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Checklist for Getting Your
Home Ready to Sell
The following is a checklist that you can use to assist you
in preparing your home.
Check the Outside
 Paint:
Few things you do will
enhance the salability of your house quite as much as painting the outside. You
may not need to paint your home, often pressure washing algae and dirt will do.
Also repair gutters and down spouts, replace wood showing dry rot (especially
wood, trim).
Front Entry:
First impressions do make a difference! Pay special attention to your entryway
and the image it creates. Make sure that the woodwork is clean and/or freshly
painted. This is especially true for your front door. Make sure that your front
doorbell is in working condition. Polish any door brass. Don’t forget about your
mailbox. Put out a new front door mat or make sure it is clean.
Yard:
Mow and trim the lawn. Weed flowerbeds that are closest to your front door and
driveway. Remove or replace any dead shrubs or flowers. Water regularly
especially while your home is on the market. Many buyers first drive-by the
properties and select those houses that they have an interest in.
Driveway, garage/carport:
Make sure that the garage door opens freely, and if you have an automatic
door opener, make sure it's in good working order. Clean up any grease or oil
spots on the driveway or in the garage. If you cannot remove the spots try to
clean any standing "fresh" oil. Cat litter is a simple and effective way to
minimize any oil stain.
Air Conditioners:
Make sure that all A/C hoses are properly insulated. If possible, paint or
replace any rusted exposed metal.
Swimming pool: Make sure that you adjust
your pool chemicals until the pool sparkles. Spray down your filtration
equipment and remove dust and debris. Remove and store any extra pool chemicals
and pool cleaning equipment. Make sure that pool safety gates are working
properly.
Look at the
Basics
 Windows: Replace torn or bent screens. If
you cannot remove them entirely; better to have no screens than to have
unsightly torn screens. If you have any cracked or broken panes make sure to
replace them.
Doors:
Check to see that all doors open and close freely, this includes closet doors
and sliding glass doors. Oil any squeaky doors and remove or replace any broken
doorstops. Make sure that the door hardware is tight and not lose, particularly
doorknobs. It is also a good idea to inspect your kitchen and bathroom hardware.
Walls:
One of the most beneficial things you can do in selling your home is to paint or
touch up the interior. Out of all the things you can do to spruce up your home,
none is more effective vs. the time and effort you will spend. Inspect
your wallpaper, it should be clean and not have any edges pulling away from the
wall.
Floors:
Inspect your floors. Repair or replace missing or damaged pieces of tile; polish
if needed. Pay particular attention to high traffic areas.
Carpet:
Steam cleaning is the best answer for soiled carpets. If you own indoor pets you
may want to clean your carpet some time before your home is placed on the market
to insure that any pet odors have been eliminated.
Check the Mechanicals
Lights:
Every light inside and outside the house should have a working bulb with the
proper wattage. This includes the garage and attic.
Switches and fixtures:
Make sure that all outlets are in working order. If not repair or replace wall
switches, outlets, and light fixtures. Switch plates are an inexpensive yet
noticeable detail you can replace for little cost and effort.
Appliances:
Those that will be sold with the home should be in good working condition.
Should you have specific equipment that does not work and you do not intend to
repair it make sure it is noted in your MLS listing.
Plumbing:
You may want to consider having badly chipped or irreversibly stained sinks/tubs
re-enameled, patched, or replaced. Leaky toilets should be fixed, as well as any
dripping faucets. These will also show up in any inspection report.
Lawn Sprinkler systems:
These should be working properly with no defective sprinkler heads.
Create a Spacious Look
 Creating a spacious look is one of the best and least
expensive ways to improve the "showability" of your home. A spacious look
promotes a lived in but open feeling. Rooms and closets that are cluttered give
the buyer the impression that the rooms are smaller than they really are. You
may not be able to change the size of your rooms, however you can create a
feeling that the buyers furniture can fit in your floor plan.
Closets and storage areas:
More storage and closet space is one of the most frequently voiced requirements
of buyers. Open up your storage areas by removing items you are not using.
Counters and cabinets:
Cluttered and overcrowded cabinets and countertops give the impression of s
smaller home than the buyer may be looking for. This same impression applies to
bathrooms and kitchens, the most important being the kitchen area.
Garage:
Buyers will often pay a premium for a garage if they can visualize it being of
value to them. It is difficult for a buyer to imagine if the garage is messy and
cluttered. If you have too much in your garage it is worth moving any unused
items to a mini-warehouse.
Housekeeping Hints
All this may seem like a lot of work, and it is, but it means a quicker sale
with less hassle and more money in your pocket.
Bathrooms: Few places in the home
can get messy so quickly (especially with children), and yet few things will "unsell"
a house as fast as messy bathrooms. Sink, vanity, plumbing fixtures hardware,
and mirror are the focal points. Other areas to inspect are: soap residue in
tubs and showers, moldy shower doors and curtains, missing or moldy grout and
soiled toilet bowls.
Kitchen:
Most buyers will inspect the kitchen carefully, so time invested here is
well spent. Clean the stove inside and out. Replace badly stained or corroded
reflector plates under the heating elements on electronic range tops. Don't
neglect the kitchen exhaust hood; buyers frequently check this area as a clue to
general housekeeping.
Windows:
Clean windows are an absolute necessity if a house is to look its best.
Water heater and softener:
Perhaps because it's so unusual, a sparkling clean water heater or water
softener really impresses buyers: and it takes so little time and effort.
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©Copyright 2002