Fix Your House to Sell (or keep)

More Details that Sell a House

2009-01-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

Do not think that you need to remodel the entire kitchen unless the cabinets are hopelessly out of date (like the metal cabinets they used in the 1940s and 1950s). You probably won’t get that much money back out of the house.

Paint the hardware or replace it. Clean or paint the surfaces and put in fresh shelf liners or contact paper. If you are going to paint the hardware, spray-paint works best. Give it one coat of primer, and be sure to let each coat dry thoroughly before adding the next coat. Otherwise the paint is likely to peel.

Scrub the stove and inside the oven. The refrigerator and microwave need to be immaculate. Even if these appliances are not staying, they send a signal as to the kind of people that live in the house now and how well-maintained the house is. If the toaster is used every day and must be visible, be sure to clear it of all crumbs. For the cupboards, make sure they are clean and the hardware is in good shape.

Missed E-Mail

2009-01-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

As I was hitting the "delete" button in my junk folder I noticed an email with the subject "Your Book." I didn't get the email as there is no way to retrieve them once you've hit that delete button. If you sent an email to me and I haven't responded, please send it again. I'll be more careful in the future. Thanks.

Details Are What Sells A Home!

2009-01-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

Details can make a huge difference, especially as they add up. Is the paint around the door knob or deadbolt wearing and scratched? Touch it up. Even if the paint isn’t an exact match, it will look amazingly better. How are the baseboards and switch covers? If the wall around the light switch is discolored and dirty, clean it and/or paint it. The newer everything looks, the more drawn to the house people will be.

Over-tightening screws (and sometimes children) causes cracking. Cheap and easy to replace.

Replace any broken light switch or electric outlet covers. Light switches are close enough to eye-level that any problem will immediately draw the eye.

If there are loose knobs on cabinets or folding doors, tighten them. A curling corner on the linoleum, glue it down. Clean all windows and keep mirrors streak-free. Clean windows make a big difference in the light in the room. A mirror can make a room seem larger and lighter. If there is a window over the kitchen sink, make sure it looks good and detail it well. That is a primary draw to many mothers. They will look out and see what they can observe of the yard. Make this as inviting as possible.

If your curtains are faded or worn, take them down. If you must have some (for example in a bedroom), buy new ones. If you can, just leave them off. More light in a room makes it appear more comfortable and larger anyway. And then you can show off your newly painted window trim!

How to Repair a Textured Ceiling

2008-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

If you have spots where the textured ceiling paint is peeling, you need to remove all the loose debris and repaint. You must remove all loose paint or the new paint will add weight and accelerate the problem. Rarely will the new exactly match the old, but many people will not notice a repainted section as quickly as they will notice a peeling one. Not everyone looks up unless something is there to draw the eye.

To repaint, buy some acoustic ceiling mix and stir it into flat white paint. Usually make up just a little at a time. Whipped-topping containers are about the right size. Be sure you lay down some old sheets or a tarp on the floor and tape newspaper up at the top of the walls and along the baseboard. Dob the brush full of the paint mixture and then onto the ceiling. Wear eye goggles and a hat. This is not hard, but it is messy. Be careful when walking off the tarp to not drag paint onto the floor with your shoes.

What to Know About Getting Estimates from Contractors

2008-12-14T16:23:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks ago I had a couple trees taken out and some trimming done on some other trees. We had a horrible ice storm last year. While we made it out with only a few banged up gutters, our yard looked like a carpet of branches. I didn't want that again, and many of the high branches were broken and just barely hanging on. You couldn't really tell when the leaves came out in Spring, by when the leaves fell off again, man those trees looked bad.

So, I called a couple names out of the phone book that were insured (very important) and got some estimates. The first estimate was $1450. Yow! I told him I had someone else coming to give an estimate, and would get back with him. Half an hour later he called and said he had another job a few blocks away so he would do the job for $1250 since he would be in the neighborhood. A $200 savings probably just because he knew I was getting another quote. The next guy shows up and as I'm showing him what I want done, I mention that I already got one quote, but don't tell him how much it was. This guy gives me a quote for $750. One half of the first quote I got. I saved $500 just by getting a couple of quotes, and letting them know they were bidding against someone else.

ALWAYS get several quotes for any big job. Also, be sure you ask around about the quality of work. The company I went with does my next-door neighbor's yard, so I knew their work.

UPDATE: I also got some quotes on foundation work when we first moved into our current house. One was for $8000 and another for $6000. Well, the house was just going to have to have seasonal cracks (cracks in the sheetrock that open and close according to the season) and have the floor shake when the kids ran around cause we couldn't afford that. Then we got another quote for $1800. The big difference in the quotes was the first two comanies wanted to dig down and support the concrete foundation, while the last guy was just going to add support beams and posts under the floor in the crawl space without digging under the foundation. Perhaps not as ideal, but adding in supports did what we wanted without costing several months salary.

