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As a military family, we move…a LOT.  Part of how I came into professional organizing was actually born of necessity, as I attempted to wrangle all of the pieces of upcoming moves, and not lose my sanity in between.  In this article I want to focus on a portion of the move that is sometimes lumped in with “moving” in general, but in reality is it’s own challenge.  Selling your home.

(6-9 months out) Start working with a Professional

Whether you are moving to another city, state, moving up in home, or downsizing, the process of selling your home can be stressful.  My number one tip is to hire a real estate professional.  Preferable someone who “gets” you.  We have been so lucky both times we have sold a house, we have used the same agent as when we purchased.  This person knows us, our personalities, and we knew what to expect working with them.  They are also able to appreciate all the work you’ve put into the home, and see the changes.  As both times we have bought and sold houses, we have done LOTS of updates, and moved within a period of 3-4 years.  I typically start talking to our realtor about selling our home 6-9 months prior to our projected move “month”.  This allows time for me to discuss where the real estate market is in terms of time we should expect it to take, and helps to have a professional opinion on when to list.

(6 months out) Create your punch list, and schedule tasks

Once we have a rough date of when we anticipate listing our home, my husband and I will sit down with an old school clipboard and write out every project we can think of that still needs to be completed prior to listing the house.  Feel free to list things out here, there will be time to organize later!

I use one just like this, and I love it! It makes writing that list feel a little more fun.

Once you have your list, price out all the items on the list, and if you need to hire a professional it may be worth calling around to find out any lead times/length of time it might take to complete certain home repairs/home improvements you plan to do.  Once you have rough numbers, you may want to split your list into two sections; the must-do’s, and the nice to have’s.  Two things should dictate whether or not something is a must-do versus a nice to have; how long it will take, or is it reasonable to complete in the time you have, how much will it cost, and do you have enough budget for it?  Getting your realtor’s opinion on what is a “must-do” and what is a “nice to have”, is also a reason we always work with a real estate professional.  There have been plenty of times I’ve convinced myself that something has to get done for us to be able to get top dollar for our home, just to have the realtor tell me it’s not a big deal, and it’s probably not worth the investment. 

(3 months out)

Now that you have your punch list, you can assign months to each of your tasks.  If you are working on a shorter timeline, you may want to schedule specific tasks for certain weeks.  It is worth noting that we always prefer to leave any landscaping touch-ups to the week before photos, as this will mean the yard, and porch areas will be looking freshly mulched, leaf blown, mowed, and with fresh flowers. 

(1-2 months out) Schedule a Walk through

Schedule a walk-through with your real estate professional, going over your punch list, and listening to anything they may want you to add.  This is also the time that they will make recommendations on furniture placement, which items to take down (personal photos, etc), and any other recommendations.  It is a great opportunity for you to go over any improvements you’ve made, and nail down the timeline and actual dates for listing, photos, how you want to handle showings, etc.  In this time frame, they will also have the most up-to-date market information, like how long houses are sitting on the market before they go under contract, how many other homes like yours are on the market, and give you a market analysis of what they are recommending for a price.

(1 month out) Deep clean and Pack Up

I like to start deep cleaning a month before we are going to list.  With kids and dogs, and all the home improvement projects going on, the dust has settled on all those hard-to-reach surfaces.  Now is the time to start window cleaning, deep cleaning appliances, and cleaning and tidying messy closets, and drawers.  This will mean less work the week leading up to listing, and leave you able to do quick touch-ups right before a showing, without feeling like they will be inspecting your ceiling fans.  One month out is also a great time to start talking as a family about responsibilities, zones that each member can be responsible for, and coming up with a strategy for what items you want put away, or put in the car when a showing is going on. 

Here is a laundry basket I love, it’s even collapsable for easy storage after you’re done!

This is also the time to start packing away personal items, and making your spaces feel as clean and empty as possible.  If you are already following the minimalist trends, this may not be a problem, but if you are like me, and like a little clutter, now is your time to carefully wrap, pack, and label personal items that you won’t need again until after the move.  Don’t over-edit your space, you still want potential buyers to be able to see some personality, but also give them room to imagine how they will use and decorate the home.

Listing and Showings

It’s here!  The day has come, the photos are done and uploaded, and your house goes live online!  What are some of the last-minute things I do before a showing or open house?  Light cleaning, hopefully, this job has been made easier by all the editing and prep cleaning you have done, now it’s just about maintaining.  If this feels unmanageable for you, consider hiring an organizer or a house cleaner to start coming two weeks before your list date.  This will take some of the burden off you and your family.  You can typically arrange for a short-term arrangement with these types of businesses.  I always utilize a laundry basket and will pack it up into the car and take with me the following items right before a showing:

1.      Dog beds, and pet food containers (that are out loose)

2.      Recently used towels in the bathroom

3.      Jewelry or any extremely valuable items

4.      Ensure all firearms are secured and removed from the home (if you have these)

5.      Medicines, specifically prescription medications

I also will take personal items out of the showers and put them under sinks, and put away any vitamins or personal hygiene items that are out as part of our family’s routine.  The laundry basket is also great because if there are items that are out and you don’t have time to put them all away (mail on the counter, a random water bottle, lunch box, dirty laundry, you name it) you can throw it in your trunk and deal with it when you get back.  It’s all about making this process as easy as possible for you and your family.  Hopefully, with these tips, your house won’t be on the market long, and you will be able to move on!

Good luck, and what other tips can you offer?  Feel free to reach out in the comments, I love hearing feedback!