How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

As a seller of a home or property in NH or MA, your #1 goal is to sell your home as quickly as possible at or near the listing price. In today's market, there is much more competition for buyers. It is important to put your best foot, or in this case, home forward.

Many of today's prospective home buyers have busy lifestyles and are looking for properties that don't require a lot of work. Therefore, a home that is in move-in condition is much more attractive. Before putting your home up for sale, you may want to invest in making some necessary repairs.

To get started, contact your Prudential Verani Realty agent and you can inspect the inside and outside of your home together. Take inventory of practical and aesthetic repairs.

Outside:

• Repair cracks in sidewalks and driveways, and clean any stains on them
• Replace missing or warped roofing
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to the shutters
• Replace cracked windows and torn screens
• Repair broken fencing and reseal the deck
• Pick up anything laying about the yard

Inside:

• Apply a fresh coat of paint on the walls, doors
• Clean the carpet and buff, and polish wooden floors
• Tighten and polish hardware
• Fix sticking doors and replace old locks and doorknobs
• Replace old bulbs and broken electrical sockets
• Clean or re-grout kitchen and bathrooms
• Clean up stains on tiles and countertops.
• Repair dripping faucets and drains, or plumbing fixtures that aren't operating properly.

Some real estate experts recommend hiring a certified home inspector to thoroughly and impartially evaluate the property, especially if your home is more than twenty-five years old. A standard report will review the condition of the home's heating system, central air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems, roof, attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, foundation, basement and overall visible structure.

If there are recommendations for improvement, consult with your Prudential Verani Realty Realtor to prioritize the list of repairs.

Depending on your goals and budget, you may want to repair only items that could cause significant deterioration to the home, such as a leak. In addition, your local market conditions may dictate how extensive your repairs need to be. Let your budget and your real estate agent guide you.

Note: Be careful about major repairs. Sellers rarely recoup money on major remodeling projects, and you may want to save funds for your new home.

A home in good condition demonstrates pride of ownership. When selling your home today, the competition is extremely competitive. Taking the time to make small repairs to your home can go a long way in making sure that your home is presented to potential buyers in its best possible light. They also just might make the sale.