By Tony Joe, Realtor at RE/MAX Camosun Victoria
Selling the family home is a big decision and has the potential to be an overwhelming process. A good place to start is preparing the house for sale.
Like any other product, a house needs to be in its best presentation condition in order to attract buyers and to guarantee maximum dollar value. You will need to look at your home through the eyes of potential buyers, identifying troublesome areas before they can hinder a sale.
Here is a list of items that have helped Sellers achieve successful sales and top dollar, arranged from high priority to low.
1. Declutter.
Consider this "packing in advance". If you haven't used or seen an item in 2 years, donate it or throw it out. People generally need to reduce possessions by about 50% in order to make the house show ready.
2. Clean.
We mean "Q-tip clean". All surfaces need to be dusted, mopped and disinfected. Little known areas which are troublesome to Buyers: mildew in window or sliding door rails, crumbs in kitchen drawers, foggy or dirty windows.
3. Paint touch-ups
. Repair cracked, chipped and damaged paint.
4. Roof moss
. Companies apply dressing on the roof, killing unwanted moss which is then washed away during the next rain.
5. Power wash
walkways and driveways.
6. Repairs
. Rotten railings, cracked walkways or steps, soft or soggy decks. It is often better to spend a small amount getting these handled in advance than having a buyer attempt to negotiate a reduction based on repair estimates.
7. Major systems.
Knob and tube wiring will need to be addressed, as are buried oil tanks. Above ground oil tanks older than 12 years will either need to be replaced or negotiated in with the transaction. If the roof is within 2 years of its life end, consider replacing it.
You've probably noticed the top 2 items actually require little or no cost, yet they have the most dramatic effect on the presentation of your house!
One of the visitors to our booth compared
