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Your Home-Selling 101 Tips Updates and Maintenance

If you plan to sell your home, you are in for a treat! Or if you’ve put up your house for sale but no one seems interested, this article will show you how to make potential buyers double-take upon coming across your listed home. Some issues that could affect your home include a damaged driveway, old fixtures that impact energy consumption, or minor repair issues. Sometimes, all you need is to treat your windows to give your home a lived-in feel or erect retaining walls to give your landscape a compacted, gathered-together, dimensional appearance and effectively check soil erosion.

1. Assess if Your Home’s Foundation Needs Repairs

Selling a home with foundation issues is possible, but you must provide full disclosure before listing it. In the disclosure, you’ll need to state whether the home has ‘defects or malfunctions,’ you must answer this question truthfully to the best of your knowledge. Other issues you will be asked if you are aware of include previous structural repair, fault lines, soil movement, settling, and landfill, among other conditions that could make your home a liability to a new buyer.

To get a better sale price for your home, it’s advisable to do the necessary repairs, such as those to do with the foundation. Any home-selling 101 guides should tell you that buyers are wary of homes with foundation issues. Addressing the foundation issues before selling your home makes a lot of sense. Home foundation contractors can tell you that your home will be more attractive if it doesn’t have foundation problems.

2. Remove Pests Before Putting Your Home on the Market

Get rid of those pesky pests before listing your home. Pests can wreak havoc and also discourage buyers from closing on your home. Pest control is therefore crucial before listing your home. It’s easier to sell a pest-free home than one battling with pest infestation. This is a problem not many buyers are willing to take on.

You should start looking up local pest control companies because pests can severely damage a home. An expert in home-selling 101 will tell you that pests such as rodents, cockroaches, and termites can damage your home and make it less attractive to potential buyers. They can contaminate food, damage insulation, and munch through wood and drywall.

A pest-free property is likely to fetch better prices. It’s also more attractive to potential buyers, making it more likely to sell fast. It, therefore, pays to get rid of pests in your home before listing it.

3. Build Retaining Walls to Protect Your Yard

Landscaping is one of the most crucial home-selling 101 strategies. Your goal should be to make it as functional and esthetical as possible, ensuring it neatly blends in with the rest of your home. It must be perfect for your property to have that complete, neatly put-together look. One upgrade to your landscape that can help you achieve this is constructing retaining walls, so start your search for retaining wall contractors now, and your home’s value will instantly go up.

You can use constructed or concrete blocks or any other material to build a retaining wall. The goal is to hold the soil in place, that is, contain it so it doesn’t run where it’s not supposed to. In terms of beauty, when combined with the rest of your home, curb, and other landscaping features, it boosts your home’s aesthetic appeal and market value.

Using retaining walls, you can build elevated flower beds that make your landscape more appealing. Besides, it allows you to use your yard creatively, raising some areas while lowering others, which adds dimensional appeal to your home. Apart from enhancing the beauty of your home, retaining walls are excellent at controlling soil erosion and floods. They can be beneficial when the elements come calling. They are your protection against intractable neighbors with a penchant for overwatering their yards, windy weather, and flash floods.

4. Remodel Rooms That Require Updates

Not every space in your home has the same value. The kitchen and the bathroom are so frequently used that they wear out pretty first, so targeting them for upgrades is an excellent idea if you want to sell your home faster. Any ‘home-selling 101’ expert will tell you that the most effective house remodeling services deal with bathrooms and kitchen updates. This is where you get the most bang for your buck!

Remodeling a bathroom, for instance, could be as cost-effective as adding a new tile floor, replacing outdated vanity, lighting fixtures, and old plumbing, leaving your bathroom looking modern and new. Another great room to consider remodeling is the kitchen, your home’s hub. Your first consideration when remodeling your kitchen is its function, then form. Remodel it to meet your desires and needs, and here’s an interesting statistic from the National Association of the Remodelling Industry’s 2019 report: you can recoup 52% of your kitchen’s upgrade cost after selling your home.

5. Speak With an Electrician About Any Concerns

As a rule, home buyers are concerned about the safety of a home they plan to buy. Save them the headache by having an Electrical Installation Condition Report done before putting it up for sale. The problem with electricity is you can’t see it, and you can’t tell perfect wiring by merely looking at a house. For instance, cables are concealed behind walls, and you can find consumer units tucked away in cabinets, where hardly anyone bothers to check.

A common cause of home fires is old and faulty wiring. Get an electrician to inspect the sockets, switches, cables, and other electrical accessories periodically. Electrical contractors will tell you that old equipment is one of the clearest signs of electrical problems in homes. For instance, fixed, black rubber-coated cables ceased being used for wiring in the 1960s, while those coated in fabric or lead were used before the 1960s.

If you find a mixture of fuse boxes, cast iron switches, or a fuse featuring a wooden back, that’s your proof they were last used pre-1960s. Other outdated, pre-1960s electrical appliances include brown or black switches, light switches in bathrooms or walls, or sockets mounted on skirting boards. Everything wears out with age, so old electrical fixtures are a clear indication of a home that requires a thorough inspection by an electrician. This must be a must-entry in your home-selling 101 checklists.

6. Ensure That Your Plumbing Functions Well

Most homeowners rarely think of plumbing when upgrading their home. Usually, they think of enhancing the curb appeal of their homes or improving this or that aesthetic. As such, plumbing issues are often overlooked until leaks start showing up.

Here’s a crucial home-selling 101 tip: plumbing is essential in a property; if it has issues, potential buyers will notice, which means your home’s value goes down. To ensure your plumbing system is intact and functional, contact a plumbing service professional to inspect it. A plumbing inspection involves thoroughly examining your home’s entire plumbing system. It seeks to check for leaks, inspect the drainage systems, check the water heater and the water pressure, and inspect the state of the pipes.

