If you’re wanting to put your house on the market this coming “selling season,” you might be wondering where to start. Really, with so many different areas of your home – WHERE do you start? We’ve gathered the most common repairs to check for, both indoors and outdoors, as you prepare to sell your home. In this blog, we’ll be taking you through the ins and outs and what to inspect indoors.
Pro Tip: While there are plenty of these tasks you’ll be able to fix yourself, there are some things that are best left to a professional with years of experience. If you’re worried about completing a task, especially within a timeline, consider hiring a contractor.
Inside:
1. Plumbing
Often we think of just the bathroom when it comes to plumbing, but there are a few other areas to check: your kitchen, basement, and laundry room. Check for these common issues:
- Code violations
- Improper water flow
- Rusty or leaky drains
- Clogged drains
- Unsteady or un-level toilets, vanities, or washer and dryers
- Evidence of past leaks or mold
- Electrical
We certainly don’t recommend you playing with any wires if you’re not a certified electrician, but there are a few things listed below that you can diagnose yourself or ask a professional to help with.
- Painted outlets
- Hidden breaker boxes
- Uncapped, exposed live wires (testing these will put buyers at ease if you’re able to relay to the Realtor that any exposed wires are not live)
- Ungrounded three-prong outlets
- Non-working outlets or light switches
- Windows & Doors
Keeping your windows and doors operational sounds simple enough, right? However, there are some details beyond opening and closing that may need some further inspection for your potential buyers. - Bowing frames
- Signs of wood decay
- Non-working locks & latches
- Cracked or missing glass
- Fogged or stained glass
- Improper sealing on exterior doors
6. HVAC & Major Appliances
While you may not be able to inspect the major appliances themselves, they can still be examined for functionality and overall safety.
- Dirty or old filters (it’s a good service to replace these before selling!)
- Leaking gas or water connections
- Improper ventilation
- Unstable built-in appliances
- Appropriate outlet voltage for appliance type
ProTip: A simple and safe way to check for a gas leak is to place a soap-and-water mix on the connections. If bubbles arise then there is gas turned on and a leak.
5. Walls and Ceilings
If your home has any structural problems, your walls and ceilings will be the first place to show it. While small cracks or nail holes may not be a big issue, they are worth a quick inspection as they could lead to a larger problem. Here are a few issues you should look out for:
- Visible stains
- Sagging ceilings (This is usually a sign of a leak. Pro Tip: touch slightly to feel if there is any water within the area sagging)
- Leaning walls
- Flaking or peeling paint (Certain loan types will deny moving forward if chipping paint is visible)
- Significant cracks or holes
- Gaps between walls and the floor
Being Proactive Early Will Help Your Total Results
By following our interior home inspection checklist, there are several items you can DIY while lining up professionals to handle the larger inspection items. And of course all major DIY projects create debris, so give us a call for a rented dumpster for your pre-selling repairs. Taking the time to inspect and making the small investment of making these improvements can increase your overall sale price. Contact us today and ask about how we can help with your home repair cleanout.
Have a few things that need fixing? Check out our guide on how to find the right contractor. Or is your house on the market and you’re moving out? Use our moving checklist to help ease your process.