Ceiling Repair

2008-12-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

Ceilings
Cracks in the ceiling are harder to deal with than those in the wall, and they are considered a more serious problem by buyers. You do not want someone to buy a different house just because they figure fixing the ceiling is too much trouble. And people will think that.

If you have a smooth ceiling, you make repairs the same way you did for the walls. If you have a textured ceiling (also called popcorn), then fixing it can be a mess. For a small crack in a textured ceiling, carefully push wall compound into the crack, and leave it rough to match the rest of the ceiling. This works well for small, thin cracks. This also works for small holes in the ceiling where the cords for surround systems were run or where hooks for hanging lamps or plants were.

Putty pushed into the crack. Only noticeable in certain light if you look right at it.

Water stains on the ceiling from either plumbing or a roof leak need to be repaired. Obviously, the leak should be fixed, but when that is done, do not forget to paint the discoloration on the ceiling. It is a good idea to use Kilz brand primer wherever water has been. Kilz helps prevent mold from forming. Be sure to have excellent ventilation when using Kilz.

Bathroom vents and ceiling air ducts are dealt with in the Kitchen & Bathroom section.

Floors or Do I Need New Carpet?

2008-12-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Many people install new carpet. Then the buyers hate the new carpet, but are reluctant to tear it out and waste the new stuff. Not everyone agrees with me, but my suggestion is to leave the carpet unless it is completely disgusting or is a supremely outdated shag. Rent a shampooer, or hire a professional cleaner. Do not worry overly about stains, but certainly take out any that you can. If asked, give a carpet allowance which allows the new owners to roll the cost of the carpet into the loan. That way they get to choose what floor covering will work best for their family.

If you have wood floors that creak, be sure to fix those. Isolate the squeak by walking slowly and paying close attention to exactly where the noise is coming from. Use 16-penny finishing nails to attach the loose boards to the joist under the floor. Then fill the hole with wood wax that does not require any stain or finish. Wood wax comes in a variety of colors or shades, so try to pick one as close to the color of your floor as possible.

The Front Door: Your Introduction to the Buyer

2008-12-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is the big introduction to your house. Make sure it is smooth and welcoming. The front-door lock should work easily. When someone visits the house with a real-estate agent, this is the beginning of the “show” to impress people. You do not want a sticky lock to give them doubts right away. Usually this can be fixed by adjusting the hinges or moving the strike plate in the door jamb. If the key itself is sticking, get some graphite powder and squeeze a little into the lock. It won’t take much. In fact, you can probably scrape some pencil lead into the lock. This fixes the overwhelming majority of keyhole problems within a day or two.

If the problem is that the door is binding or sticking, make sure the screws in the door hinges are tight. If a few are stripped (they just keep turning without tightening), there are a couple of ways to correct that. First, try taking out the screw and sticking several toothpicks in the hole, then put the screw back in. The screw should tighten. If that doesn’t work, take out all the screws to that one hinge and swing the hinge out of the way. Get a dowel-rod just a bit larger than the hole. Drill out the screw hole the same size as the dowel-rod, and glue the dowel-rod into the hole. The dowel-rod should fit snugly enough to need tapping in with a hammer. Drill a new hole for the screw into the dowel-rod. This works on any hinged door in the house.

If the hinges squeak, give them a shot of WD-40 or Liquid Wrench. Just a quick spray. You do not want too much as it will run down onto the floor and will attract dirt to the hinge.

Doors, Trim & Doorknobs

2008-12-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Even though painting the entire room probably is not required, paint the baseboards if they are painted. If they are finished wood, clean them well and add a coat of polyurethane. Baseboards get very scuffed up in a short amount of time and adding a fresh coat of paint or urethane will make them look fresh. The same goes for all trim around doorways and windows. Anything at eye-level should look great, no scuffs or grungy smudges.

Also, pay special attention to whatever one sees when one walks into the house. The house should look as nice as possible and feel as open as possible. Replace doorknobs or clean them and give them a coat of brassy-gold metallic spray paint.

Left: original knob; Middle: brass paint; Right: new knob. Which one looks best to you?
All the doorknobs do not need replacing, but the first ones you see as you come in and start down the hall should look clean and shiny, not dirty, dingy and old.

Side by side. Makes a big difference in the overall perception of the house.

Do I Need to Paint My Rooms?

2008-12-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Many people think that all the rooms need to be painted. You may not need to paint entire rooms unless the walls are marked up beyond touch-up. Touch-up will do more than you think to make a room look better. Even in the kid’s room, with shoe marks six-feet up the wall (how does that happen?), touch-up with your leftover paint will usually be good enough.

