Resources
Getting A Home Ready To Sell
Buyers pay a premium for a home that is in top-notch, move-in condition, so once
you decided to sell, make sure the home is ready to be sold.
A thorough property inspection up front will help to identify problem areas. Having
the property inspection done and all the corrections taken care of before you
get offers also shows the buyers that you are conscientious homeowners. This will
relieve some of their anxiety about buying a home.
A buyer will have a property inspection done before closing the sale. Often, this
is when they will re-negotiate the price because of problems that may turn up
in the inspection. Having your own inspection done and making all necessary repairs
first removes this opportunity for the buyer to try and re-negotiate.
Properties in prime condition are a pleasure for real estate agents to show so
they get shown more often. The more exposure a property gets, the better the chance
of selling it quickly and for a higher price.
Use the following checklist as your guide to preparing your home for sale.
Go for the Spacious Look
One of the best and least expensive ways to improve the "showability"
of your home is to open up as much space as possible. You can't change the size
of what you have, but you can try to present it in a pleasing way. Openness stimulates
positive feelings in buyers. Overstuffed rooms or closets give the impression
of being smaller than they really are.
- Closets and storage areas: One of the most frequently voiced requirements of buyers is
for more closet and storage space. Open up your storage areas by removing items you aren't
using.
- Counters and cabinets: The same principle used for closets applies here; overcrowding
gives the impression of inadequacy. This applies to bathrooms and kitchens with the
kitchen being most important. Store infrequently used appliances.
- Garage:Buyers will pay a premium for a garage if they can visualize it being of value to
them, but it's hard to sell when the garage is filled to overflowing. If your garage has
become a two-car attic, move the excess to a mini-warehouse.
Check the Mechanicals
- Lights: Every light socket in and around the house should have a good bulb of adequate
wattage. Don't overlook those outside and in the garage. Also remember the utility room,
halls, closets, over the kitchen sink, and in the oven and exhaust hood.
- Switches and fixtures: Repair or replace wall switches, outlets, and light fixtures that
don't work. Replace any broken switch plates.
- Appliances: Appliances that will be sold with the home should be in good working
condition. If specific equipment doesn't work and you don't intend to repair it, point
this out.
- Plumbing: Badly chipped or irreversibly stained sinks and tubs should be re-enameled,
patched, or replaced. Leaky or noisy toilets and dripping faucets should be fixed.
- Sprinkler systems: These should be working properly with no defective heads.
Spruce Up the Outside
- Paint: Few things you do will enhance the salability of your house quite as much as
painting the outside. Before painting, scrape or water-blast any blistered or peeling
paint; repair gutters and down spouts; and replace wood showing dry rot. Pay special
attention to wood, trim, gutters, and wrought iron.
- Front Entry: Give special care to this area. First impressions do make a difference! All
woodwork should be freshly and neatly painted, including the door if necessary. Replace
badly worn or broken doorbells. Polish any door brass. Paint or replace an unsightly
mailbox. Put out a new or clean doormat.
- Yard: Mow and trim the lawn. Weed flower beds; remove or replace dead plants or trees.
Water regularly during the growing season. With desert landscaping, make sure that no
underlying plastic is exposed, that rocks and sand are tidy, and that weeds and unwanted
grass are removed.
- Driveway, garage/carport: Clean up grease or oil spots; remove the soil at least, if not
the stains. See that the garage door opens freely, and if you have an automatic door
opener, make sure it's in good working order.
- Air Conditioners: Paint or replace any rusted exposed metal. Correct improper draining.
- Patio: A nice spread of outdoor furniture looks very appealing. If necessary, borrow
some from a friend to enhance the "showability" of your property.
- Swimming pool: Adjust chemicals until the pool sparkles. Hose dust and cobwebs from
filtration equipment. Store chemicals and tools neatly. Keep pool area tidy and secure.
Look at the Interior
- Windows: Repair or replace torn or bent screens. As a last resort, remove them entirely;
it's better to have no screens than to have unsightly ones. Replace any cracked or broken
panes. Also, notice unsightly foliage near windows. A window framed in ivy can give a
warm, homey feeling, but if the foliage is restricting the light coming into the rooms,
cut it back . Drapery rods should be affixed firmly to walls and work smoothly; draperies
should be clean and hang properly.
- Doors: Check to see that all doors open and close freely, including closet doors and
patio or sliding glass doors. Oil any squeaky doors. Tighten the hardware, particularly
doorknobs. And while you're at it, tighten hardware on kitchen and bathroom cabinets, too.
- Walls: As with the exterior, painting indoors will pay dividends out of all proportion
to the time and effort spent. Wallpaper should be clean and adhere smoothly to walls.
- Floors: Repair or replace missing or damaged pieces of tile; polish if needed. Repair of
a loose stair tread plate or loose carpeting on a stairway is a top priority.
- Carpet: Steam cleaning is the best answer for soiled carpets, especially when shampooing
isn't enough. If pet odors are present, clean the carpet some time before your home is
placed on the market to be sure the odors have been eliminated.
Housekeeping Hints
- Bathrooms: Few places in the home can get so dirty so fast, and yet few things will
"unsell" a house as fast as dirty bathrooms. Vanity, sink, faucet hardware, and
mirror are the focal points. But don't forget other potential problems: soap residue in a
shower, a moldy shower curtain, accumulated dirt in the track of a sliding shower door,
soiled or missing grout, soiled toilet bowls, and dirty or battered bath mats.
- 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. Weather
permitting, open windows to let in fresh air.
- 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.
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. Not to mention the pleasure you and
your family will receive from living in a well-kept home. |
|
|
Return to Main Library Page... 
As
your Real Estate Specialist, our job is to help you..... help you find a
home that meets your lifestyle, location and budget requirements within
the time frame that you need to purchase and occupy the home. 
Bookmark This Page
Print This Page
Home