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4 Week Home Staging Tips 4 ? Third Week Day 18

The Ins And Outs Of Doors And Windows

Today we are going to open some doors for you. Not figuratively speaking, but literally. Then we?re going to throw open some windows, too. Why all the commotion? You need to inspect your doors and windows for all those little (or big) things that could irritate or frustrate a potential buyer as they move through your house.

Your inspection will include more than the cleanliness and sparkle. You will need to stop, look, and listen to every door and window. This chore also takes more than a few cleansers and rags. Let?s take a walk through with a critical eye, and ear, to get these elements of your house in order.

Get out your tool-belt. No, I?m not kidding. This task will involve at least one screwdriver, a hammer, and some sort of oil or silicone. You will want to have rags along, also. As you move through the house, opening and closing doors and windows, you will be looking and listening for problems.

Start with the doors, exterior and interior. Make sure they all open and close properly. If it squeaks, add some silicone spray or WD-40 to the hinges. If the door knobs look or function less than perfect, fix them or replace them. For exterior doors, you?ll want to check the weather stripping for a good, clean seal.

You know that door you never use? I guarantee that will be the one the buyer checks. If it?s stuck, squeaks, or the door knob falls off in their hand, you?ll be wishing you had checked it. And, if a buyer is met with a ?don?t use that door? statement when they are walking through your house, they will quickly use another door ? right out of your house and into another.

It?s time to throw open the windows. If you rarely open your windows, you may not even be aware of problems. But, a potential buyer will unlock those windows and open them, or try to. They will pull back the curtains, pull up the blinds, and take a good look. Can you afford to make a mistake by having a window that is less than perfect?

Check every window to see if they open and close. Do they lock? Are there any broken panes? If so, get them fixed. How are the screens? Where are the screens? Is there any paint on the glass? Are there big problems, such as a broken seal (that?s the hazy look that a window gets when the insulated seal is broken)? You will either need to have the window replaced or you will be giving the buyer credit to do so. Worse than credit, you may be driving buyers away.

Do not try to hide problems. Buyers will notice and will not be happy. Right or wrong, a buyer may automatically assume that if one window is bad, all the windows are bad, and they will deduct a figure immediately from the price of your house. If doors are sticking and squeaking, and if windows are painted shut, your house just screams ?fix me!? And when buyers hear that, they plug their ears and walk away.

Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real stylist Ann Maurice in the television show House Doctor on Five.?Home staging for sale

With a few tools in your belt and a critical look at the doors and windows, you can spruce up your house in a big way. Don?t give potential buyers reasons to look the other way. Give them reasons to envision themselves in this perfectly fine-tuned house!

4 Week Home Staging Tips 4 ? Third Week Day 19

Tame The Mechanical Monsters

This is the day you?ve been dreading. You will be tackling the dreaded mechanical systems. That would be your heating and cooling systems, water system, electrical system, and anything else that helps your house function as a home.

Next to a private water well and the roof, buyers worry about the mechanical systems the most. And, with good reason. A mechanical problem is an expensive surprise, and buyers do not like surprises. It?s time to dig in and learn everything you can about the internal workings of your house.

Your Assignment of Staging A House For Sale

Start with a call to your heating and cooling people. Get an inspection and tune-up on the furnace, air conditioner, and related equipment. If that requires a thorough cleaning, do that, too. If the professionals find a problem, get an estimate for repairs. If the equipment checks out good, ask for a certificate to attach to your home sale paperwork.

Your job now is to keep up with the maintenance. If you only change the furnace filter or filters when a buyer is coming to look, you are only doing your furnace, and you, harm. If you allow leaves to pile up around an outside air conditioning unit, all your hard work, and money, will be wasted. So, get your heating and cooling system in perfect working order and keep it that way.

Move on to your water heater and other water-related equipment, such as pumps. Again, put a call in to a professional. Getting a plumber to inspect, clean, and certify the water equipment goes a long way to putting a buyer?s mind at rest. If you have water softening equipment, make sure you get that checked and up to par, as well.

One area some sellers forget is the electrical system. However, a look inside your circuit breaker box will tell you why this is also an important step. It?s complicated and scary! Call in an electrician to give you, and your buyer, peace of mind. Are all the circuit breakers at the proper amperage? The job of the circuit breaker is to ?trip? if the load is too much for the line. Don?t mess with the power! Make sure every circuit breaker is properly rated and installed. If you have an older home with a fuse box, be sure that you have new fuses and, again, at proper amperage. And please ? no pennies! That could easily end up costing you more than you can imagine, and not limited to the sale.

Also, even though this is not necessarily a function issue, buyers can get very suspicious of a confusing, cluttered circuit breaker box. The area around and inside your circuit breaker box must be clean and well lighted. And, another small detail will show that you are on top of your house?s electrical service ? labels. Clearly label a list of the circuits inside the box and what is on which circuit. Those little things mean a lot.

You can also talk to a real estate professional about a Home Warranty policy. Depending on the area you live in, some mortgages may require them. At the least, buyers frequently request that sellers provide them with one at closing, at the seller?s expense. They can cost around $300, more or less, depending on the equipment you have on the policy. What most people don?t know is that you can activate a warranty when the listing goes active in the MLS system and the seller gets coverage, too, while the house in on the market. But, things change, so be sure to check the language and the law with a real estate broker or attorney.

