When your home goes up for sale you want it to look its very best. Treat it as if you are preparing for a first date. When buyers walk in you want them to vision the experience of living in your home.
1. Repair Entryways- This one speaks for itself; the entrance is the first impression on any property. If screen doors are sagging or screens are damaged repair them. Repaint the front door if it's chipping or looks dull. Make sure the outside of the home is well kept, trim bushes, pull weeds and bag up any dead leaves/debris.
2. Check the Roof and Gutters- Many potential buyers will look up at the roof and gutters as they approach the house. You don't want leaves overflowing out of the gutters or missing shingles. On a dry day gutters can easily be cleaned with a ladder and leaf blower. If the gutter nails are pulling away from the fascia re-secure them. If the roof is missing shingles hire a roofer to make repairs. If there is moss or anything growing on the shingles you'll want your roof treated with chemicals to kill the substance. Be sure to use someone you can trust. Careless use of the chemicals can cause permanent damage to the roof.
3. If You Smoke-It's Time To Quit! Smells in a home whether from cigarettes or pets can be a deal breaker. Literally. When a buyer comes in a home they notice how it smells before anything else. Candles, air freshener, sprays etc. just mask any smells that already existed. This can lead the buyer to question if you're hiding something. If you or someone who lives there has smoked in the house head to the paint store and buy a wall wash. If you're a heavy smoker you're going to need to repaint to get the smell out of the house. Priming the walls first to seal in any nicotine smell, then repaint preferably with neutral colors. If you have pets and it's not possible to board them during the time your house is for sale at the very least make sure the litter box is cleaned before every showing and that your dog has a bath every week.
4. Nail Holes- Chances are your agent or staging specialist told you to take down all the family photo's (and if they didn't shame on them). Now you're left with nail holes - what to do? Patching them is a necessity, once the putty dries you'll need to sand it down and repaint. You'll most likely need to prime the area you just sanded and then paint. Use caution when painting over patched holes. If it's not blended properly it can set off a red flag to buyers that you are trying to hide something. If the hole was large repainting the entire wall could be necessary.
5. Leaking Faucets- A faucet that's dripping screams look at me! It's an easy fix, remember to shut the water off completely before checking where the faucet needs adjusting (shut off valves will be under the sink, typically on the right side). If it's more than you're comfortable with call a plumber.
6. Clean Baseboards- This probably sounds very picky but, dirty, dull baseboards can really give a negative impact on a home's overall appearance. Cleaning them first is most important but, as you clean inspect to see if there are scratches and scuffs that may need to be addresses. Magic Eraser from Mr. Clean works very well to clean painted surfaces. If necessary repair any scratches with putty, sand and then repaint. Don't just paint where you repaired, it will show. Make sure you use a washable eggshell finish, don't use semi-gloss. White is always the best route to go with baseboards.
This list is certainly not all inclusive of repairs that may need to be done prior to buyers entering your home but, it's a solid start to the preparation involved in selling your home. You want a potential buyer to walk in and see themselves living there, with their kids playing in the upstairs bedroom or their friends gathered around the kitchen island socializing. Something that makes them imagine their personal life inside your house.
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