Advice from recent buyers on selling your home

One piece of advice I always give to anyone thinking about selling in the future is this: start taking care of the small repairs now. As a buyer, I learned quickly that little things like loose doorknobs, chipped paint, or an aging light fixture may not seem like a big deal, but they create an overall impression that the home has not been well maintained. Buyers feel it the moment they walk in.

When I bought my first property in Cleveland, I remember noticing tiny issues that made me question what bigger problems might be hiding. None of them were expensive to fix, but they made me hesitate. That experience taught me that a home often sells based on the feeling it creates, not just the stats on paper.

So if you think you might sell someday, get ahead of the cosmetic stuff and general maintenance. Doing those things over time is cheaper, less stressful, and makes a huge difference when you finally hit the market.

If you are considering selling your home in the future, I would highly recommend you keep up on home maintenance. Ensuring that all your mechanicals (furnace, AC, water heater) are serviced regularly. It is also a good idea to keep records of all services performed on major appliances, mechanical systems, and roof replacement or repairs. Maintain the exterior of your home to ensure that there is not peeling paint, broken roof shingles, loose gutters and downspouts, torn window screens and no rotting wood on fascia or porch posts. Finally, maintain cleanliness throughout the home. Keeping tubs and showers clean and installing fresh caulk where needed goes a long way in giving buyers peace of mind that the home has not been neglected.

As a buyer, I look for homes that are well maintained. Homes that appear neat and orderly, with sellers projecting a sense of pride in ownership. If an oven looks as if it has never been cleaned, chances are the furnace filters have never been changed. You get a feel from walking through a home as to how it has been cared for.

The most important piece of advice I’d give to someone considering selling their home is to start preparing early—ideally 6-12 months before listing. As a real estate investor in Hamilton, Ontario, I’ve seen countless sellers leave money on the table by waiting until the last minute to address repairs, declutter, and stage their property. From my experience buying homes, I learned that first impressions matter tremendously, and buyers often make emotional decisions in the first few minutes of viewing a property. Small investments in curb appeal, fresh paint, and minor repairs can yield returns of 3-5 times the cost when it comes time to sell. I also learned the hard way that pricing strategy is critical—overpricing initially can cause your home to sit on the market, which creates the perception of a problem property. Finally, working with an experienced local agent who knows the Hamilton market inside and out is invaluable, as they understand seasonal trends, neighborhood dynamics, and what buyers in your specific area are looking for.

The best advice I would give future sellers is to address foundation concerns before buyers ever ask. In Texas, foundation issues are top of mind for most buyers, even when the problems are minor or normal for the area.

As a buyer, I learned how quickly uncertainty can kill interest. A foundation engineering report included in the listing package provides clarity and peace of mind. For older homes, leaving the report on site helps buyers focus on the home itself rather than worrying about every crack or blemish they notice during a walkthrough.

The best advice I can give is to prepare your home as if it’s already sold. That means treating it like a product, not a personal space. Buyers aren’t just looking at layouts and finishes; they’re imagining their future routines, their mornings, their gatherings, and their sense of ease. Creating that emotional clarity before you list can materially change both demand and final price.

From my experience as a buyer, I learned how much emotion quietly drives decisions, even for analytical people. You don’t remember square footage; you remember how a home made you feel. The natural light, the quiet, the flow from indoor to outdoor space, and the sense of privacy matter far more than most sellers realize. The homes that win are the ones that make future life feel lighter and more intentional.

The power of cash is often overlooked by homeowners planning to sell in the future. Many sellers focus only on the highest price and assume traditional financing will carry the deal through. From the buyer side, I have learned that this assumption no longer holds true.

Mortgage approvals have become harder to secure, and many contracts fall apart late in the process. A cash offer may come in slightly lower, but it brings speed and a much higher likelihood of closing. For sellers who value certainty and timing, cash deserves far more weight than it often gets.

