Colleen, buyers always seem to notice floor squeaks.  Even though they're easy to fix, they cost the seller money when they're not taken care of.

Brian, I agree....ultimately it will likely cost them more than if the squeak were just fixed in the first place as the buyer's perception of poor maintenance may result in a lower offered price.

I always thought a squeak in the floor, especially on the second floor, having two teenage boys was an asset and would be considered an UPGRADE when the house went on the market.

Truly, they can be repaired, in most cases, at a minimal cost which will more then pay for itself at the closing table.

"WINE" hummmmmmm   Thanks for the laugh

Hal

Colleen - This is a clever post.  I didn't realize that it was that easy to fix squeaks in the floor.  I have a couple of places upstairs that "pop" when I walk over them.  Do you think it's the same fix?

Hal, I had 3 teenage boys at once. Fortunately they were good kids (or learned to vault the squeak, which is entirely possible)

Jason, I'm not sure about the pops. Someone told me once that that had to do w/ the walls not being glued down when the house was built and so you'll get a pop or crack sound sometime. I'm not sure what to do about that....(*disclaimer, I am not an inspector, contractor, handman LOL!)

Colleen, our old house had a second story that was full of squeaks and I loved every one of them when the older kids were teenagers!  I just had a home inspector explain this same thing to a buyer this week - such a simple fix you would think the sellers would have taken care of it ahead of time.

   Just a fact of life for older homes.  The problem is when a seller has re-done the kitchen, bath, etc. and the house because of squeaks, sounds as if it is falling apart. All that work will be forgotten. Very easy to fix most of the time. Sellers can get so accustomed to the squeak they sometime don't even hear it.

Colleen, squeaking floors are amazing.  In a 100 year old house it is a "selling feature"

In newer construction I have had buyers more concerned about the squeak than the bad furnace or the water in the crawl space!  But like Kim said---most squeaking can be eliminated---or at least minimized.  The older the house the more difficult it is likely to be.  I would add to this though that there are many causes of squeaking floors----some of which have nothing to do with nailing---so sorting all that out is something the home inspector may be able to help with.

Great information Colleen but I really thought we were doing the joke about the papa tomato stomping on the baby tomato and telling him to ketchup, lol.  I like those little squeaks as I know when the adult kids are trying to sneak one over on me, lol.

Colleen, this is an excellent repair tip on the cause of the squeaky floors, particularly on the second floor. I came across this in at least three houses I showed this past weekend. Poor construction in my opinion.

I love those little squeaks! Of course, when you are 18 and trying to sneak in after curfew, they probably don't have the same appeal. ;)

When my husband and I built our house in Missouri, the plumber goofed and cut too big of a hole for the master toilet.  It wasn't huge, but it was big enough to create a squeak in front of the toilet from day one.  Everyone knew when our bath was being used.  We even tried screwing the sub floor down with more and more screws to no avail.   Thanks for the fun reminder of times past.

Colleen - I remember when our kids were growing up we lived in an old house we bought and renovated... there were squeaks at the top of the stairs and a couple in the hall.  They couldn't get away with anything without us knowing it... unless they learned to vault over them and I'm not counting that one out either!  haha

Hi Colleen: Just so you know, with most carpeting, you don't even need to pull it back to fix a squeak. You can drive the nail straight through the carpet and it gets buried beneath the fuzz. My great tip for the day!

Ar Ar Ar .... Funny joke.

Hi Colleen,

Thanks for the info on repairing the squeaks... It is definately a good idea to address it with the seller before putting the home on the market.  Have a great weekend.  Michael A. Caruso

Colleen, it never amazes me who some people will allow for there homes to be shown. Fix the minor things before you list it.

Colleen, what good writing and great post. I love your style and writing. Great for the consumer and I found the information great for me, as well. See you soon!

Colleen,  Of course, the squeaks should be addressed, but there may be times "when the cure is worse is worse than the disease'",  Karen

Cute opening Colleen!  I never thought about trying to repair that squeak until now.  Great post!

Everything is fixable..... Your energy definitely comes out on your blogs.  Great job.  Thanks for commenting on my blog.  Lu

Colleen, this made me smile. I remember living in a home with hardwood floors, and would literally crawl out of my toddler's bedroom over, around the squeaks so they couldn't hear me. ;-)

Colleen - I completely agree.  However, until I decide to sell my house my squeak stays!!!!  My husband complained about it the other day and said he was going to fix it - I won't let him.  I told him that it adds character and every time I hear it squeak it reminds me of the wonderful feet that touch that floor everyday. 

Now, for the first corny joke that I memorized.....

What did the mom tomato say to her baby tomatoes one day on a walk?  Ketch-Up!  tee hee

Colleen - Thanks for sharing and for dropping by my site and leaving a comment on my AR ad campaign blog post.

BTW, I love the graphic on your page, one of the best I have seen!

Julie Jalone in Sacramento

Colleen,I personally like the squeaks in my home, it let's me know where everyone is! But you are right it would be top on my list to fix before listing.

Colleen -  who ever first said "it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease" did not have squeaky floors

Colleen, I just wanted to circle back to you and wish you a Happy Easter.