What other equipment should be checked? Don?t overlook things like clothes dryer vents, gas stove vents, pool filters and pumps, sump pumps, water filtration systems, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, built in grills, gas fireplaces, wood fireplaces, automatic lights, etc. etc. Whew!

Think about everything that operates in your house to make living easier. Make sure it?s working at top efficiency. Also, make sure it looks good, is clean, and has nothing to make the buyer stand back and wonder if it really works. Remember, perception is still part of the sale. Make the mechanics of your house work for you to help clinch the sale.

4 Week Home Staging Tips 4 ? Third Week Day 20

Keep The Conversation Going With Reliable Repair Estimates

Today, we?re thinking big-picture preparedness. We need to address the big ticket items in your house. Before you start envisioning emptying your wallet, we?re not saying you have to fix all the things that need fixing. What you do need to do is be prepared. That means getting estimates for the major repairs.

4 Week Home Staging Tips 4 - Staging A House For Sale 2

For instance, if you are not in a position to replace that orange toilet and sink, replace the windows that need replacing, or update the furnace, you need to get an up-to-date estimate for what those repairs would cost. Potential buyers will appreciate the information and you will be ready to talk money when the time comes. And moving forward in the process is exactly what you have been doing all this hard work for. Let?s take a quick look at how this might work.

Your Assignment of Staging A House For Sale

Usually approaching an issue about your house head-on is the best way. Your realtor can include conversation about any flaws with your house when he or she is working with the buyer?s realtor. He or she may use language on this order; ?My clients felt that [fill-in-the-blank] might be an issue and took the liberty of getting a few estimates ahead of time. Here they are.? Everyone in the room is still interested.

Leaving repair costs up to the imagination of the buyer is never a good idea. It is very typical for a buyer to over-estimate repairs simply because they are feeling overwhelmed at the thought. If you give the potential buyer actual figures, it opens the conversation rather than closing it.

Estimates for repairs that you will not be making before the sale accomplishes several things. Estimates put the buyer?s mind at ease and it gives the buyer a negotiating figure. The buyer will take those repairs into consideration when writing up an offer, eliminating wasted time and frustration.

A good estimate for repairs also protects you, the seller. If a buyer makes an offer for $15,000 lower than the asking price to cover plumbing repairs, but you have a reliable estimate for repairs for only $2,000, then you know you need to regroup and rethink. And, perhaps you need to find a new buyer. You can see why getting reliable estimates is just as much about your protection as it is about keeping the buyer interested.

Obviously, making any and all repairs before you put your house on the market will help eliminate those obstacles to a sale. However, sometimes it just can?t be done. By getting reliable estimates to repair problems, you can at least make the topic as painless as possible. That will keep the conversation going, maybe all the way to a quick sale.

4 Week Home Staging Tips 4 ? Third Week Day 21

Fix Simple Problems Outside To Draw Buyers Inside

It?s another day to don your work belt. You will be moving outside to get some repairs done. Like every other job we?re tackling, we?re eliminating all doubt for the buyers by getting as close to perfection as possible.

Most homeowners can do these jobs, or a least some of them. However, if you feel less than capable, hire a fix-it person. You really just need to have someone who can swing a hammer, climb up and down a ladder, mix a little quick-crete, use sandpaper, handle a screwdriver, and ascertain if anything further needs to be done.

Again, you?ll need a critical eye, so if you, the homeowner, is too much in love with the house, get someone else. There is no room for ?But, it?s always been this way.? Time to take a look at all those things you have not wanted to take a look at.

Your Assignment of Staging A House For Sale

Begin simply by taking inventory. Take a walk around the outside of your house, and carry a notepad. You?ll want to make a quick note of every area that needs attention. To get you started on the right track, here?s a quick checklist that can help. Follow along and check to make sure all of the following are tight, affixed properly, not broken, not cracked, clean and in general working condition:

Shingles (any loose or missing?)
Foundation (any cracks?)
Doorbell (does it ring? Buyers check!)
Fence (all nails and boards present and accounted for?)
Mailbox (in good repair?)
Walkway (any cracks or tripping hazards?)
Deck (any loose boards? Still nice and clean from that power washing?)
Yard (edged and freshly mowed?)
Shutters (any loose or missing?)

What do you need to know once the inventory is done? It?s simple.

If it?s loose, tighten it.
If it?s stuck, loosen it.
If it?s broken, fix it.
If it?s dirty, clean it.
If it?s missing, find it.
If it?s gone, replace it.

You get the picture. Shoot for being the best house on the block. Don?t give the buyers even one reason to walk away. Every single element of YOUR house must be better than the others. That?s the only way you?ll keep the buyer.

A buyer may not look twice at the fact that you have an extra linen closet, but they will notice the missing wood slats on the fence. Yes, the housing market is that tight and buyers are that fickle. Know and accept what the buyer wants. Now is not the time to get stubborn. Give in and give ?em what they want! And maybe you?ll get something you want, too? a sale!

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