Home Maintenance To-Do List Before You Sell Your Home
As a homeowner, you probably already know that keeping your home and property in tip-top shape requires dedication and ongoing maintenance. Just because you’re selling your home doesn’t mean you’re off the hook from routine maintenance tasks.
A well-cared-for house simply shows better. Small things like broken doorbells and leaky faucets won’t make buyers jump to make an offer. Instead, it will make them wonder if there are bigger issues elsewhere on the property. Plus, keeping up with routine maintenance can help you avoid a catastrophic problem down the road, like burst pipes and roof leaks, that could devalue your property and derail your sale.
To prevent small issues from escalating into money-sucking problems, focus on these home maintenance tasks:
Keep up the yard and walkways
Even if you’re not living in the house anymore, it’s a good idea to keep your landscaping tidy. Remove dead tree limbs, rake leaves, mow the grass regularly, and clean out your flowerbeds. A messy yard detracts from your home’s appearance, and as we all know, curb appeal helps sell.
Clean the gutters and check the roof
Even if you’re not selling your home, it’s so easy to forget to clean the gutters. But, gutter and roof neglect can quickly have a dangerous domino effect. Overflowing gutters can lead to drainage issues, and small roof cracks can remain undetected for years causing water to slowly damage the walls and ceilings. A lot of buyers know that visiting a house their interested in while it’s raining is a great way to see what kind of condition it’s really in. Pay attention to your house when it rains, and make sure your gutters aren’t overflowing.
Service your heating and cooling systems
The hidden parts of your home need regular attention as well. Have your HVAC systems professionally serviced, and while you’re at it, have the ductwork and filters cleaned as well. If you have a chimney, it’s good to have it inspected and cleaned as well. There should be no gaps in the mortar between the brigs, otherwise, the chimney could potentially fall over into the house, which is a very expensive fix.
Deep clean everything
If your house is on the market, everything needs to be squeaky clean. Nobody wants to walk into an open house and see dirty windows that show much and grime buildup. Make sure you wipe everything down and give your house a nice deep cleaning.
If you’re curious as to what repairs or maintenance your house will need in order to better sell your home, give us a call today. We’ll tour your space and let you know all the details that buyers will look for before putting an offer on your home.
