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| Preparing Your Home For Sale |
SPRUCE UP THE YARD & EXTERIOR
- PAINT: Few things will enhance the salability of a house
quite so
 much as painting the outside. Before painting, scrape or water
blast any blistered
or peeling paint; repair gutters and down spouts and replace wood showing
dry rot. Wood, trim work, gutters, and wrought iron should receive primary
attention.
- FRONT ENTRY: Give special care to this area. This is where buyers
get their first opportunity to make a close inspection, and they will pick it apart
looking for flaws, so eliminate them. All woodwork should be freshly and neatly painted,
including the door if necessary. Replace a badly worn or broken doorbell button. Polish
the door brass. Repaint or replace an unsightly mailbox. Put out a new or clean door mat.
Do a thorough weeding and pruning job on any flower beds near the entry, and try to have
some flowering plants growing.
- YARD: Mow and trim the lawn. Weed flower beds; remove or replace dead
plants or trees. Water regularly during the growing season. With desert landscaping, make
sure that no underlying plastic is exposed, that rocks and sand are tidy, and that weeds
and grass are removed.
- DRIVEWAY, GARAGE/CARPORT: Clean up grease or oil spots; remove the
soil at least, if not the stain. See that the garage door opens freely and that the
automatic door opener is in good working order. If possible, don't park cars in front
of the house or in the driveway, and try to have very few parked cars on the street near
the house. Recreational vehicles or boats should be in the garage or carport or behind a
fence in the back. Derelict cars or ones being overhauled, should not be visible from the
street and preferably should not even be present.
- FENCE: A few missing stakes or slats are real eyesores to buyers,
yet are usually inexpensive and easy to fix. Repair, paint or stain as necessary.
- ROOF: Remove visible debris or toys. Straighten the television
antenna if necessary. Remove any tree branches bearing on the roof.
- AIR CONDITIONERS/EVAPORATIVE COOLERS: Repaint or replace any
rusted exposed metal. Correct improper draining.
- PATIO: A nice spread of outdoor furniture looks very appealing.
If necessary, borrow from a friend to enhance showability.
- SWIMMING POOL: Adjust chemicals until the pool sparkles. Hose
dust and cobwebs from filtration equipment. Store chemicals and tools neatly.
- ON-SITE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM: OSDS Ordinance
passed in September 1999 by the Wayne County Commission requires
that an on-site sewage disposal system be evaluated prior to time
of sale or transfer of property (please click here for complete
information: OSDS
Evaluation and Maintenance Ordinance)
LOOK AT THE BASICS AROUND THE HOUSE
- LIGHTS: Every light socket in and around the house should have
a good bulb of adequate wattage. Don't overlook those outside; in the garage; utility
room, halls, closets, or over the kitchen sink; and in the oven and exhaust hood.
- SWITCHES AND FIXTURES: Repair or replace wall switches, outlets,
and light fixtures that don't work, replace any broken switch plates. Note: If you are
not fully competent to handle these repairs, call in a professional.
- APPLIANCES: Those that will be sold with the home should be in
good working order. If specific equipment does not work and you do not intend to repair
it, point this out.
- PLUMBING: Badly chipped or irreversibly stained sinks and tubs
should be re-enameled, patched, or replaced. Leaky or excessively noisy toilets should
be fixed, as well as any dripping faucets.
- SPRINKLER SYSTEMS: These should be working properly with no
defective heads.
ARRANGE FOR A SPACIOUS LOOK
One of the best and least expensive ways to improve the show ability of your home is
to open as much space as possible. Openness stimulates positive feelings in buyers.
Overstuffed rooms or closets give the impression of being smaller than they really
are. You can't change the size of what you have, so try to present it in a pleasing
way. If necessary, rent a mini-warehouse to store your extra belongings in while the
house is on the market.
- CLOSETS & STORAGE AREAS: One of the most frequently voiced
requirements of buyers is for closet and storage space. Open up your storage areas
by getting rid of items you aren't using.
- COUNTERS & CABINETS: The same principle applies here: Over
crowding gives the impression of inadequacy. This applies to bathrooms and kitchens,
with the kitchen being most important. Store infrequently used counter-top appliances.
Do some prudent discarding in cabinets.
- GARAGE: Buyers will pay a premium for a garage if they can
visualize it being of value to them, but it's hard to sell the virtues of a garage when
it is filled to overflowing. If your garage has become a two-car attic, move the excess
to a mini-warehouse for the duration.
HINTS ON HOUSEKEEPING
The following comments touch only on areas often neglected or overlooked.
- BATHROOMS: Few places in the home can get so dirty so fast,
and yet few things will "unsell" a house as fast as dirty baths. Vanity, sink, faucet
hardware, and mirror are the focal points, but other potential problems might be soap
residue in a shower, a moldy shower curtain, accumulated dirt in the track of the
sliding shower door, soiled or missing grout, stained toilet bowls, and dirty or battered
bath mats.
- KITCHEN: Like baths, kitchens get dirty all by themselves. Most buyers
will inspect this area carefully, so extra time invested here is well spent. Clean the stove
inside and out. Replace badly stained or corroded reflector plates under the heating
elements on electric range tops. Don't neglect the kitchen exhaust hood; buyers frequently
check this area as a clue to general housekeeping.
