Prepare Your Home For The Market in Vancouver
Six Essential Steps
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Make cosmetic improvements.
An attractive, clean and tidy appearance will enhance your home's appeal.
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Keep the lawn mowed & walks cleared
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Wash the windows squeeky clean
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Open the shades and curtains to create a bright, inviting atmosphere
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Declutter the house, especially the kitchen and bathrooms
For some great ideas and examples of how a house should look for sale,visit Dekora's gallery of homes before and after.
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Pay attention to details.
Fixing the minor items can go a long way toward improving that important first impression:
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Repair leaky faucets
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Tighten loose door knobs
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Replace damaged screens
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Replace broken panes of glass - cloudy sealed-pane units can often be replaced inexpensively, and will drastically improve the appearance of a window or patio door.
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Replace burned-out light bulbs & broken light fixtures
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Secure loose railings
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Patch small holes in walls and ceilings and repaint
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Repair or replace faded or peeling wallpaper
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Repair and coat the driveway
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Make maintenance improvements.
The maintenance improvements listed below are relatively easy and inexpensive to make, yet can substantially improve a home's appearance (value), efficiency and comfort.
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Trim trees and shrubs
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Apply new caulking and weatherstripping as needed around windows and doors
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Clean gutters of debris and leaves, repair or replace cracked or broken gutters, downspouts and extensions to ensure proper drainage
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Replace bathroom caulk or grout where necessary
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Ventilate & dehumidify closed basements and crawl spaces
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Grade soil around the house to prevent ponding of water next to the foundation
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Replace dirty filters in the heating and ventilating systems
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Have the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems professionally serviced
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Have chimneys professionally cleaned & inspected
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Take safety precautions.
Protect your home and its occupants from danger.
Good ideas that create a great impression:
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Install quality smoke detectors
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Install quality carbon-monoxide detector
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Ensure adequate outdoor lighting shows off house too
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'GFCI' outlets outdoors and in wet locations such a bath & laundry areas
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Keep the stairwells tidy and free of debris and obstructions including around
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the electrical panel and furnace
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Keep flammables and combustibles away from the furnace and other utility areas
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If you have direct entry from the garage to the interior of the home, consider installing a hydraulic or other form of auto-closure device on the door.
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Check the tension on garage doors
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Check the major systems.
A primary concern for home buyer's is the condition of the basic structure and major mechanical systems. Most buyers have great fear of the cost to repair these critical areas:
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Roof structure and covering
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Foundation, basement, and/or crawl space
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Central heating and air conditioning systems
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Electrical system
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Plumbing system
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Prepare for the buyer's inspection.
Find the various house records that can be used to answer questions from the purchaser and their inspector:
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Appliance receipts, service records and warranties
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Age of major components such as the roof, furnace, air-conditioner, etc.
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Major component warranties
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Heating, water and electric bills from at least the past 12 months
