When you are selling your home you will want to do whatever you can to make sure you get the most money possible. To do this you have to make sure that you home is in the best shape it has ever been in.

Depending on your home this can be quite the task. Occasionally everyone lets something go or forgets they need to handle some work on their home. Now is the time to fix those things.

This checklist was placed here as a quick and easy reference for anyone that is planning to sell and trying to get their home in shape. This covers just about everything you may have issues with. You can easily print this out and check off what you need to work on, or make comments as needed.

Exterior:

1. How does the condition of the paint appear?
2. Are the doorknobs in good shape?
3. Do all doors work properly? Are any of them sticking or creaking?
4. Are all the Stucco or Siding free of cracks?
5. Are the bricks firmly in place as they should be?
6. How does the front entry way look? Is everything clean and presentable?
7. Does the doorbell work?
8. Have the gutters been cleaned out?
9. How does the roof appear?
10. Have the windows been cleaned? Are they in proper working order and free of drafts?
11. Are all of the windows screens free of rips and tears and are they in the proper place?
12. Is every exterior light in working order?
13. If you have a fence is it in good shape? If it has been painted, how does the paint look?
14. Are the sidewalks free of clutter, debris, and toys?
15. Have you removed the trash cans from sight?
16. Has the lawn been mowed, trimmed, and cleaned?
17. Have the trees been trimmed?
18. How does the landscaping look?
19. Are your flowers in well kept order?
20. Is your garage clean and clutter free?
21. Does the garage door work properly?
22. Is the driveway cleared of unneeded items and stains on the pavement?
23. How does the pool look? Is it in good, clean, and functional working order?

Once you have the outside of the house handled it is time to move inside and tackle all of the rooms in the home. Please note that the two most important rooms are the kitchen and bathrooms so you should pay extra special attention to these two lists.

Kitchen:

24. Are the ceilings clean of any possible mess?
25. Have the walls been thoroughly cleaned?
26. Is the flooring in good to perfect condition?
27. Does the sink work in good order and is it spotless?
28. Does the faucet leak at all?
29. Are the countertops in good condition and are the spotless and free of any junk?
30. Is the oven clean and free of stains or clutter?
31. Does the stovetop have fresh drip pans installed?
32. How do the appliances look?
33. Is the pantry clean and organized?
34. Is the paint or wall paper in good condition and clean of stains?

Family Room:

35. How does the paint in the rooms appear?
36. Is the flooring in good to new condition?
37. Are the blinds, curtains, and linens in the room clean and fresh in appearance?
38. Does the room appear comfortable or cluttered?
39. How much furniture do you have in the room vs. the amount you need?
40. Is the fireplace clean and is the wood stacked neatly?

Dining Room:

41. How does the paint in the rooms appear?
42. How much furniture do you have in the room vs. the amount you need?
43. Does the flooring appear in good condition?
44. Have the draperies been cleaned and appear fresh?
45. Have the light fixtures been cleaned and are they using new bulbs?
46. Has the room been cleaned of any clutter?

Laundry Room:

47. Is the washer and dryer clean and wiped down?
48. How does the floor look?
49. Are the lights working properly and are the bulbs new?

Heating/Cooling Systems:

50. Is the furnace in good condition?
51. Is the air conditioner in good working order?
52. Have the vents been cleaned and maintained?
53. Have the furnace and air filters replaced?
54. Has the hot water heater been cleaned and maintained?

Bedrooms:

55. How does the paint in the rooms appear?
56. Have the draperies been cleaned and appear fresh?
57. Are the lights working properly and are the bulbs new?
58. Does the flooring appear in good condition and is it free of stains?
59. Are the doors in good condition?
60. Has any unneeded furniture been removed?
61. Are the closets neat, clean, and free of clutter?

Bathrooms:

62. Is the flooring clean and in good condition?
63. Is the bathroom spotless and free of clutter?
64. Are the light fixtures clean and using new bulbs?
65. Are the bathtub, sinks, and toilet clean and free of rust?
66. Are all the faucets in perfect working order?
67. Are there any scents or colours coming from the water?
68. Is the shower curtain clean and free of mold?

Repair Notes:

(Space for Repair Notes)

 

When you are checking over your entire home make sure to take notes. This will save you a lot of time so you do not have to go back through each room or mentally remember every single repair that needs to be done before you can consider placing your home on the market. You can copy and paste this article into a Word document. You can add room for writing between each of the numbered questions and print it out to take with you when touring your home. You can answer each question to ensure your home has thoroughly been examined and nothing has been forgotten.

By writing what is in good condition, and giving a detailed account of what needs to be fixed, you are making it easier on both yourself and any contractor that may come in to fix the problem. He or she will know exactly what they need to do to get things up to par.

Home Inspection:

Buyers usually have to have some sort of home inspection done on their home. In recent years, more and more sellers have been getting their own inspections done before their home is listed. If you are uncomfortable with checking over your home or are afraid you may not have spotted something in your own inspection you may want to consider hiring your own inspector to guide you through each room, let you know what repairs need to be done, and check out things you may not know how to check properly(i.e. your furnace).

Selling your home doesn't have to be difficult or a burden. With the right knowledge you can breeze through your own home inspection, get the repairs you need completed, and get your home listed as soon as you need to. If you are uncertain about how to proceed with the sale of your home please feel free to contact me. I am more than willing to give you as much help as I can and answer all of the questions you may have.