Selling your home can cost you money before it pays off. You are probably already counting on paying your agent and the closing costs, but our real estate agents recommend also budgeting for miscellaneous expenses. Each situation is unique, and not all of these costs will apply to every sale, but in many cases, you'll have at least a few miscellaneous expenses to cover before your home sells.

• Interior painting. Holderness homes for sale look more appealing to buyers when they have a new coat of neutral paint on the walls. New paint will erase any wear or soil like it was never there, giving you a chance to pick a buyer-friendly neutral color. Expect to spend around $1,000 on an interior paint job, although you can save a little money if you do the labor yourself.
  
  
• Repairs. As a homeowner, deferred maintenance is almost inevitable, so you most likely have a handful of repair jobs that need to be done before you put your home up for sale. In addition, the buyer may ask you to complete repairs before closing, depending on what the home inspection says. The amount you'll spend varies based on the nature of the repairs, but you can expect to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
  
  
• House cleaning. You may have heard that a house only needs to be "broom-swept" before you sell it, but a clean house will show better and sell better, so it's worth spending a little on a professional cleaning before listing. Even if you choose to do the deep cleaning yourself, consider steam cleaning your carpets by hiring a professional or renting a steam cleaner. Expect to spend a couple hundred dollars on cleaning, less if you do some of it yourself.
  
  
• Storage. If you're living in your home while selling it or renting a smaller place until you find a new home, chances are you'll need to store some of your belongings until after the move. Putting some of your stuff in storage helps you open up your home and make it look more welcoming to prospective buyers. Storage can run you as much as a couple hundred dollars per month.
  
  
• Staging. If you want your home to show its best, you can have it professionally staged. Staging makes your home look magazine-ready and ensures it has that generic look that allows any buyer to imagine themselves living there. Professional staging costs around $1,200, but it can pay off. Realtor.com reports that staged homes sell 88 percent faster and 20 percent more than they would have otherwise.
  
  
• Vacant house upkeep. Even if no one is living in your home, it'll cost you upkeep until it sells. Make sure you consider the cost of regular bills, such as the mortgage and utilities, the cost of lawn maintenance or shoveling, and potentially even the cost of vacant house insurance.

Given the ongoing costs of maintaining your home and keeping it show-ready, you'll want it to sell quickly. Contact us today to get the process started.