The stabilized real estate industry is encouraging sellers to place their homes on the market. Before a homeowner can become a seller, however, the home requires preparation. Get your home ready for the market by following these five steps.

Team Up with an Agent 
A real estate agent is a licensed professional who understands the industry inside and out, and their expertise is invaluable. A realtor is knowledgeable about the real estate process, including marketing, pricing, staging, listing, bidding, and mortgage. The agent remains abreast of current and upcoming industry trends. In addition, the agent has a Rolodex of connections like home inspectors, home insurance providers, title companies, and escrow companies.

Tame Landscaping 
The lawn can grow out of control without continued maintenance, scaring away buyers. A tame landscape is the first invitation for buyers to venture inside the house. Make the home welcoming by mowing the lawn weekly or biweekly. Remove weeds that stick above the lawn, remove litter, and rake the leaves. Tame bushes and shrubs through pruning and trimming branches. Lastly, plant flowers around the front lawn and in flower beds.

Make Repairs 
Major or minor, it’s important for sellers to fix incomplete, postponed, and just-discovered repairs. Buyers are expecting all major and minor repairs completed before bidding, so it’s best to reserve funds for those repairs. Serious repairs like an unstable foundation, gaping holes, missing tiles, and an unfinished basement are glaring repairs requiring immediate attention. Afterwards, focus on broken windows, leaky faucets, a leaky roof, jammed doors, and scratched wood floors.

Pay Attention to the Kitchen 
A major selling feature in the home is the kitchen. Buyers view the kitchen as an important room for entertaining guests and family members, so a functional and eye-pleasing kitchen is necessary. A renovation or remodel is great if the funds are available, but buyers should focus on upgrading appliances, changing the faucet, and updating hardware.

Hire a Professional Cleaning Service 
No buyer likes purchasing a dirty home, and professional cleaning service (for example, a carpet cleaning service) may be necessary. Professional cleaners can sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, wash, and scrub the home to immaculate status. Further, they can remove dirt and stains from carpets, clear away leaves from gutters, and pressure wash the exterior. Hire more than one service, if necessary.

With competitors in neighborhood, city, state, and national markets, buyers don’t need to accept less than stellar results from sellers. Above are the basics sellers must match or exceed to obtain buyers into their vicinity.