ARE YOU PLANNING TO SELL IN 2026?
If that be the case, getting the prep work started now could be the difference between a smooth, successful sale to a stressful one. If you are thinking of selling in the spring … which we know is considered to be the busiest season in real estate, the smartest move you can make is to start prepping your house now.
Planning ahead, allows you to maximize the spring market’s higher buyer activity. Planning ahead, gives you time to prepare at your own pace, rather than waiting until spring only to find yourself scurrying around to get the house “show ready” just adds unnecessary stress to the home sale process. It allows you the time to do things right, and not do a quick fix, like sweeping things under the rug if you will. Start compiling a “To Do List” and prioritizing the list, is key to accomplishing the tasks at hand. TOP of list – you got it! Consult with an experienced Real Estate Advisor to help compile and prioritize that list to ensure the task at hand will net you the most value in your home sale. It has been my experience that many sellers will think they have to do more than they really need to, to earn them top dollar. Consulting with your advisor that has the experience and knowledge of the market will be able to shed “actual light” as to what is necessary and what is not – potentially saving you time and money.
Here’s Why Starting Now Matters
We are starting to see more homes active on the market now than we’ve seen in years, and given buyers now have more to choose from, your house will need to look its best to outshine your competition. Starting early gives you the time to prepare your home to shine in the best light.
Now, that doesn’t mean you have to do any major renovations, but it does mean you’ll want to tackle some needed projects before you sell, and you don’t want to be left scrambling in the spring to get the work done. The advantage you have now is if you start this year, you’ll be able to space those upgrades and repairs out however you want to. More time. Less stress. No sense of being rushed or racing the clock.
Whether it’s fixing that leaky faucet, repainting your front door, or finally replacing your roof, you can do it right if you start now. And you have the time to find great contractors without blowing your budget or paying extra for rushed jobs.
Pricing Strategy
Not only is getting your home “show ready” important – price positioning your home on the market correctly will always be the most important, all things considered, to ensure a successful home sale. In short, and as part of the process your real estate advisor should prepare a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) which will determine the range of value of your home in “today’s” market. With that information, he/she will discuss the best pricing strategy given the current market and competition. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a correct pricing strategy as this will be the key to your home sale success.
Over the last couple of years, we have grown accustomed to homes going on and off the market in a blink of an eye. And now, while inventory has risen a bit more, with longer days on market (DOM), much due to homes not being priced correctly for the market. So properties sit on the market a bit longer, adding onto the newly listed properties which then together adds to the higher inventory. This demonstrates that the pricing strategies being used in some cases, are not changing with the market. Having said all that, in our local area it is still considered a seller’s market, still enjoying multiple offers on properties that are priced well or are very desirable/unique properties. It is not the “crazy” if I can say … seller’s market – but still a seller’s market, nonetheless.
Below I’ve highlighted some other factors to ponder on when preparing your house for market. Examples of homes that may stay on the market longer, and/or sell for less than they could have if they priced them correctly given the following factors:
• Priced it too high from the start
• Skipped necessary repairs before listing
• Didn’t stage the house well
• Sellers won’t negotiate with buyers
• Limited availability for showings
• Ineffective marketing or listing pictures
To sum things up …
Price a home based on current conditions (not what your neighbor sold for 3 years ago). Make important repairs. And highlight the best things about your house. If you do, and you don’t have any major objections (but should be priced accordingly/as is, if you will), your house will sell in any market – sometimes even faster than you’d think. Because the truth is, homes that are priced right today are still selling.
Most things stated above didn’t matter as much just a few years ago. When inventory was at a record low, sellers were able to skip the prep work, name their price, and still walk away with multiple offers over their asking price. Not so much in today’s market. You don’t want to aim too high just to see what sticks … you want to aim right!!
Understand – your first couple of weeks on the market is everything. That’s when your listing gets the most attention – so it’s important to get price and presentation correct, right out the gate on Day 1! Get it wrong up front and your house will sit…and sit. Get it right, and it’ll be snatched up before you know it.
My strongest advice to you would be … meet with a real estate advisor as a first step to discuss first steps in getting your house ready for market.
He/she will help you figure out what’s worth doing, or not in your market. That way you’re not wasting your time or money on something that won’t help your bottom line.
An experienced agent can tell you:
• What buyers in your local area are looking for
• The repairs or updates you need to do before you list
• How to prioritize the projects, if you can’t do them all
• Recommend skilled local contractors who can help you get the work done
And having this information up front is a game changer.
If 2026 is your year to sell, the work starts now. Taking some time to prep means you’ll hit the market confident, ready, and ahead of other sellers who waited until January to get started.
If you are thinking about selling your home in 2026, and you have questions … feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to answer any and all questions real estate and discuss how to navigate the process given your specific situation. I am here and happy to help!
HIGHLIGHTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES
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Laura
The Key To Your Real Estate Success
Helping buyers and seller achieve their real estate goals