We have all been ordered to Stay At Home. Some of you might read that and suddenly feel the urge to stomp your feet in exasperation. We know, it’s hard. We feel that. On the upside, you now have the chance to get some projects done around the house while you are living the #quarantinelife that often get put off. Even if you weren’t on the cusp of selling this situation before the COVID-19 outbreak, THIS is a glass 1/2 full opportunity. In fact, it is a fantastic time to take the time to go over your house with a fine-tooth comb. Walk up to and through your house as though you are seeing it for the first time as if you are your own perspective buyer. Oh, and you know better than anyone the little irritating stuff that you have just been putting off.
CURB CHECK
Do the bushes need to be trimmed? Do you need a new mailbox? Are the weeds poking through the cracks in the driveway? Are there cobwebs in the corners of the front porch? Does the porch light work? First impressions count huge, especially when it comes to buying a home. Homes that appear taken care of from the outside are often perceived to have been taken care of on the inside.
It is so true that the little things can often be big hurdles during the due diligence and selling process.
EASY FIXES
These are such simple things. Promise you will be so happy you took the time now to address these little honey-dos. Change those light bulbs. Put fresh light bulbs in all of the areas that you put off because they may be a little harder to change out aka you need the ladder; Attic, basement, outdoor motion detector lights, landscape lighting, ceiling light fixtures. While you’re up there clean cobwebs, and dust off, especially ceiling fan blades. Put the same quality of light bulbs in all fixtures i.e. soft white, bright white etc. You will also be very happy all light bulbs are fresh and working if you are going to list your house for sale. It is so common during a buyer’s home inspection that light bulbs weren’t changed. To a home inspector and buyer if the light doesn’t turn on when the switch is flipped the light fixture doesn’t work. The buyer will ask to have all light bulbs replaced to prove fixtures are working. Do it now. Some other great easy fixes; change furnace filters, clean out gutters, trim tree limbs away from the roof, clean out the dryer vent. The list goes on.
CLEAN
Cleaning hard to reach places, and places you just haven’t had the time or motivation to get to. Crawl Space; You will love yourself for doing this. No matter how clear you think your crawl space is, it’s not. Get under there and clear out all wood debris (this is especially critical for keeping wood-destroying pests away) old cans of paint, and insulation are the most common things that are left in crawl spaces. The same goes for the attic and basements. Oh and don’t forget about sheds and garages. This is also stuff buyers don’t want to be left with and will most likely ask the seller to remove.
GROUT
If you have tile anywhere in your house, there is probably some re-grouting or caulking that needs to be tended to. This is another task that is so critical before putting your house on the market. Most of us start to overlook cracking, missing, or grout that is a little wet and moldy. Do yourself a favor; Get a utility knife, cut out the old grout, clean and dry the area and put a fresh bead of caulk or grout in its place. This task is actually kinda fun and makes a huge impact for so little time and expense.
YARD WORK
It’s such a beautiful spring so far and getting out of the house a little will do you some good, even if it’s only in your own backyard. Use this time at home to work in your yard, weed, re-plant, or trim. By the time you can leave again, you’ll be all caught up!
This time is valuable and can be used to make your sale a complete success when the time is right. And we will be here for you when it is! Stay safe! Oh and we would love to see pics of your “Stay at Home” Home improvements. Share with us on our contact page.