Getting Your House Ready to Sell

When getting your house ready to sell, you need to look at your house in a new way. Think of your house as a product about to go on the market where it is probably competing with brand new housing. It needs to show well – which means clutter-free and well kept.

Today’s homebuyers lead busy lives and may not be interested in taking on major repairs or improvements upon moving in. You need to make your house a “10”.

This document will help you spot what is right and what is not so good about your product. It will give you the opportunity to take corrective action to ensure your house looks fresh, clean and well maintained when the “for sale” sign goes up.

If you need to make improvements to your home, do the work before it goes on the market. Potential buyers are not interested in hearing about your good intentions to look after defects before a transfer of ownership takes place. Even if fix-up work is underway, buyers may not be able to visualize what your home will look like when the work is finished. They will just remember it being in a state of disrepair.

A serious buyer may want to have a professional home inspector check your house from top to bottom before making an offer. Even though this guide will help you identify problems on your own, the option of hiring a professional home inspector is open to you, as well. If you can afford it, an inspection in advance of putting your home on the market is a good idea. It is your best way of finding and taking care of serious deficiencies before an inspector hired by a potential buyer discovers them.

This practical, easy-to-follow guide for homeowners will help you identify common house

problems and deal with them. In it, you will find illustrated how-to tips offering effective

solutions for every room of your house. Use the ordering instructions on the back page of this fact sheet.

Check Your House’s Curb Appeal

How does your house look from the street? That is where prospective buyers will be when they first see your home; and, that is where they will form that all-important first impression. Stand at the curb in front of your house and note what you see. Remove any clutter in your yard. Repair cracked or uneven driveway or walkway surfaces. If your lawn has bald spots, apply some top dressing and re-seed. Prune trees and shrubs of dead wood. Weed and mulch flower beds, if you have them. If it is the right time of year, consider buying some flower-filled planters to enhance the eye appeal of your property. Make sure your lawn is mowed regularly. Ensure that the composter area is tidy.

Are your windows and walls clean? Does your front door need paint? Ensure your eaves and downspouts are clear of debris and in good repair. Are your backyard deck and walkways clean? If not, use a power washer and do any necessary painting, staining or sealing.

If you have a swimming pool, are the deck and pool clean (when in season)? Do all outside lights work? Replace any burned out bulbs, and clean fixtures of dirt and cobwebs. Is there a shed? Does it look presentable? Do windows and exterior doors need recaulking? Even at 6-7 years of age, the caulking may be dried out and in need of replacement.

Do you have decorative wooden poles on the porch? Is the wood at the bottom in good condition and overall does it need a new coat of paint? If you have a gate, is it well oiled?

When you have completed the curb appeal inspection, carefully check the rest of your home’s exterior.

Will your roof and chimney pass inspection? If you are uneasy about climbing onto your roof, you can inspect most items from the ground using binoculars. Otherwise, be careful when working or moving about on your roof. Unless roof repair is a simple matter of applying new caulking, you will probably need the services of a professional.

Check the general condition of your roof. Sagging sections, curled shingles, pooled water on flat roofs and corrosion on metal roofing mean it is time for repair or replacement.

Both masonry and metal chimneys need to be straight and structurally sound, have proper capping on top and watertight flashing where they penetrate the roof. All roofs undergo stress from snow and rain loads so it is possible a truss or rafter may become

damaged, resulting in a noticeable small depression. A professional should do this inexpensive repair.