BEFORE YOU SELL CHECKLIST

Front Entrance 

Entryway

• Clean doors and windows
• Mop floor, shake out rug, vacuum carpeting
• Water container flowers or plants
• Dust shelves or entry table
• Tidy up closet

Living room, family room

• Stow away newspapers, magazines, books, games, toys, and videos
• Straighten out the coffee table, bookshelves, and other areas
• Mop floor or vacuum rugs
• Vacuum upholstered furniture; wipe down leather or vinyl
• Dust surfaces (including TV screens)
• Sweep fireplace
• Wipe down ceiling fan blades
• Water houseplants

Kitchen

• Mop or vacuum the floor
• Clean appliances
• Wipe countertops, cabinets
• Clean sink
• Stow away kitchen sponge and dish towels
• Open windows or run the fan to remove cooking odors

Bathrooms

• Wipe wet shower stalls and bathtubs
• Mop floors
• Put out fresh towels
• Empty wastebaskets
• Clean sinks, mirrors and faucets
• Stow away laundry

Bedrooms

• Make beds
• Mop floors or vacuum rugs
• Stow away shoes, laundry, clothes, books or toys
• Open curtains or shades
• Tidy up closet

Home office

• Straighten out desk and bookshelves
• Stow away files
• Mop floor or vacuum rugs
• Dust surfaces, including computer screen
• Polish cabinets and woodwork

Basement

• Clear clutter blocking access to furnace, electrical box, or laundry room 
• Sweep stairs

Repairs to Make Before Selling

Nothing turns off a potential buyer faster than peeling paint, a broken window, or a splintered front step. It’s wise to make necessary repairs before you put your house on the market. A house in good condition demonstrates pride of ownership—one of your best sales tools. 

Start by covering these areas:

• Inside the House
• Fix or replace damaged flooring, such as torn linoleum or cracked tiles.
• If you can’t afford to replace damaged or worn floors, consider offering the buyer an
• allowance for renovation.
• Fix any drains, faucets, or plumbing fixtures that aren’t operating.
• Fixes can range from replacing a faucet washer to buying a new toilet.
• Paint the interior.
• Fill and paint any cracks or holes in the walls. (You may need to repaint entire walls to
• mask such repairs.)
• Replace burned-out bulbs and broken electrical sockets.
• Most agents want you to turn on all the lights before a showing.
• Replace or fix broken stairs.
• Fix any creaks as well.
• Replace old locks and doorknobs.
• Make it easy for a buyer to walk in.
• Fix any doors that don’t open easily, including the garage door.
• If your garage door opener doesn’t work, repair or replace it.
  
  

Outside the House

• Replace cracked windows and torn screens.
• Don’t let your house be shown with the equivalent of a black eye.
• Fix cracks in the driveway and entry walkway, and clean up stains.
• If the driveway requires major repair, offering the buyer an
• allowance for the work may be preferable.
• Paint the exterior.
• Touch up peeling paint, window frames, porches, and shutters. Repaint the entire exterior if it is drab or peeling.
• Replace broken gutters or missing downspouts.
• Good drainage is key to passing a home inspection. 
• Replace or fix broken stairs.
• It’s a matter of both safety and aesthetics.
• Reseal the deck and repair broken boards.
• A new coat of sealer can spruce up a fading deck.
• Repair the roof.
• Replace shingles and tack down loose flashing. If the roof is old, you may want to replace it and adjust your sales price accordingly.

By doing a few updates and repairs before putting your home on the market will help your home show better and possibly sell faster.