- WINDOWS: Clean windows are an absolute necessity if a house is to
look its best, yet this is very often overlooked.
- WATER HEATER & SOFTENER: Perhaps because it is so unusual, a
sparkling clean water heater or water softener really impresses buyers - and it takes
so little time and effort.
SNIFF OUT UNPLEASANT ODORS
- WET TOWELS AND WASHCLOTHS: Residents of a home frequently aren't
aware of what a potential source of bad odor these are. Replace all used towels with
fresh ones before a showing.
- SOILED CLOTHES: When the house is being shown, keep dirty laundry
out of the living area; move it to the utility room, garage, or storage area. This
applies especially to a diaper pail.
- GARBAGE: Take all trash and garbage out of the house, particularly
any food-related discards for the kitchen, and make sure no potatoes or onions are going
bad under the sink or in the pantry. After running garbage through a disposal unit,
grind up part of a lemon to add a fresh smell.
- SEWER GAS IN THE HOUSE: Do whatever is necessary to correct this
problem before the house is placed on the market.
- CATS & DOGS: As a first step, move the cat's litter box out of
the house. And be sure to clean up after the dog before any showings.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- VALUABLES: You may have valuable possessions that you like to
display in your home, but when the house is being shown to strangers is not the time.
Never leave small valuable items lying around on counters or visible in closets or
cabinets. Get them out of sight, if not out of the house. Don't invite a problem.
- EXCLUSIONS FROM THE SALE: Make a note now of the items you do not intend
to include with the sale of the house. Freestanding items generally are not included, but when
in doubt, spell it out. Some items that often cause misunderstandings are light fixtures,
draperies, large mirrors, water softeners, garage door openers, and television antennas.
- KEYS: As you are readying the house for the market, make a note to
gather all the keys for the house, including keys for doors, deadbolts, garage doors,
and any padlocks around the property.
- INSTRUCTION MANUALS: As with keys, gather manuals and warranties for
the mechanical equipment in the house - kitchen appliances, water heater and softener,
air conditioning and heating units, evaporative cooling units, pool and filtration
equipment, and electronic air filters.
TIPS FOR SHOWING
- LIGHTS: Open all draperies unless there is an objectionable
view. In most rooms, you should turn on lights for a bright and cheerful look.
Lamps and indirect lighting are preferable, but use overhead lights if that's
all there is in a particular room.
- LIGHT SWITCHES: If some wall switches operate wall outlets,
plug in a lamp or radio to demonstrate that the switch works. When a buyer flips a
switch and nothing happens, he instinctively suspects a problem.
- AROMAS: Set out some fresh flowers, both for their appearance
and fragrance. Right before an agent showing, place a small dish of vanilla extract
in your oven at 250 degrees.
- CLOSETS: Keep doors closed except for walk-in closets. Have
those doors slightly ajar and turn on the lights to draw attention to this special
feature.
- POSTERS & SIGNS: We live in a tolerant age, but don't take a
chance on offending a potential buyer. Remove all signs or posters that might be
considered offensive.
- ASHTRAYS: Dirty ashtrays are both unsightly and a source of
objectionable odor to nonsmokers. Keep them clean.
- UTILITY BILLS: Have copies of the past 12 months' bills available,
or at least a written summary of the amounts paid monthly for the period.
- PETS: Get them out of the house, if not off the property.
Some people don't like dogs, and nobody likes muddy paw prints on a clean suit or
dress. Cats can be just as objectionable to the person who doesn't like them, and
invariably a cat will single out the cat-hater to use as a rubbing post.
- MUSIC: Soft background music will help create a relaxed mood
that prompts buyers to linger and enjoy, but no music is better than loud music.
Never have the television on when the house is being shown.
- YOUR PRESENCE: Most buyers will not relax and closely inspect
a home if the owners are present, so try to arrange to turn the home over to the
salesperson. If you must remain at home, refrain from talking unless questions are
directed to you. All too often, a seller will jump in to point out some special
feature, fearful that the salesperson might overlook it. But, please bear in mind
that some of the most successful sales people will say little or nothing during showings,
and for two reasons: First; they have made their selling points before entering the
house; and second; they want the buyers to discover some things for themselves in order
to build excitement. The Salesperson also knows the buyer's temperament. So trust the
Salesperson's professional judgment.
ONE FINAL NOTE
The legal principle of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is dead or dying. We are
living in an age of consumerism, and it's hard to find a court that won't favor the
buyer in a dispute. In fact, consumer groups and many government agencies are taking
the posture that the seller has a positive obligation to disclose everything.
If you have a problem in your home, don't mask it. A common example
is the homeowner who spray-paints a ceiling to cover water stains
caused by a leaking roof. If you have a major problem that you don't
intend to correct, disclose it! Sure, some people will be turned off
by the prospect of a major repair, but most buyers who otherwise like
the home will be philosophical about a problem openly displayed. And
usually they will discount the price they offer by far less than the
cost of the repair.
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