Home Maintenance Before You Sell | Journey Home Lending

Are you preparing to buy or sell a home? Perhaps you have both coming up in your future. Either way, you likely have a good deal of things on your to-do list to complete.

Trying to discern what is most important and what you can go ahead and mark off in order to save some of your time (and your sanity) can be very challenging.

Home maintenance is something that never really ends, but when you are preparing to sell a home, it can be easy to overwhelm yourself with maintenance in order to make your home as appealing as possible.

Rather than overwhelm yourself, you should focus on a few important aspects that will keep your home safe and ready to pass on to the next owner.

What to Fix

Even when you have kept your home in tip-tip shape, there are some home maintenance items you shouldn’t mark off your list once you have listed your property. This is especially important if you have already moved away from your home. Keeping up with routine maintenance and seasonal maintenance can go a long way in preventing more expensive repairs later.

Continue to take care of your landscaping. Because it is the first thing potential buyers will see, it’s important to make sure the outside of your home is presentable.

This goes beyond just mowing the grass, and should include keeping your trees and bushes trimmed. Keep an eye on your siding, gutter system and roof lines as well. Repair any damage and keep leaves and other debris clear.

Inside your home, keep your heating and cooling system in good working shape. Buyers will immediately notice if your home is too hot or too cold—or too humid.

If you have already moved out, make sure to keep an even temperature in your home in order to prevent the growth of mold and musty odors. Clean your windows inside and out, and go check your home after a storm to ensure everything weathered well.

What Not to Fix

Keeping up with regular home maintenance can go a long way in keeping your home buyer friendly and preventing the need for extensive repairs. There are a few things that you can skip out on though.

It can be easy to feel like you need to make your home as “like new” as possible, but starting some projects could actually hurt your listing and make selling your home take longer.

Don’t start renovations when you are planning or have listed your home. Even if you are just considering upgrading one room, getting into a renovation can end up costing you more than you will actually recoup in your sale.

Projects can also take longer than anticipated, which can leave you pushing your timeline for moving back, or trying to sell an unfinished project.

Skip trying to add trendy updates to your home before selling as well. Even if they are simple and inexpensive, overly trendy homes can turn buyers away. Keep things simple and stay focused on curb appeal to present a home that is clean and move-in ready.

Ease your to-do list by honing in on maintenance that will protect your home from damage and keep it looking nice. Avoid overwhelming yourself so that you can enjoy your next adventure while keeping your home ready for another family that is starting their own adventure.

Ready to start your home-buying journey and find a home that is well-maintained? Contact us to find what you have been looking for.