BEFORE YOU SELL CHECKLIST
Front Entrance
- Clean doors and windows
- Sweep sidewalk
- Polish doorknob
- Shake out doormat
- Water container flowers (replace if necessary)
- Clean doors and windows
- Keep the lawn and landscaping trimmed
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.