready to move out and move into your new dream home. Staying organized and planning ahead will ensure a successful time come moving day.
- Be proactive… focus your meals around what you already have in your freezer and pantry! It’s a great way to help clean out
- before the move.
- Get quotes from at least 3 moving companies and make sure they are insured! My leather couch was dropped in my last move and they replaced it! Insured is very important!
- Start researching your new community and schools.
- Determine how many packing supplies you are going to need.
- Contact your insurance agents about the move!
- Collect all medical records and seek referrals if moving out of town.
- Make arrangements to disconnect utilities (THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE UNTIL CLOSING DAY!).
- Create an inventory of your belongings to compare against the moving companies list.
- Fill in a change of address form at your Post Office.
- Create a plan for how you are going to move your furry friends.
Moving Day
There is an art to getting through moving day pain-free. Follow the steps below to leave your old house ready for its new owners and to survive the day as stress-free as possible.
- Have professional cleaners come in after the movers have left.
- Leave appliance info, extra keys, garage door opener out for new buyers to find easily
- Put together a Moving Day Survival Box with things like snacks, toiletries, soap, towels, a few dishes, bottled water, and a few changes of clothes. (Just in case your household items arrive a day late. (Don’t forget dog food and kitty litter)
- Once arrived….get your family involved in the unpacking process.
- Limit the chaos to one room… Try having one room designated as the box room and pull from that room to unpack.
- It’s never a bad idea to replace the locks that came with the house.
- Update your address for your drivers license, voter registration, tax forms, etc.
Enjoy A Successful Move
Once you’re out of your old home and into the new, the fun is just beginning. Find ways to distress… get out of the house and find activities in your area. It’s time to plug into your new community!