Inheriting a home can come with a lot of decisions. While a property can be a valuable asset, it can also bring responsibilities you may not have expected, including maintenance, property taxes, insurance, utilities, cleanout, and repairs.
If you inherited a property and are considering selling it, you may be wondering where to begin. Should you clean everything out? Make repairs? Update the home before putting it on the market? Or should you simply sell the property in its current condition?
Every situation is different, but there are a few practical steps that can make the process easier. Here are 3 things you can do in Wisconsin to prepare your inherited house for sale.
1. Sort Through Personal Belongings Before Making Major Decisions
Before focusing on repairs or preparing the property for buyers, give yourself time to go through the belongings inside the home.
An inherited house often contains much more than furniture and household items. There may be family photographs, important documents, keepsakes, jewelry, letters, or other belongings with sentimental value.
Consider separating everything into categories: items you want to keep, things family members may want, belongings that can be donated or sold, and items that can be discarded.
You may also want to take photographs of the home before changing anything. This can be a simple way to preserve memories of rooms, furniture, decorations, or other details associated with your loved one.
Taking care of this step first can make the rest of the process easier. Once the personal belongings and sentimental items have been addressed, you can look at the property more objectively and decide what makes the most sense financially.
2. Decide How Much Cleaning and Repairing Makes Sense
After removing the belongings you want to keep, take a careful look at the condition of the property.
If someone lived in the house for many years, there may be accumulated belongings, outdated rooms, deferred maintenance, or areas that haven’t been used recently. Even a well-maintained home can require considerable work before it is ready for a traditional sale.
You might consider cleaning the floors, removing unwanted furniture, clearing the basement or garage, taking care of landscaping, and completing minor repairs.
However, don’t automatically assume that you need to renovate the entire property.
Major improvements can quickly become expensive. A new kitchen, bathroom renovation, flooring replacement, roofing work, or other significant projects can require thousands of dollars and weeks or months to complete.
Before spending money, think about your goal.
If you want to list the property traditionally and try to maximize the selling price, certain improvements may make sense. On the other hand, if your priority is convenience and you don’t want to manage contractors, repairs, or a lengthy cleanout, selling the inherited house as-is may be worth considering.
3. Make Simple Updates That Improve the Home’s Appearance
If the property is generally in good condition and you plan to put it on the market, you may not need a complete renovation.
Sometimes a few simple improvements can make the house feel cleaner and more inviting.
Fresh paint is one example. Older homes may have faded walls, marks, wallpaper, or colors that reflect the previous owner’s personal style. A fresh coat of neutral-colored paint can help brighten the rooms and give buyers a cleaner canvas when imagining themselves living there.
Other inexpensive improvements could include replacing burned-out light bulbs, cleaning windows, trimming overgrown landscaping, removing unnecessary furniture, and completing small cosmetic repairs.
The important thing is to avoid spending money simply because you think every inherited property must be updated before it can be sold. Consider the potential return on the improvements before investing significant time or money.
You Have Options When Selling an Inherited House in Wisconsin
Preparing an inherited property for sale doesn’t have to mean completely renovating it.
Start by preserving the belongings and memories that matter to you. Then determine how much cleaning, repairing, or updating makes sense based on the property’s condition, your budget, and how quickly you want to sell.
For some inherited homeowners, preparing the house and listing it with an agent is the right choice. For others, dealing with repairs, cleanouts, showings, and months of uncertainty isn’t practical.
If you’d rather avoid making repairs or preparing the property for a traditional listing, Stillwater Properties may be able to help.
We buy houses in Wisconsin and can make a no-obligation cash offer for inherited properties, including homes that need repairs or cleanup. You won’t have to spend months renovating the property just to find out what it could sell for.
If you’re considering selling an inherited house in Wisconsin, contact Stillwater Properties at (608) 523-9807 or submit your property information to learn more about your options.