How do I get my house ready to go up for sale?

Many people wonder what repairs they should do before putting a house up for sale. The quick answer is that you should do any repairs that you can recoup in the cost of the sale. The challenging part is deciding what home repairs fall into this category, and unfortunately, there are no guarantees.

However, doing small repairs and quick fixes is a good idea before putting the house up for sale. Even if they ultimately don’t add to the selling price of the property, they can help put potential buyers at ease and make it more likely that the selling process will go more smoothly. In this article, we’ll go over some common house repairs to check for and some basic maintenance tips to help your house look the best it can be.

Declutter and clean

Probably the single best way to make a house look appealing is to declutter and keep the house looking clean and smelling nice. If this is difficult because of the number of items you have, consider putting some in storage or with a friend before showing the house. While cleaning and decluttering, keep an eye out for things that bother or irritate you—they’ll likely do the same for the buyer!

Paint

Because paint is one of the first things someone will notice when coming to view your home, it’s important that the paint looks nice. On the interior, touch-up some any trouble spots on the wall with a lick of new paint so that they look pristine.

For large amounts of repainting, like entire rooms or the whole home exterior, consider hiring a professional company to take care of the work for you. That way the job can be done quickly and precisely, while making the property look much more appealing.

Latches, cupboards, taps, and drawers

If you live in a house for long enough, you may get used to some of the quirks like a window that doesn’t quite latch all the way, cupboards that aren’t flush, or taps that have to be turned just right to shut off all the way. A person viewing the property for the first time may not have the same patience for these things as you do.

We recommend testing all of the cupboards, drawers, taps, locks, and latches of the house to make sure everything is working properly. Many adjustments can be relatively simple and you may be able to do them on your own, like with the towel rail in the video at the end of this article. If you aren’t able to make the fix yourself or notice several places that could use some quick fixes, many professional general maintenance companies will do them for you as part of a single job.

Outdoor property maintenance

Like with decluttering the indoors, you should keep the outdoor section of the property clean and tidy well. Along with mowing the lawns and removing any scattered items, pay attention to the house itself including the cladding. A couple of small holes may not be a big deal, but large ones that are big enough for rodents could be a concern.

If the paint is in good condition but there is dirt and grime on the home exterior, consider getting water blasting done too. This high-pressure water cleaning can remove any stuck debris, and adding building wash can bring a next-level clean. Water blasting can work wonders for refreshing a property and help you give that fantastic first impression that is so important.

How do I know when the house is good enough?

Once more, look over the house as a buyer would before you make the last step to put it up for sale. If there are a couple of imperfections that aren’t much of a bother—or would cost a lot to fix—they aren’t necessarily a deal-breaker. But by fixing what you can, you increase the chance of someone being impressed and ready to move in, and may even be able to get a higher sell price too.