Common plumbing issues that affect your home’s value include old plumbing fixtures, clogged drains, and leaky pipes. A plumbing inspection seeks to identify these problems early before they become emergencies. Fix them before selling your house to receive better offers and avoid the possibility of negotiations failing due to plumbing issues.

Fixing leaky pipes stops water waste and lowers utility bills. Leaks can cause mold growth and water damage, instant turn-offs for potential buyers. If the drains are slow or clogged, you most likely have an even bigger plumbing problem. Ensure all the drains are working properly to give potential buyers confidence that they’re buying a well-maintained home. Replace old fixtures with energy-efficient, modern alternatives to minimize water damage and reduce utility bills. Take advantage of buyers’ interest in eco-friendly homes by installing energy-efficient fixtures.

7. Check on Your Sump Pump

Another often ignored home-selling 101 tip is constantly checking on your sump pump. A sump pump drains water that accumulates from your home’s lowest point, such as crawl spaces and basements. This equipment is essential, especially during flooding after snowstorms and heavy rain. While a sump pump company can help you deal with a flooded basement, having a sump pump is an excellent addition to your home.

While not every home needs a sump pump, you need this critical equipment if yours is prone to flooding, especially in areas with heavy rains or rapidly melting snow. A potential buyer will ask if you have one if your home is in such a location. This is crucial since water can damage your home and turn off potential buyers. If your basement is moisture-ridden, it’ll have mildew and mold growth, known to cause breathing problems.

A sump pump has many benefits, among them mold and flooding prevention. It also protects your building by regulating water flow and keeping rust off your iron rods, as its presence here could weaken your home’s structural stability. A functioning sump pump means you’ll have fewer repairs, which is a great money-saving, home-selling 101 tip.

8. Treat Your Windows

When selling a home, your goal must be to impress a potential buyer immediately. They should fall in love with it at first sight, and ensuring your windows look beautiful is an excellent way to impress them. Your home should have that move-in ready look, with perfectly installed, treated windows featuring drapes, shears, and curtains. While these window treatments are often considered private property and aren’t usually part of a sale, consider treating your home’s windows before listing.

Potential buyers take in everything about your home, including stuff they won’t have to buy should they purchase the property. Buyers will notice and appreciate your effort to add value to your home by installing ornate curtain rods, custom shutters, or wooden blinds. It’s one thing less they won’t have to buy if they close your property. You can bet they’ll be comparing yours with others in the neighborhood, and window treatments could be all you need to turn them in your direction.

Perception is crucial; treating windows could instantly upgrade your home on a budget. Even if you intend to remove the custom curtains and drapes upon selling the home, having them on helps to stage your home, giving potential buyers a feel of what ‘their’ house will look like. This inexpensive upgrade could be the tie-breaking home-selling 101 advice for a quicker sale.

9. Inquire About Fixing Your Driveway

The driveway is one of those aspects of a home that potential buyers immediately notice. If it’s in disrepair, expect the value of your home to take a beating from hard-nosed bargain hunters. To potential buyers, a poorly maintained driveway is a pointer to a poorly maintained home.

When they see broken and cracked sections of your driveway, they’ll instantly think the same of your home’s foundation, and if such a crucial and highly visible structure is in disrepair, they’ll wonder what else is. A driveway with overgrowth and weeds growing in the damaged areas dents your home’s curb appeal. Get quotes from at least three local concrete contractors and choose the most affordable to fix your driveway.

Sometimes a driveway is so damaged that repair doesn’t work, in which case replacement is the best option. It may also not be up to the neighborhood standards, and since potential buyers will be comparing yours with others in the locality, get it replaced to at least meet the same standards. This could be the one home-selling 101 tweaks you need to make to sell the house.

10. Have Your House Cleaned Professionally

Did you know that clean and well-maintained homes sell faster than those in disrepair and dirty? A clean, well-maintained home gives buyers a pleasant first impression, and first impressions are crucial when selling homes, or anything for that matter. Put two homes together, one spotless against a dirty one.

The former will fetch a much higher price. Of all the home-selling 101 tips, this is a no-brainer and highly inexpensive. A cleaning service can deep-clean your home to make it look like it has never had dirt.

11. Invest in Upgrades

The best way to sell your house fast is to invest in upgrades that homebuyers look for. Especially if you don’t plan on moving for a couple more years, you can make the upgrades now so you get to enjoy them as well before putting your home on the market. Things like kitchen renovations, fireplace inserts, outdoor kitchens, and much more all attract potential buyers. Plus, they’ll increase your home value so you can sell at a higher price. Even if you don’t want to invest in a full-scale kitchen remodel, you can make minor changes such as installing new cabinets or countertops or adding a kitchen island. You could also finish your basement or turn it into a bar, home theater, or game room. The possibilities are endless!

You can talk with local contractors about which upgrades would make the most sense for you. If you’re looking to sell your house as soon as possible, you may want to invest in relatively inexpensive upgrades that will still attract homebuyers, such as new window treatments. If you want to go for a much higher asking price, remodeling your kitchen, basement, or bathroom may be the way to go.

Selling your home is easy if you follow the above tips. The key is to ensure it’s not in disrepair and that anything that requires repair or upgrade is attended to. Some minor repairs and upgrades could instantly raise the value of your home and help you sell it faster. Sometimes, you may have to sell a home as is, with all its imperfections. In this case, the law demands that you fully disclose so a potential buyer understands what they’re getting into.