How to Sell Your Home in 30 Days

Need to sell your home quickly? Read on! Below are The Goodhart Group’s proven steps to successfully sell your home in 30 days.

1. Hire a Realtor. Choose a Realtor that has a proven track record and knows your market. Together with her team, she will help you with the next steps (for more on choosing the right Realtor, read our related post).
2. Think about your next home. Knowing your next destination will help you think about what to keep and what to ditch as you start your preparations. If you’re moving to a condo, find new homes for your playset, lawnmower, and outdoor furniture. Moving to a warm climate? Lose the snow shovels!
3. Depersonalize. We know it’s not fun, but remove all traces of your and your family. Remove any and all family photos, awards, trophies, college flags, etc. Even your favorite fridge magnets should disappear while your home is on the market. The goal is for potential buyers to envision themselves in your home, not you.
4. Dejunk! Marie Kondo your home if you have not already.
5. Loading up on moving supplies. For free moving boxes, try craigslist or freecycle. You can also stop by local stores (think Costco, liquor stores, and bookstores) to ask for boxes. Of course, you can always buy moving supplies.
6. Organize the paper. Track down appliance manuals, warranties, etc. Dig out your last 12 months of utility bills so you can let potential buyers know the home’s average monthly utility costs. If you’ve done any major renovations, have that paperwork handy too.
7. Make an extra set of keys.
8. Update your lighting.
9. Up your curb appeal.
10. Declutter the kitchen. For all of our tips on decluttering, read our many posts dedicated to this topic!
11. Check-in on your fireplace
12. Clean out your closets. Yes, potential buyers will look in your closets!
13. Tackle the small repairs. Replace burnt-out lightbulbs. Tighten up that wobbly banister. Recaulk your tubs. Fix those slow leaks.
14. Freshen up your bathroom. Purchase some fresh new fluffy white towels that you’ll only put out for showings and open houses. Replace the shower curtain liner. Remove all of the clutter from your vanity. Buy a pretty decorative accessory for your countertop to use for showings.
15. Make your floors shine. Sweep tile floors with a fluffy dust mop or vacuum. Use a mild detergent, clean water, and a chamois-type mop to give them a thorough cleaning. Don’t forget the grout! Create a paste of baking soda and water to rub it into the grout and allow it to sit overnight. Scrub the mixture off in the morning with a stiff nylon brush. For hardwood floors, use a special wood cleaner. Saturate a sponge or rag mop in the water, then wring it until almost dry. Damp-mop the floor. Always be careful about leaving standing water on the floor.
16. Research movers. Be sure to read our post on how to move. Begin to get estimates from at least a couple of moving companies.
17. Give your entrance some attention. Think beyond the front door to the walkways, stoop, and house number. First, guests will look for your house number. Be sure your house number is visible from the street and well-lit at night. Pull weeds from the walkways and sidewalks. Touch up paint on the stoop and handrails. Add a nice fresh doormat (doormats need to be replaced yearly). Remember that anyone at your doorstep is seeing the door knocker, mailslot, and doorknob. Is anything faded or in need of polishing (brass fixtures) or replacement
18. Check your garage door.
19. Spruce up the backyard. First things first: do a thorough clean up of the yard. Do some weeding, lay down fresh mulch, and plant some colorful flowers. Thoroughly sweep and then power wash your patio or deck. Then add some charm! Peruse our related post for how to create an inviting backyard oasis that potential buyers won’t be able to resist.
20. Give your dining room a facelift. Showing potential buyers an inviting dining room is key to selling your home. With just a little bit of an investment, you can turn your dining room from ho-hum to WOW. From rearranging the furniture to updating the window treatments, a few small changes can create a big visual impact.
21. Check for Roof Stains.
22. Clean up the walls. Touch up paint as needed. Get some Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to take care of any scuff marks.
23. Freshen up your grout. We can’t stress this one enough! Scrub, scrub, scrub your tile and grout until they look like new.
24. Clean every fan and replace all filters.
25. Pay for a professional window washing. It’s worth every penny, trust us. Don’t forget about the screens.
26. Give your home the smell test. Ask a trusted friend or family member to come over and ensure your home doesn’t have any unpleasant smells (think strong cooking odors, pets smells, etc.).
27. Line up places for your kids and pets to go during showings. Time to call in some favors! Ask friends and neighbors to be on standby to take your kids and/or pets during any showings and open houses.
28. Have your home professionally cleaned. Be sure to hire cleaners that offer a “deep cleaning” service.
29. Let your Realtor take over. Allow your Realtor to guide you through the launch and first showings and open houses.
30. RELAX!.

The Bottom Line

While it may sound impossible, you can sell your home in 30 days. With some hard work and investment, your home will be ready to shine for potential buyers in just a month. Of course, you’ll want an experienced Realtor to guide you and some trusted friends to pitch in to help, but it can be done.

Do you need to sell your home quickly? Let us help! We’ve helped many clients in this situation — and had very successful outcomes. Allow our 25+ years of experience in the local market work for you.