Top 5 Tips for Selling Your Milwaukee Home

A.Take exterior photos NOW!

I cannot emphasize this enough. Taking photos with green grass, beautifully colored leaves, and seasonal plantings will make your exterior photos stand out amid the numerous homes covered in snow on every residential real estate site. Those beautiful green photos will attract more buyers and show your home’s beauty and yard size in its best light. So, take both your aerial videos and exterior photos now before the snow really flies.

• Twilight Exteriors

• HD Exteriors

•Aerial Drone Video of your entire property

• Aerial Still Photos

B. Develop your list of improvements.

This takes longer than you think. To earn top dollar for your home, buyers want to know everything you have done to improve the home since you’ve owned the property, right down to the latest interior room you have painted. Ensure the list is thorough and include the date the improvement was completed. Provide lien waivers and receipts for every major repair you have completed, including windows, gutters, chimney, drain tile work, plumbing, electricity, roofing, etc. and attach this to the list of improvements. You may have to contact the company who did the work to get a receipt so start this now. I frequently ask my sellers to create a whole house book which includes the detailed list of improvements along with before and after photos, if they have them.

C. Do a Pre-listing Inspection! Approximately 20% of all accepted offers fall apart on Home Inspection Issues!

Schedule your home for a pre-market whole house inspection. Take the next couple of months to make the suggested repairs so when your buyer performs their home inspection things go smoothly and you don’t encounter inspection surprises you did not anticipate. An ounce of prevention goes a long way toward a smooth transaction. Schedule HVAC servicing and cleaning and chimney cleaning. These items are always evaluated during the home inspection, and if you do it now, you will have the paperwork to provide to the buyer which documents that this task has been recently completed.

D. Complete all handyman items, install new carpeting and touch-up interior paint.

Your house must look fresh and be ready to go. Call the handyman now. Contractors are hard to get and even harder to book once the holidays are upon us. Call them today to schedule your projects before the beginning of the year. Paint all the white woodwork dings. If you have carpet, choose new carpeting for the bedrooms and family room spaces. The carpet must be fresh and free from stains, so save the carpet installation for the last home improvement you complete—one week prior to going live on the market. Other items that may need attention now before the snow flies:

• Empty Garage

• Clean the Gutters

• Donate Furniture Items

• Schedule Junk Removal

• Clear the Basement of Clutter

• Paint the Basement Floor

• Wash and Clean Everything! 

• Buyers are extremely sensitive to cleanliness

E. If you are selling a vacant home this spring (January 1), winterize your property

Cold weather can damage a vacant home that is not properly heated and winterized. We suggest every seller winterize vacant homes in the cold-weather months. Winterizing includes water cut-off outside the house, excluding properties where water is required for heat, and emptying all containers, bowls and traps. Internal heat should be maintained between 55 and 65 for any vacant home.