7 Tips For Getting The House Exterior Ready For Buyers To Inspect
Sometimes there are so many things to consider when selling a home, that some things get overlooked, or forgotten about. It can be hard to prioritize, and often the exterior of a property gets little attention when compared to the house interior. However, many buyers will be looking for low maintenance yards, often nice gardens, or room for children to play safely. If gardens are overgrown, or there's trash lying around, or the property is in a general state of disrepair, then this can be a big negative to a potential buyer.
With that in mind he are 7 tips for improving the exterior look of a property:
1. Nothing looks worse than peeling paintwork on a house, especially paint peeling from around windows. That usually indicated work and cost to a potential buyer. It may pay to repaint the exterior and make sure all windows open and close easily.
2. If the property has a chimney, check that the chimney is in working order and safe. If the buyer gets a property inspection done, you won't want the chimney to fail the test.
3. Inspect the guttering and down pipes around the house. Repair, or replace, or paint any rusty gutters. Also, check for leaks or cracks in the spouting.
4.It usually pays to ash the windows inside and out.
5.Look closely at the condition of the driveway, does it need resurfacing? Resurfacing a driveway could be expensive, so you will need to carefully consider whether to do a quick patch-up, or completely resurface the driveway.
6. Warm weather and damp conditions can encourage the growth of moss, mold and lichen on woodwork, paving, the driveway and roof. An electrically powered water-blaster can be used to remove these problem growths. However, be careful when using a water-blaster. They are not a toy and can damage paintwork, dig into surfaces, and there is always the safety combination of water and electricity.
7. Check to see that the foundations are safe and secure, or are they sinking? Although most foundation problems can usually be rectified, the repair or replacement costs may prove costly. Problem foundations should be highlighted on a home inspection report, if the buyer commissions one. When checking the foundations, also look for signs of moisture build-up or any drainage problems. These can be a problem in basement areas. The experts will have a special tool to test for moisture content in walls as well as other areas.
Moisture and foundation problems can be costly. Not fixing them can reduce the price of a property or lose a buyer.
There are also many other points to consider when inspecting the exterior of a property. Start by walking around the property and making a list of things that might need fixing. Then get some quotations, or do some cost estimates yourself. Then decide what definitely needs fixing and what you could possibly leave as is.
Some repairs won't require any money, just a little physical effort (or maybe quite a lot of physical effort) depending on what is required. Perhaps the first thing to do is to stand back from the street frontage and note down your first impressions of the property. Decide what looks good and what looks bad. Then walk around the property inspecting the house exterior and back yard, fencing etc. This won't show up every fault, but it will highlight many aspects that might need some level of attention prior to putting the property on the market.
About the Author:
Noel recommends a free report with helpful information on buying and selling Tauranga homes and Tauranga properties.
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