Is your home ready to sell? Check these six maintenance issues

Is your home ready to sell? Check these six maintenance issues

If you’re thinking of selling your home, finding the right REALTOR® is the first step in the home-selling process. Your REALTOR® will be able to help you determine the right price, the kinds of marketing that work well for your property and much more. But you can also be a proactive seller by checking into these basic home-maintenance issues before putting your house on the market:

Inspect your roof. Find out if there is damage to your roof, especially if your area experiences severe weather. Hail is particularly damaging. For safety purposes, it might be in your best interest to hire a professional to check it out for you.

Search for problems in the attic. In your attic, check for any roof leaks and signs of termites or rodents. Squirrels or rats nesting in your attic are not particular about what they chew, and they sometimes gnaw electrical wiring, which can lead to damaged infrastructure or fire. Navigating your attic can be dangerous, so use caution or hire a professional to inspect it for you.

Check out the paint on your home. It may seem cosmetic, but paint is a first line of defense against the weathering and aging of wood. Also, damaged paint can indicate the start of a larger problem. Brick, stucco and siding should be inspected as well.

Examine the ground you walk on. Depending on the level of traffic, hardwood floors may need to be refinished every five to 10 years. If they get too worn down, you’re risking permanent damage to the wood.

Check for leaks in any room that has plumbed fixtures. And consider that in some older homes, cast iron was used for the wastewater lines. These pipes eventually fail. If the seepage is under the foundation, you’ll probably never notice, but it may be worth it to have a professional plumber come check it out. If the leak gets bad enough, it can damage your foundation.

Look for cracks in the walls or other signs of foundation issues. The main cause of foundation problems, whether pier and beam or slab, is fluctuations in the moisture content of the soil. If the soil beneath a foundation swells uniformly or shrinks uniformly, it is unlikely to cause aproblem. When only part of the foundation moves, though, you’re likely to see signs of damage.

One of the best things about homeownership is that your investment typically appreciates over time. In order to support that appreciation, though, the home must be well-maintained. It’s especially important to check these aspects of your home when going to market. When selling,you’ll likely have to do the work anyway or accept a lower price to compensate for the house’s condition.

Your REALTOR® will be able to give you objective advice about other aspects of your home that may need fixing or upgrading to make the sale. Don’t be afraid to ask for help as you prepare to sell.


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Whether you're interested in buying your first home, your next home, or just want to know more about home-ownership in general, I encourage you to check out a couple of great online resources:http://www.texasrealestate.com/ or http://www.har.com/. And for all of your Pearland, TX and Northern Brazoria and Galveston County real estate needs, please visit my site at:http://www.danfrankrealty.com. All of these sites offer tons of useful, real estate-related information geared specifically for Texans.

Remember, Danny Frank is always looking to hire new and experienced real estate agents for the team at Turbo Realty.  Are you ready to move to the next level in your career?  Call me to join today.  You can see my entire blog at: http://www.pearlandrealtyblog.com

Call Danny Frank, at 713-581-4702 to find out how you can become part of my team.