Looking To Sell a Home in 2025? Take These 5 Steps First
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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The U.S. housing market has seen a rapid increase in the number of cash buyers making offers on homes, but most sellers still prefer traditional realtors. That’s expected to be the case for sellers in 2025 as well.
More than three-quarters (77%) of Americans who sold their homes between 2019 and 2024 used a full-service real estate agent, according to a new Clever Real Estate survey of 1,000 sellers.
In contrast, only 10% of sellers went the “For Sale By Owner” route — despite the fact that roughly half of sellers believe FSBO is the most profitable and least expensive method.
If you aim to sell your home in 2025, the first step is to determine how you want to proceed. If you’re like most Americans, and want to hire a realtor, then be sure to research which agents are most knowledgeable about your specific market. After that, interview them to make sure they’re a good fit.
Here are five other steps to take before selling your home in 2025.
Give Your Home a Makeover
An important thing to keep in mind when prepping a home for sale is that most house hunters will be seeing it for the first time — and first impressions make a huge difference. If your home looks old and tired, it’s time to freshen it up.
Cappy Hagman, a realtor and broker at Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston in Raleigh, North Carolina, recommended adding a fresh coat of paint and replacing your carpet if they are more than three to five years old. In terms of makeovers, put particular focus on the kitchen, walls and floors.
“It’s amazing how much fresher new paint or painted cabinetry can make a house feel,” Hagman told GOBankingRates. “Talk to your agent or local paint shop. Make sure your color palette is neutral and on point. This isn’t the time to be super trendy or overly personalized.”
Improve the Curb Appeal
This is another area where prospective buyers will make a snap judgement on your home, so make it a high priority.
“The streetscape needs to make your house shine,” Hagman said. “The lawn and landscaping need to look sharp and well-tended. Don’t forget your porch or stoop. Get rid of cobwebs, repaint your door, add new hardware.
“First impressions really do matter, so make sure your home is projecting well.”
Clean and Declutter
You don’t necessarily need to spend a ton of money cleaning and decluttering your home if you don’t mind putting in the work yourself. But no matter your budget, this should be another top priority.
As Realtor.com noted in a blog, it’s important to keep everything tidy because you never know when a buyer will schedule a last-minute tour.
Give special attention to the bathroom so that the tile, counters, shower and floors shine. Remove scuff marks throughout the house, and move unneeded items off the floor and counters and out of sight.
Remove Personal Items
Prospective buyers want to envision themselves in your home and don’t necessarily want you to put your personal stamp on it.
Kipton Cronkite, an art advisor based in Los Angeles, told Realtor.com that sellers should remove personal items and family photos along with “bold artwork and furniture” that might make the home less appealing to the general public.
Get Rid of Bad Smells
The last thing you want when selling a home is for buyers to walk inside and gag on unpleasant odors.
Since you might not even notice them, it’s a good idea to have a friend, realtor or other third party give your home a smell test. Also, be sure to eliminate the smells through deep cleaning rather than trying to cover them up with an air freshener.
“I’ve never had a buyer not think that an air freshener was hiding something and some people are really sensitive to them,” Hagman said.
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