Moving Checklist – Where to Start

Are you contemplating a move? Already made the decisions to put your home on the market? This is a big undertaking with a lot of moving parts, so being prepared and organized is important. Today, we’re going through the pre-moving checklist. This list outlines everything you’ll need to do to prepare your home for the sales process.

• Collect the papers: Utility bills, appliance manuals and even notes on paint colors or swatches for fabrics, all of this information can help to entice a potential buyer. It also gives you a chance to get organized and clean out some of the outdated information you may have been hanging onto otherwise.

• Start getting repair estimates: Is your washing machine acting up or A/C unit on it’s last leg? Some buyers will want a discount on the overall price of the house to replace such things, while others will want them taken care of prior to signing. Repair estimates give you a realistic number and a bargaining chip to be used in during negotiation.

• Assess your home’s curb appeal…objectively: We know you love your garden gnomes but potential buyers may not get their charm. We have many blogs with useful information about enhancing the look of your home’s exterior.

• Start going through the clutter: Go through your entire home and begin to sift through everything. Find something you never knew you had? Get rid of it. Six spatulas in the kitchen, 3 can go. Old clothes in the back of the closet are only taking up room. Consider donating to a local charity or host a garage sale to move the merch and make a little money while you’re at it.

• Start to put away the personal photos and trinkets: People who tour your home are trying to picture themselves in it, not you. Removing these personal touches may seem strange or cold but it can help move the house toward a sale more quickly.

• Begin the deep clean: By this point in the sales process, you’ve likely boxed up and moved out the majority of your things. In some cases, you may have already moved into the new home or a transitional housing option. Once the house is essentially empty, it’s time to get on your hands and knees and scour everything. Floors, walls, ceiling, appliances, kitchen, bathroom and even the garage should all be gone over with a fine tooth comb. If you’re unable to do the deep cleaning yourself, enlist some family members or contact a local household cleaning company to help.

• Take a step back: Once the deep clean is complete, it’s your realtors turn to take over. You’ve gotten through the most difficult part of the process and now you can sit back, relax and let your realtor do their job.

We understand that this list may seem overwhelming to start. Fortunately, you can find detailed moving checklists on our homepage to guide you. Each week has specific tasks and recommendation to ensure a smooth transition into your new home.