Military Family Tips: How to be ready when it’s time to sell your home
When you’re a military family who owns a home and a PCS order comes in, it can feel like a mad scramble to prep and sell your home. But it doesn’t have to be that way, in fact we’ve got a few tips for making sure your home is ready to be sold before the time comes.
#1 Don’t put off maintenance
Damage happens, but instead of putting off repairs address them as soon as you can. For instance, when you notice the walls in your high-use room getting dingy, apply a fresh coat of paint. Stock up on neutrals when you see paint sales and you’ll always have the right color on hand, ready to go.
Other small repairs can be done during your day or on the weekends as you notice them. Broken blinds, dings on baseboards, missing shingles on the roof, broken fence posts, loose stair railings… much of this can be done by homeowners without hiring a professional. The result? If you’ve got short notice, you won’t have a long list of repairs to worry about.
#2 Keep your curb appeal fresh
Curb appeal is at the top of everyone’s list when it comes to making your home attractive to potential buyers. Keep your curb appeal fresh by replenishing annuals, keeping your front door clean and neat, adding seasonal wreaths or decorations, and your lawn and trees neat and well-cared for at all times. For more curb appeal ideas, check out this article: “Best curb appeal investments when selling a home.”
#3 Remember that pictures can make or break the sale
For a military family, much of the decision-making process for buying a home is often made before the home is visited in person. We’re talking about pictures here, and how they can make or break your chances before potential buyers even get to town.
One way to always be ready for photos is to keep the clutter under control. All the bits and pieces that build up on countertops, bookshelves, desks and dressers should have a designated storage place. Once a week, go through the house and make sure everything is restored to its place.
Staging a home for photos starts with decluttering, so keeping the chaos under control ensures that a large part of the job is already done. For more staging ideas, check out this article: “Home staging and home décor tips and tricks.”
#4 Work with an agent who understands military relocation and real estate needs
In 1985, the United States Army brought me to Alaska, and I fell in love with ‘The Last Frontier.’ Since then I’ve lived, worked and played among the people and place I call home, providing home buying and selling services as well as assisting my fellow Veterans with military relocations. If you’d like to know more about this area, give me a call at 907-694-4800, I’d love to introduce you to our frontier.
