Preparing Your House to Sell

Dianna Mandzuk Realtor with REMax Jazz serving Durham Region and surrounding areas

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Dianna Mandzuk

●Sales Representative

● RE/Max Circle of Legends Award recipient (2010) - RE/Max's Highest Honour for Sales Achievement

● Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

● RE/Max Hall of Fame Award recipient

●Certified Luxury Home

Marketing Specialist

●Canadian Staging Professional

RE/Max Jazz Inc., Brokerage

Professional Offices located at

203 Bond St. E.,

Oshawa, Ontario. L1G 1B4

Direct: 905-433-2579

Office: 905-728-1600

email Dianna Mandzuk

Many buyers peruse neighbourhoods looking at listed properties from the outside before inquiring with the listing agent to show them the inside. A first impression is hard to shake and if the prospective buyer doesn’t like the house from the outside, they probably won’t inquire at all. To get them past the front door, you need to add some curb appeal. Here’s a list of items that will definitely add value to your home.

Outside maintenance

- Clear your gutters and downspouts of debris (leaves, sticks, etc) that may block the flow of water from your roof.

- Properly grade the area under your downspouts and around your house so rainwater flows away from your foundation. Splash pads can help rainwater at downspouts flow in the proper direction. If necessary, add extensions to your downspouts.

- Plantings should be set away from the foundation to ensure regular watering does not add to soil moisture around the basement. Lawn sprinklers should not hit the house or the area next to the foundation.

- Ensure that landscaping around the foundation (sidewalks, patios, gardens, etc) starts at 8 inches down from the top of your foundation wall and slopes away from the home. Failure to do so may cause moisture to build up around the foundation and promote the environment for mold growth.

- Keep mulch, dirt and other landscaping material away from the veneer drainage system weep holes commonly found on, but not limited to masonry and stucco homes. The veneer drainage system diverts water away from the interior of the exterior wall system and the weep holes allow the water to space the wall.. IF the weep holes are blocked or clogged with debris, mold may form on the interior of the exterior walls. The weep holes are found at the bottom of the finished veneer.

- Turn & weed flower beds; trim trees & shrubs. Mend any damaged fences or gates. Pick up litter.

- Sidewalks, steps and exterior foundation cracks should be filled or parged to bring up to date. Ensure your front entry is neat, tidy & clean. It's the first thing a buyer sees as they approach your home - it's worth the extra effort to spruce it up!

- Caulking around windows, doors, chimney/siding cavity, foundation and other common leakage points is necessary to prevent moisture intrusion.

- Make sure the doorbell works.

- Declutter & organize the garage. Wash down the floor.

Inside maintenance

- Clean everything in sight. The kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and general living spaces, and clean/test household appliances and equipment. No matter what physical condition the property is in, it should be clean, tidy and uncluttered.

- You want buyers to view your home as their potential home. Therefore, put away family photos, sports trophies, collectable items, knick-knacks and souvenirs. Put them in a box or a rented storage area for a few months.

- Shampoo rugs and wax floors.

- Wash walls and use a broom to clear cobwebs from the corners of rooms and closets.

- Wash windows and clean blinds or draperies.

- Repair those small things now, like leaky faucets, missing tiles or broken screens.

- Remove out of season clothing from closets. Organize your clothing & shoes. Remove all clutter from cabinets & closets.

- Consider putting larger or non-essential pieces of furniture into storage while the home is on the market. Less furniture in a room makes it appear more spacious.

- Replace all burned out light bulbs.

- Properly insulate (12” of blanket or 8” of blown-in insulation) and ventilate the attic of your home.

- If you are a smoker, clean, prime and paint any nicotine stained walls and ceilings thoroughly and refrain from smoking in the home.

Basement

- Tidy up the basement

- Clean up and correct any water problems in your basement, including upgrading the foundation with a mortar parging at all loose cavities and cracks.

- Test sump pump

The day of a showing

- before you leave, turn on all the lights, open all curtains and shutters to let in as much light as possible but screen out unappealing views.

- Make sure the home smells fresh!

* RE/Max holds the Number 1 market share in durham region as of year end 2010. click the #1 graphic for more information.

NOT INTENDED TO SOLICIT PROPERTIES ALREADY LISTED NOR BUYERS SIGNED UNDER A BUYER'S AGENCY AGREEMENT. E. & O.E.

The information contained herein is believed to be accurate, but should not be relied upon without verification.

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