Fixes that Need to be Made Before You Put Your Home Up for Sale

Your job may have been relocated to another area or you need to move closer to family. Whatever your case may be, it's time to start the process of putting your home up for sale. Before going through a realtor to put your home on the market, take a look around your house and see if any major damages need to be fixed up. Your home will not be sold at the top-dollar value if there are damages. Buyers will take advantage of that and get you to reduce the price you are selling your home for since they will be putting in a lot of money to have it fixed up. To avoid that scenario, it's important to take the time and have your place fixed up.

1. Amenities

If you have a pool, people will want to buy your home just for that reason. You have to make sure that is fixed first. Clean out any leaves and bugs that may be in your pool. Be sure that your pool is up to date on the maintenance routine. People don't want to play catch up on your pool's maintenance routine when they purchase your house. Pay careful attention to your pool deck. If there are any cracks in or around your pool area, those need to be fixed by getting rid of any loose concrete, placing a filler in the space, and smoothing it out. 

If your deck is in worse shape, you may need to hire a company to replace the whole thing. If you have a screened-in pool area, make sure it's cleaned and there are not any holes. If there are holes, you will need to replace the screen before putting your house on the market. Walk-in closets are another amenity people look for when buying a house. Make sure there are not any holes in the wall or poles coming down.

2. Roofing

No matter where you live, you will face some sort of precipitation. To make sure your roof is in good standing, you should hire a roofing company. They have the experience to thoroughly examine your roof. They will make sure there aren't even the smallest of holes, and they may even ask you how long it has been since the roof has been replaced. Roofs last a long time especially if you have an old house, usually around twenty years. If you have had a tornado, earthquake, or hurricane, or any other natural disaster, it may be wise to replace the whole roof instead of each part.

3. Painting

Giving your home an indoor makeover is a crucial fix to your home. When someone walks through your home at an open house, they want to see a house that looks brand new. Make it look bright and cheerful and maybe have a painter come in a paint a mural or two in one of the bedrooms. You can leave the walls the same color but adding a new coat of paint may hide scuff marks, your kids' coloring, or scratches and holes. It will also keep your walls glistening.

4. Landscaping

When you put your house on the market, you will need to take pictures so you can make flyers. This way interested buyers can take one and look at your pictures. The first thing that people see is the outside of your house. Work on landscaping and get the outside of your home looking just as good as the inside. Plant some flowers, make sure your whole front yard has grass, even paint the outside of your house if you need to. By fixing up the outside of your home, it will attract more buyers and will make them curious to see the inside of your home.

5. Appliances

Appliances are of high importance. A buyer will not be satisfied if they find out something is not working properly after they have already signed the contract and the deal has been made. Check everything. The stove, garbage disposal, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer. Your house may not be one of those houses that's lucky enough to come with a garbage disposal. You can always have one put in. That may add value to your home and you may get away with raising the price just a little bit. Another thing you should fix is the breaker panel. Make sure it's easy to read for the next family that lives there.

6. Miscellaneous Items

Fix any light bulbs that may have been burned out. Check light switches and make sure they all work. It's the same thing with the fans. If you have a patio, make sure those fans are working and the lights are working as well. It would also be good to take out any screws or nails in the walls and fix the holes. This is important to do before you start painting.

Test all the electrical outlets and fix the ones that are not working. The best thing to do would be to have an electrician come out for that part. Fix any broken cabinets as well. Make sure they are not hanging from the hinges and that they function properly. You might want to give those a fresh coat of paint as well to make them look nicer.

These are all good places to start when it comes to fixing up your home before putting it on the market. Pay close attention to all the details because that is what a buyer will do. A buyer will not pay top dollar for a run-down house.

It would help you sell your home if you are upfront with potential buyers and let them know the work you have done. This way they will know when to get things replaced. You could even put together a little booklet for them so they will have all the information. Now that you have fixed everything in your home that needs it, you are ready to move on to the next step. Contact a realtor and put your house on the market.