9 Repairs that will make your home sellable

Dear Home Owner,

So you're getting ready to sell your home. Sure you want the best offer but you know people are going to try and "low-ball" your asking price. Well, here are 9 suggestions that will help you get the best offers...and who knows you might even get your asking price.

1. Shine up entries - This means make sure storm doors are in good working order and that your front door looks good. You may need to repaint the door an attractive color and you should consider replacing the hardware. New front doors create a powerful "Wow! Factor".
2. Spiff up the roof - Replace worn, torn or missing shingles. And re-brace sagging gutters. A neat clean roof gives potential buyers a good safe feeling.
3. Clean and caulk gutters - Speaking of gutters, make sure they are clean of leaves and other debris. And if there are any leaky spots, caulk them to prevent leaking.
4. Freshen up the air - If someone in your house smokes, you have to clear out this odor. The same goes for pet odors. Regardless of whether or not potential buyers smoke or are pet lovers, no one likes walking into a house with offensive odors. If you're the smoker and your smeller is broken, ask a neighbor to come over and give it the "sniff test" before and after you've addressed this smelly situation.
5. Replace worn or torn flooring - Don't try and hide it with a throw rug or a coffee table, fix it. Potential buyers will more than likely notice your vain attempts at collusion and immediately wonder, "if they are trying to hide this, what else are they not telling us?"
6. Patch nail holes and repaint - Some nail holes can be addressed with a touch of paint. But if the hold is sizeable or it's been some time since you repainted, use spackle and repaint the entire wall.
7. Fix leaky plumbing - If a faucet drips, replace the washers. If a toilet leaks, replace the wax seal. If the toilet constantly runs, you probably need to replace the flapper. And make certain all floor drains drain the way they are supposed to drain.
8. Touch up dingy baseboards - Wipe them down, touch them up and if necessary, repaint them.
9. Repair scratched cabinets - The way your kitchen looks is important to any potential buyer, and if your cabinets are scratched or damaged, fix the damage and make your kitchen look it's best. The same goes for bathroom cabinets and any built-ins.

If you think these ideas constitute "overkill" then tour several homes in your area that are for sale, especially those that have been on the market for quite some time. See if they have made these repairs. More than likely they have not been made. No wonder they are still on the market.

Okay, let's get to work!

Trey