How do you prepare your home for a successful sale?

Before the property goes online, we gather the documents that buyers and their advisors want to see: the title deed, the cadastral map, the most recent WOZ assessment, and—for an apartment—the deed of division, the minutes of the meetings, and the long-term maintenance plan.

If those documents are missing, it causes delays at a time when things need to move quickly. We handle this as a matter of course at the start of the assignment, so that a buyer can review everything within a day.

The asking price is the most important tool you have. We base it on recent sales of comparable homes in the same neighborhood, adjusted for square footage, condition, energy efficiency rating, and outdoor space. Then we’ll discuss which strategy best suits your situation.

Sometimes we deliberately opt for a competitive price with a closing date to serve multiple buyers at the same time. In other cases, a traditional asking price with room for negotiation is a better fit. We make that decision together, with all the facts on the table.

Preparing a home for sale is different from renovating. It involves decluttering, cleaning, minor maintenance, and making the decor more neutral. In almost all cases, that’s enough; you’ll rarely recoup the cost of replacing a kitchen right before the sale.

We’ll walk through the home with you room by room beforehand and create a detailed checklist. Often, it comes down to twenty small changes that, when combined, make the difference between a home that looks good and one where buyers immediately feel at home.

We prefer to schedule viewings during one or two half-days. This is more convenient for you and ensures that interested parties meet each other, which increases the sense of urgency. We personally accompany every viewing and provide feedback the same day.

Make sure the home is in the same condition for every showing: well-ventilated, tidy, with all the lights on and the curtains open. It’s best to have pets temporarily removed. It sounds simple, but it’s exactly this kind of consistency that makes a difference in the feedback we receive.