Preparing to Sell Your Home (part 2)...

Okay, it's not my home anymore and I'm ready to let go and move on.  I've disassociated myself and I've de-personalized... Let's sell this baby!

Over the years, you’ve grown quite comfortable with your home’s little imperfections; the hole in the screen door, the chipped paint on the baseboards and that leaky faucet. Grab a clipboard and take a tour of your home.  You're going to walk around the outside of your home and through each room with fresh critical eyes.  During your “home tour” identify anything that’s broken, half-finished or simply doesn’t work.

This can be easier said than done because we all have unfinished projects and repairs that we have stared at for so long that we don't even see it anymore.  Check ceiling and walls for stains, bulges and other signs of water damage.  I'm assuming the source of the problem has already been resolved and all that's left is to repair the damage or stain. If you have badly worn carpets or flooring you may want to consider replacing it with something neutral.  Laminate flooring is cost effective, looks clean and current and is easy to install for the do it yourselfer.

Look carefully, because this is what your buyers are going to do.  The buyers will process the repairs in one of two ways.  One group will keep a running total of what it will cost them and they'll going to use that as negotiating power and another group will look at that as time, energy and money they don't want to deal with so they'll just want to see the "next house please."  Overlooking these flaws could cost you money.   Get them fixed before you put the house on the market.  

Now notice I said repairs and unfinished work.  I didn't say updating.  We'll deal with that a little later on.  So this is the kind of things you'll be looking for:

• leaky faucets and slow drains
• broken windows
• holes in walls floor or counter tiles
• fix doors that don't close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
• sagging, torn or broken screens
• broken or hanging gutters
• missing shingles on your roof
• old, cracked or moldy caulking
• loose stair railings
• loose door knobs
• dinged up baseboards 
• broken or missing fence boards and deck boards
• burned out light bulbs 
• water stain damage
• worn or bare carpets

You get the idea.  It's these minor repairs that we all mean to get to and don't.  Remember, the energy and time invested in these repairs translates to money in your pocket.

For the larger repairs, you must disclose any major problems that won’t be obvious to potential buyers.  More specifically,  any problem that cannot be detected by the human eye must be disclosed.  A basement that floods every spring, termites, a shower that backs up when someone flushes the toilet, or unsafe wiring are just some examples of what the seller is responsible for disclosing.  Let your REALTOR® know everything and discuss your options. Denying these problems now will lead to a much bigger problem later, often in the form of a lawsuit. People love honesty and many buyers are happy to fix a problem if your home’s price is adjusted fairly.

I'm here for YOU.

~Ciao