Preparing Your Home

Fix It First

If you need to make improvements to your home, do the work before it goes on the market.

Potential buyers are not interested in hearing about your good intentions to look after defects before a transfer of ownership takes place. Even if fix-up work is underway, buyers may not be able to visualize what your home will look like when the work is finished. They will just remember it being in a state of disrepair.

Consider purchasing an inexpensive mailbox to replace your existing mailbox, if you have one. These rust so quickly in our climate.

Let’s Begin Outside. Check Your House’s Curb Appeal

How does your house look from the street?

That is where prospective buyers will be when they first see your home; and, that is where they will form that all-important first impression.

Stand at the curb in front of your house and note what you see .

• Remove any clutter in your yard.
• Repair cracked or uneven driveway or walkway surfaces if possible.
• If your lawn has bald spots, apply some top dressing and re-seed.
• Prune trees and shrubs of dead wood.
• Weed and mulch flowerbeds, if you have them.
• If it is the right time of year, consider buying some flower-filled planters to enhance the eye appeal of your property.
• Make sure your lawn is mowed regularly.
• Ensure that the composter area is tidy and clean.
• Does your front door need painting?
• Ensure your eaves and downspouts are clear of debris and in good repair.
• Are your backyard deck and walkways clean? If not, use a power washer and do any necessary painting, staining or sealing.
• If you have a swimming pool, are the deck and pool clean (when in season)?
• Do all outside lights work?
• Replace any burned out light bulbs and clean fixtures of dirt and cobwebs.
• Is there a shed? Does it look presentable?
• Do the window and exterior door need recaulking? Even at 6-7 years of age, the caulking may be dried out and in need of replacement.
• Do you have decorative wooden poles on the porch? Is the wood at the bottom in good condition and overall does it need a new coat of paint?
• If you have a gate, is it well oiled?

Professional Inspection, Yes or No?

A serious buyer may want to have a professional home inspector check your house from top to bottom before making an offer.

Even though this guide will help you identify problems on your own, the option of hiring a professional home inspector is open to you, as well.

If you can afford it, an inspection in advance of putting your home on the market is a good idea. It is your best way of finding and taking care of any serious deficiencies before an inspector hired by a potential buyer discovers them.

Will your Roof and Chimney Pass Inspection?

If you are uneasy about climbing onto your roof, you can inspect most items from the ground using binoculars. Otherwise, be careful when working or moving about on your roof.

Unless roof repair is a simple matter of applying new caulking, you will probably need the services of a professional.

Now, Let’s Go Indoors

A prospective buyer will usually enter through your front door, so that is where you should begin your interior inspection.

You want your buyer to see a neat, clean, well-lit interior.

Get clutter out of sight; ensure that carpets are clean, if necessary have them stretched or replaced; floors are scrubbed and polished; and that walls and trim show fresh paint (preferably neutral or light colours).

Take a sniff. Are there any unpleasant odors in your home? If so, track them down and eliminate them.

Ensure all your lights work and are free of cobwebs.

Be sure to clean windows both inside and out.

You want your home to look spacious, bright and fresh. If you have considerable family memorabilia about, consider thinning it out.

Your objective is to help potential buyers feel as if they could live in your home. That mental leap becomes more difficult for them if your house resembles a shrine to you and your family.

Professional Realtors and Decorators say that the Kitchen and the Bathroom(s)
are the most important areas of your home to upgrade and modernize.

General Interior

• Check stairs for loose boards, ripped carpeting, and missing or loose handrails and guards.
• Most problems with interior walls are cosmetic and can be repaired with spackling compound and paint.
• Ensure doors open and shut properly. Minor sticking is normal but excessive binding indicates possible structural problems.
• Open and close all windows to ensure they work properly. Fogging between the panes of a sealed window indicates the seal is broken and the unit needs to replaced.

Living Room, Halls, Family Room, Den, and Bedrooms.

• Keep furniture to a minimum so these rooms do not appear smaller than they are.
• Ensure that traffic can flow in or through these rooms unimpeded. If they contain bookshelves or cabinets overflowing with books, magazines and knick-knacks, remove some of these items.
• Ensure bedroom closets look spacious, organized and uncluttered.
• Create space by getting rid of old clothes and junk.
• Remember to remove or lock away valuables such as jewelry, coins, currency, cameras and compact discs.
• Be sure there is no furniture on stairways or landings. Primarily because there will be a minimum of 3 people during a visit.

Kitchens and Bathrooms

People splash water around in the kitchen and bathrooms so check around sinks, tubs and toilets for rotting countertops and floors. Problems could be due to poor caulking or plumbing leaks. Fogged windows, molds and sweating toilet tanks indicate high humidity levels, which you can remedy with exhaust fans.

In The Kitchen: clean all your appliances, including your oven. Clean or replace your stove hood filter. Clean your cabinets inside and out, as well as your countertops and backsplashes. Repair dripping faucets.

Remove anything stored on top of your fridge and remove any artwork and magnets.

Remove any items stored on countertops.

Thin out items stored under the sink.

In The Bathrooms: scrub sinks, tubs and toilets, taking care to remove any rust stains. Remove mildew from showers and bathtubs. Fix dripping faucets or trickling toilets, and vacuum your fan grill.

Clean mirrors, light switch plates and cupboard handles.

If you have ceramic tile in either your kitchen or bathroom, ensure grouting is intact and clean.

Basement

The condition of the foundation and main structural members in the basement are critical to the fitness of any house.

The purpose of your inspection is to make sure these are sound and durable. Look for cracks, water seepage, efflorescence (white powder-like substance), crumbling mortar or concrete, and rotting wood.

If any of these problems are present, you need to do further research to learn about causes and possible solutions.

In general, if your basement is damp or musty, consider a dehumidifier.

Like all other areas of your home, your basement should be organized and free of clutter.

Change the filters in the furnace and have it cleaned-this is the number one item purchasers want done after a home inspection.

If you have a pet with a litter box, ensure the litter box is clean and fresh smelling.

Garage

Get rid of the broken tools, old car parts, discarded bicycles, empty paint cans and the hundreds of other useless items that accumulate in the garage.

Again, you want a clutter-free zone. Use cleaning solutions to remove oil stains from the floor.

It’s Showtime!

You have inspected your house and taken care of any problems.

Now you are ready for showings. You will need a plan of action that assigns duties to each family member so the place can be whipped into shape quickly.

• Open all drapes, blinds, etc. and turn on lights to make the house bright.
• Air out the house to get rid of cooking, pet odors, etc.
• Have fresh flowers in view when possible.
• Pick up clutter and empty garbage.
• Make sure everything is spotless.
• Set your thermostat at a comfortable level.
• Remove pets from the house or put them outside.
• In poor weather, provide a place for boots, overshoes and umbrellas.
• Display photos of house in summer to show landscaping if selling during winter months.
• Leave out heating and hydro bills.
• For those on a septic system and/or well, leave out inspection and maintenance information.

 

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