Getting Your House Ready to Sell
When getting your home ready to sell, you need to look at your house in a new way. 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.
Professional Inspection: Yes or No?
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.
CMHC's Homeowner’s Inspection Checklist
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.
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.
Remove any clutter in your yard.
Repair cracked or uneven driveway or walkway surfaces
When you have completed the curb appeal inspection, carefully check the rest of your home’s exterior.
Will Your Roof and Chimney Pass Inspection?.
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.
The condition of your exterior walls directly affects the look and curbs appeal of your home.
Replace old caulking;Is your exterior paint looking good? If you see faded colors and cracked or peeling surfaces, you need to repaint. Be sure to get competitive bids if you hire professional painters;You can clean vinyl siding but defects or damage to it and to metal siding usually means replacement;Stucco can be repaired but some skill is required to blend patches with existing stucco.
A prospective buyer will usually enter through your front door; so, that is where you should begin your interior inspection. You want your buyer to see a neat, clean, well-lit interior. Get clutter out of sight; ensure that carpets are clean and floors are scrubbed and polished; and that walls and trim show fresh paint (preferably neutral or light colors).
Take a sniff. Are there any unpleasant odors in your home? If so, track them down and eliminate them. Ensure all your lights work and are free of cobwebs. You want your home to look spacious, bright and fresh.
Professional realtors and decorators say the most important areas of your home to upgrade and modernize are the kitchen and bathrooms. Buyers also want to see new or recently installed floor coverings throughout.
Check stairs for loose boards, ripped carpeting, and missing or loose handrails and guards.
Ensure doors open and shut properly. Minor sticking is normal but excessive binding indicates possible structural problems.
Open and close all windows to ensure they work properly. Fogging between the panes of a sealed window indicates the seal is broken and the unit needs to be replaced.
Keep furniture to a minimum so rooms do not appear smaller than they are.And ensure closets look spacious, organized and uncluttered.
Remove or lock away valuables such as jewelry, coins, currency, cameras and compact discs.
People splash water around in the kitchen and bathrooms so check around sinks, tubs and toilets for rotting countertops and floors. Problems could be due to poor caulking or plumbing leaks. Fogged windows, molds and sweating toilet tanks indicate high humidity levels, which you can remedy with exhaust fans.
In the kitchen, clean all appliances, including your oven. Clean or replace your greasy stove hood filter. Clean your cabinets inside and out, as well as your countertops and backsplashes. Repair dripping faucets.
In bathrooms, scrub sinks, tubs and toilets, taking care to remove any rust stains. Remove mildew from showers and bathtubs. Fix dripping faucets or trickling toilets, and vacuum your fan grill.
Clean mirrors, light switch plates and cupboard handles.
Consider installing new 6-litre toilets if you currently have water-guzzlers.
If you have ceramic tile in either your kitchen or bathroom, ensure grouting is intact and clean.
Get rid of the broken tools, old car parts, discarded bicycles, empty paint cans and the hundreds of other useless items that accumulate in garages. Again, you want a clutter-free zone.
You have inspected your house and taken care of problems. Now you are ready for showings. You will need a plan of action that assigns duties to each family member so the place can quickly be whipped into shape.
Open all drapes, blinds, etc. and turn on lights to make the house bright;Air out the house to get rid of cooking, pet odors, and so on;Have fresh flowers in view;Pick up clutter, and empty garbage; Make sure everything is spotless;Set your thermostat at a comfortable level;Remove pets from the house or put them outside;If you have an agent, leave when the house is being shown. If you are selling it yourself, you need to strike a balance between being helpful and crowding the buyer.
In poor weather, provide a place for boots, overshoes and umbrellas.
Display photos of the house in summer to show landscaping if selling in the winter months.
Leave out heating and hydro bills.
For those on a septic system and/or well, leave out inspection and maintenance information.
Please visit www.Cash4HousesSanAntonio.com for a guaranteed CASH offer on your house today! Or visit www.FreedomHomeBuying.com for more information about our company.
