Helpful Tips on Preparing Your Home for Sale

First impressions are lasting impressions. You will want to make sure the buyers looking at your home are left with the best possible impression. Dave Hammond & Greg Bullocan help you achieve that goal with the professional help of our Complimentary Handyman Service.

Exterior

• House in good repair, house number easy to read, litter picked up, garage/carport clean and tidy, door bell and hardware in good repair
• Rake leaves, mow lawn and keep edges neat. Lawns and flowers should be weeded regularly. Trees and shrubs should be pruned and trimmed.
• Remove old lawn mowers, tractors, disabled autos, broken lawn ornaments, topless tables, armless lawn furniture and seatless chairs. They are reasons for a buyer to make a U-turn.
• Hoses should be coiled or placed inconspicuously when not being used, other garden equipment should be stored in some type of shelter when not in use.
• A yard should be free from unnecessary clutter, a place should be provided for children's toys and equipment. All animal litter should be removed daily.
• Fix the garage door so it opens and closes. House and garage doors should be free from finger marks. Wood surfaces should be kept painted, oiled or stained.
• Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios and other extensions of the home must be uncluttered, clean and repaired.
• Shades and awnings in good repair with colors unfaded will improve exterior house appearance.
• Keep garbage cans deodorized and out of sight or placed inconspicuously.
• Walks and entrances should be well maintained and free from excess water, ice and snow. Put some crushed stone on walkways and driveways that turn muddy in the rain and fill in any pot holes.
• Keep gates, fences, walls and outer buildings repaired and painted.
• Outdoor furniture should be kept clean. Firewood should be neatly stacked. Barbecue grill should be cleaned.
• Metal accessories (door knobs, door knockers, lamps, etc.) need be cleaned and polished.
• Attach the downspouts to the gutters and paint, if needed. Any loose roof shingles, tiles, etc. should be secured or repaired.
• Paint the front, back and side entrance doors. Nothing looks worse than a peeling door.
• The fence is falling and so is the sale. Get rid of it or replace it.
• Buy a new mailbox without graffiti on it.
• Air coolers should be stored neatly if not in use.
• If you are neither prepared to nor want to spend hundreds of dollars for exterior painting, be ready to make an immediate price adjustment, or listen to everyone who views the home say, "It will cost a fortune to have the house painted!" If you can afford it, the money spent tidying up will be well worth the investment.
• Paint all chimneys and replace broken brick or stone.
• If the roof leaks, fix it! Remove any or all evidence of leakage by whatever means possible.
   

Interior

• Chipped plaster and paint touched-up and replaced
• Doors and cupboards properly closed
• Leaky taps and toilets repaired
• Burned out light bulbs replaced
• Squeaky doors oiled
• Mirrors, fixtures, and taps cleaned and polished
• Seals around tubs and basins in good repair
• Floors cleaned, garbage containers empty
• Air conditioner turned on in warm weather
• Fresh air in house
• Fireplace lit in cooler weather
• Halls and stairs cleaned
• Drapes opened during daylight
• Carpets freshly vacuumed
• Fresh flowers in various rooms
  Jewelry and valuables locked safely away or taken with you
• Valuable property, such as objects of art, vases and figurines out of reach, out of sight, or locked away