Preparing Your Home for Sale Checklist

There are only three more weeks left before spring which is the unofficial house selling season in New Zealand.

So as home sellers, where do you start?

Well, the first stage is to get an idea of what your home is worth, you could get a valuation or save yourself the money and get a free home appraisal.

If your house is in central Auckland please contact me to arrange one.

The next stage is to prepare your home for sale.

If you live in Auckland contact me to receive our excellent guide for preparing your property for sale.

After you’ve finished reading our guide, your mind will explode with all the ideas you can use to maximise your sale price.

Now it’s time to get to work.

Your house selling efforts will be more productive and generate dramatically better results when you put this checklist to use.

Preparing Your Home for Sale Checklist

A. The Exterior of your Home

1. The Garden

[ ] Cut and Edge the Lawn.
[ ] Trim bushes & trees removing all dead limbs & debris.
[ ] Add fertilizer/ greening agent to lawn & plants.
[ ] Remove all weeds from flowerbeds, rocks, & cracks in concrete.

[ ] Install/ Inspect decorative stone borders between lawn & planting beds.
[ ] Clean up rock/ mulch beds making sure the rock covers the ground Add more rock/ mulch if needed.

2. Decks, Patios, Driveways, Porches, & Fences

[ ] Wash driveways & sidewalks.
[ ] Patch holes & cracks.
[ ] Remove stains.
[ ] Replace any broken areas.
[ ] Paint and/or stain fences & decks.
[ ] Arrange outdoor furniture & firewood neatly.
[ ] Put away all lawn equipment, bikes, & toys.

3. House

[ ] Inspect all exterior elements of home: gutters, downspouts, siding, windows sashes, trim, & shutters. Clean, paint, and/or replace as needed.
[ ] Replace any broken windows, doors, & screens. Make sure they all operate properly.
[ ] Clean windows & screens thoroughly. This helps brighten the home inside.
[ ] Roof: Inspect for missing/ damaged shingles & flashings. Make any necessary repairs.
[ ] Clean & touch up paint on the little things: House numbers, mailboxes, doorbells, etc…

4. Front Porch: Extra Attention Needed! This should be very welcoming.

[ ] Replace front door if damaged & can not be repaired.
[ ] Paint door & trim.
[ ] Clean porch area.
[ ] Put out a new & clean doormat.
[ ] Install potted/ hanging plants if space permits.
[ ] Have a nice porch light. Repaint, clean, or replace. Install high wattage bulbs to make porch area brighter.

B. The Interior of your Home

1. Whole House Improvements

THOROUGHLY CLEAN ENTIRE HOME!

[ ] Clean windows & screens.
[ ] Clean curtains, drapes, & blinds.
[ ] Clean carpets. If pet stains exist replace carpet & pad.
[ ] Clean & wax wood floors.
[ ] Clean vinyl & ceramic floors.
[ ] Clean, paint, replace all vent covers.
[ ] Clean, polish, paint/stain wood trim in home.
[ ] Be sure to remove pet odor & smoke odor when cleaning. Smell is a huge part of what buyers remember about your
home.
[ ] Remove wallpaper & borders (this is a personal taste & buyers see work when they see wallpaper).
[ ] Freshly paint home using white, off white or beige paint. This will match the buyers furnishings.
[ ] Repair damages to walls & ceilings. Includes: holes, cracks, & water stains. Repaint after repair.


Make House Light & Bright!
[ ] Clean all lamp shades & covers.
[ ] Replace bulbs with high wattage bulbs.
[ ] Clean windows & screens.

2. Closets

[ ] Remove out of season clothing from closets.
[ ] Leave only a few items on the floor of closets.
[ ] Add extra, empty hangers.
[ ] Neatly arrange items on shelving.
[ ] Leave extra space on shelves.

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I found this checklist at the excellent We Can Team Blog.

January 11 2011 02:22 pm | Agent Advice

3 Responses to “Preparing Your Home for Sale Checklist”

  1. Ariel Levin on 05 Aug 2010 at 3:54 pm #

    Randakk,
    This is excellent material.
    Thanks

  2. Sarah on 06 Aug 2010 at 1:53 am #

    Thanks. Very detailed and useful list. If you follow this list you can clean your house as good as end of tenancy cleaning company.

  3. Seamless Gutters Beacon NY on 21 Aug 2010 at 1:29 am #

    Your checklist idea prior to putting a home up on the market is a great suggestion. This way if there are any questions pertaining to the kitchen fixtures, the outdoor gutters, or the floors, answers can be given quickly. Thanks for sharing this.

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