Things to do before you sell
It’s prime season for selling homes, and if you’re ready to plant that for sale sign in your yard, be sure to check some important chores off your to-do list first.
If you’ve made the decision to sell your home, that’s half the battle. Whew! Congratulations.
You might be ready to move onto the next home, but is your house ready for inspection by house hunters?
We’ve compiled an inventory of the big and little things that need your attention before potential buyers tour your home. Some to-do items might seem picky, but most are important to buyers because attention to detail says a lot about how you cared for your home.
A really important reason to make the to-do list is that a home inspection will reveal the things that you need to fix. Some can be easy fixes, but some can be deal-breakers. So it’s best to be proactive rather than reactive. Here are just some of the tips that are important:
Stage your home inside and out before you take photos to market it
When my husband and I first thought about selling our former home, we looked around outside with a critical eye, and whoa. The shutters looked faded. The porch pillars needed painting and the double front doors needed shined. Those were first on our list, and we had many items on our list. We took our time before we listed.
Once your home is on the market, you need to remember that visitors will be riding by day and night, so it’s important to light it up at night.
When you think about selling, start outside and move inside. When you’re done and everything is picture perfect, take your photos. Do not take photos with boxes, purses or other junk in the photos. Don’t take photos of unfinished basements unless the basement is spotless. Skip the garage unless it looks spotless too.
Outside to-do list:
- It should go without saying, but your landscape should reflect the current season: no Christmas lights, shovels, rakes or winter tools sitting in the bushes in the spring/summer.
- Clean up any pet debris on the lawn. This is really important. Potential buyers want to walk around your house and inspect. They don’t want to play dodgems.
- Make sure your front porch is clean and welcoming. Do the lights work? Look at pictures of homes you will compete with. Make sure you can compete.
- Check all windows and make sure caulking/paint are in excellent condition. Clean/repair screens.
- Make sure your garage door is in working order. It shouldn’t sound like it’s on its last breath.
- Check paint on all the doors, and doors need to be easy to operate. Do your locks work? It’s not a good start if house-hunters have trouble getting into your home.
- Check the gutters. They should be clean and presentable.
- You might want to have a professional check the roof, roof vents, shingles and flashing.
- Check the chimney to make sure brick, stone and mortar are in good condition. Also, check the chimney cap.
- Check the sidewalk and driveway for anything that could prevent a sale.
- Talk to your neighbours. Let them know your home is for sale. They need to know traffic will increase on your street, and that’s important to families with kids and pets. They might also spruce up their own homes to help you sell yours. Everyone wants to see a quick sale and high value because it could eventually affect their home sale.
Inside
Be prepared by checking each room with a critical eye.
- Make sure your paint and trim are in good condition in every room.
- If you have carpeting, make sure it’s clean and doesn’t have any ripples or spots.
- Make sure all electrical outlets, switches and lamps work.
- Repair or replace anything that needs it.
Kitchen
- Counters should be clean, and so should the sink. All appliances should be clean and working.
- Remove clutter from your refrigerator.
- Make sure cupboard doors and drawers are functional.
- Your garbage disposal should be working, and there should be no leaks under the sink.
- Make sure all burners on your stove work, along with the oven and the range hood.
- Keep pet bowls and garbage cans out of sight.
Bathrooms
- Make sure flooring is secure. Linoleum can curl near fixtures.
- The toilet should be in excellent condition.
- Make sure the caulking is neat, faucets/shower heads are functional and nothing leaks.
- Replace fixtures if they are old and worn out in the sink/tub/shower. They don’t have to be glamorous, but they need to look clean and neat.
- Buy a new shower curtain — at least the liner. Have fresh towels on display for showings.
- Clean glass and mirrors.
Laundry room
- Washer and dryer should be working. Use a washer deodorizer like Refresh to ensure there are no odors coming from the washer.
- Dryer vents need to be clear of obstructions.
Staircase
- Handrails should be secure, not wobbly. Stairs should be clean and there should be no loose carpet or rugs.
- Nothing on the stairs should be a hindrance to visitors climbing the steps.
Bedrooms
- Check outlets, lighting, fans, flooring. If something doesn’t work, get it fixed. Beds should be made and look like a hotel room.
- Don’t cram things under the bed. Closets should be neat, not full of stuff or overflowing.
Basement
- Your furnace and air conditioning should be in working order. Have them cleaned and checked before you sell. Make sure electronic air cleaners and any accessories to the furnace work.
- Make sure drains are clear.
- Lighting needs to work.
- Make sure the basement is clean, dry and free of clutter.
Deck/patio
The boards need to be damage-free if the deck is wood. Decks and patios can always benefit from a good cleaning.
Garage
Keep it neat — don’t make this your storage facility.
Attic
Whether it’s a walk-up or a pull-down ladder/staircase, make sure buyers have easy access to your attic, and make sure the lighting works. While this is an area for storage, people will need to see it. The inspector will go up there, and so will buyers.
A word about storage
If you do only one thing to prepare for a sale, de-clutter.
We all have stuff, but when people are looking to buy your house, they don’t want to see all your stuff piled in the garage, basement or attic. Some stuff is fine, but when you turn a garage or basement into floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall storage, that’s going to scare some buyers off. A case in point came from Chris and August Fetcko, co-owners of Hiddenworth Group LLC., an appraisal and estate liquidation business located in Erie.
In an article for House to Home in the Erie Times-News, they wrote about an experience during a liquidation sale in a home for sale in Erie. A couple wanted to see the basement, but they didn’t want to see it with all the clutter and returned only after the home was empty”The husband jokingly mentioned that he thought the wall of National Geographic magazines in the basement, pressed up against the wall, was acting as a moisture barrier. The basement seems to be the place where things go to die, especially that particular magazine. The couple purchased the house because their inspection was easier with the clutter out of the way,” Chris Fetcko wrote.
source: https://www.therecordherald.com/
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