My advice to someone who is thinking of selling their home in the future is to hire a qualified, certified home inspector to conduct a complete, pre-listing home inspection of the home three months before the property goes on the market. This advice is borne out of my experience as a buyer and my professional understanding of risk management, which applies directly to fear of being exploited when closing. When a seller waits for inspection by the buyer, they are giving up their negotiating power to the other side. As an insurance person, I see the hazard in this power imbalance. When I purchased my last home, my seller failed to tell me there was one small, easy to fix electrical glitch. The buyer’s inspector caught the fault, and the seller’s man extended a credit to them of $2,500.00, considerably more than the repair cost of $350.00 or so – but just to keep the sale underway.

The buyer’s inspection is often weaponized, serving not to inform but to extract financial concessions. For example, buyers frequently request a reduction of $3.00 in the sales price for each dollar needed to repair an item listed in the buyer’s inspection report. So by investing around $300.00 to have your own inspection completed ahead of time, you will be able to dictate how the story unfolds. You will know what the most common problems are, such as minor roof defects, clogged drains, and poor sealants, and take care of those items quietly and inexpensively before anyone else discovers them. In doing so, you will eliminate the buyer’s largest potential source of leverage, thus allowing the final negotiations to focus on the true value of your home, rather than artificially inflated damage credits. That is why you need to schedule your inspection today as having control over the facts is essential to protecting your equity.

One important piece of advice I would give to anyone who is planning to sell their house is to prepare in advance as much as possible before listing. Selling a property is not just about listing the property in the market. It is more about presenting a home to the potential buyer. There are simple and easy tricks to prepare in advance, like fresh paint, decluttering, and new fixtures that really go a long way. They help buyers to see the real value in the home and that it has been taken care of.

As a property manager, I have noticed that buyers focus on the details. There are always good impressions left by homes that have clean and functioning bathrooms and kitchens, have good sunlight and natural lighting, and clean and orderly outsides. Being aware of this as a seller allows one to handle issues that they do not want to see in a property, which allows the home to shine and go up a notch in value in competitive selling environments.

Lastly, it’s important to understand your local market and set a realistic price for your home. Properties that are well-prepared, thoughtfully presented, and accurately priced tend to sell faster and achieve the best returns.

As a cash buyer and investor, being informed about your choices well ahead. People would engage with that. Understanding different selling routes such as using a real estate agent or considering a cash buyer could really change what selling is like for you, and how things turn out. A lot of sellers jump right into listing their home without doing enough research, you know, which might mean they miss some chances or face delays.

Buying stuff taught me jump when deals look good; hesitate and they’re gone. Like, property sales fluctuate, so someone dawdling likely misses opportunity seized by a prepared buyer. It taught me a lesson—always do your homework on a property’s condition, market value and what repairs might cost so when offer time rolls around you can jump in feeling pretty good.

Plus, being upfront and talking straight with sellers makes things easier and usually gets better results for everyone. For sellers, it helps to get how buyers think while buyers want to be sure property details lines up with what they expect. So, really, go in with info, get ready, and just be open when you sell or buy. It lets sellers pick what works best for them, helping buyers invest wisely.

While my professional expertise is in custom software development, from a personal perspective as a former home buyer, one piece of advice I’d give to someone considering selling their home is to invest strategically in key upgrades that directly address buyer pain points, particularly with a focus on smart home technology. As a buyer, I learned that a smart thermostat, integrated lighting, or even a well-organized smart pantry system can make a disproportionately positive impression. These seemingly small tech integrations differentiate a property. Selling a home with modern, intuitive tech features can attract tech-savvy buyers, potentially leading to faster sales and even a slightly higher asking price, as it alleviates the effort buyers would otherwise need to invest themselves.

Fire safety is an important aspect of preparing for selling your home. Preparing your home for sale will require you to make sure everything is compliant with current smoke detector, fire extinguisher and home fire sprinkler standards. Taking these steps will ensure that inspections go smoothly by eliminating any delays that could occur if the property does not meet code requirements.

Ensuring that the electrical system is in good working order and fixing any issues prior to opening up for showings will avoid any unexpected issues which could be detrimental to the value of your home.

Keeping your exit areas clear and keeping your flammable materials together and organized will send a message about the extent of how responsible the owner of the home is. Homes that exhibit a commitment to fire safety are more appealing to buyers and can generate higher quality offers in less time than homes that do not demonstrate fire safety preparedness.