The new owners may want to change the color anyway, so why repaint the whole room? If you touch-up the walls and clean up the baseboards, the difference will astound you. You can also try to clean the walls. Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean will clean most marks off the wall, but be aware, it will “flatten” the paint. So if the paint is semi-gloss, then the wall will probably still need touching up with paint. A few reasons to paint entire rooms would include: rooms with dark or non-neutral colors (neutral colors being white or off-white); a room that hasn’t been painted in 7 years or more; or a room in which you do quite a bit of wall repair.

If there is loose border paper or wallpaper, be sure to get a roller and some glue to put it back. Just a little bit of glue will work fine. Do not overdo it. otherwise you'll have glue running out and onto the paper.

Painting a Reparied Wall

2008-12-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

Before you paint any repair larger than a nail hole, be sure to give it a good coat of primer. If you do not prime first, the spackling or plaster will soak up the paint, requiring many coats or leaving the repair a slightly different shade.

Hopefully you still have some paint or wallpaper remaining from last time you did the walls and you can use that to touch-up when you fill holes and repair cracks. Paint is much less obvious when repaired than wallpaper. But, even repaired wallpaper looks better than an obvious hole in the wall.

Fix Walls in Lathe and Plaster

2008-11-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

For lathe and plaster walls in older homes, a simple split can be fixed as above. If the plaster has separated from the wood lathe behind it then drill into the plaster alternating holes along both sides of the crack about 1 to 2 inches out. Use a wall glue from a hardware store in a caulk gun to squeeze into the holes. The glue needs to go in between the plaster and the lathe. Then patch the holes as indicated above.

See this example.

How to Patch a Wall

2008-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

Walls
Now that you have taken down all those pictures, you need to pull the nails and fill the holes. Toothpaste works well as a nail hole filler. If a nail is stubborn, be sure to protect the wall with a piece of cardboard to keep the nail puller from marking or damaging the wall. Some people paint over the nails, but this is not really recommended.

Repair cracks in the walls. In many areas this is a constant problem as some cracks open seasonally. There are a few different ways to repair cracks in the wall.

Too many of these, and buyers will suspect foundation problems and look elsewhere.

The easiest method is to use common wall compound (also called spackling paste) that many people use to fill nail holes. This is the least permanent for seasonal cracks, though for many cracks this is sufficient. If the split is not smooth, be sure to scrape the wall to a smooth surface, or even just a bit below level. Don’t get carried away. Using a spatula, fill the crack with compound and run a damp washcloth or sponge lightly over the spot. This will help smooth the repair and remove excess compound.

More on Organizing and De-Cluttering Your House

2008-11-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

Be sure to emphasize any architectural highlights of your house: fireplaces, picture windows, built-in bookshelves, and such. Clear out around them so they stand out strong and people will remember these attractive highlights.

Clean out the closets. Pack extra clothes, boxes of memorabilia, and shoes. Get everything off the floor. Leave only a few things hanging or on the shelves. If you have anything hanging on the inside of the door, remove it. You want your closets to seem large and organized. The same with pantries. Be sure to organize the pantry, down to alphabetizing your spices so it appears that organized, well-ordered people live in the house now. A small detail, but an impressive one.

People today have so much stuff that they want a lot of storage space. So do not forget about basements, attics, and the garage. You need to have these areas free of clutter and as organized and nice as possible. We are all aware that no one makes an attic storage space pretty, but it should be clean and have only a few items in it so that it appears larger.

Pack anything that is not necessary to daily life and rent a storage unit, have a yard sale, or put it in your mom’s garage. Just get it out of the house! Some people do not want to pay rent on a storage unit. But, if it clears out your house enough that someone falls in love with it and the home sells quickly, it is worth it. If you have a two-car or more garage, you can put some things neatly in your garage, but be aware this will make your garage seem smaller, which will matter to some people. One big advantage of all this clearing out is that when you do move, you are already half packed. And, perhaps, you will find you can live without so much stuff and simplify.

You will want to be sure to clean thoroughly including all those cobwebs around light fixtures and in ceiling corners. Dust the ceiling fans and baseboards. One option to consider if you have a lot of ground-in dirt and stains is to hire a cleaning service for a one-time thorough cleaning.

Clearing Out and Cleaning Up

2008-11-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

You need to clear out and depersonalize your house because many people are unable to visualize a house other than the way it currently looks. Do not let your “pretties” distract a buyer from your house.

If you must live in the home while it is on the market (and most of us do), move everything out that is not necessary. According to a national Realtor’s survey, de-cluttering alone can bring up to an extra $2000 in the price of your house. Yes, clean, open space is actually worth that much!

Clear the walls of all but a very few pictures; clear mantles, counters, dresser tops, etc. Put away all those books, movies, collectible figurines, CDs, family photographs, and the toaster. Then get rid of any extra furniture, especially anything bulky: rocking chairs, display cases, the china buffet, etc. Just because your stuff is beautiful does not mean that potential buyers want to see it. They want to see how much space is available to them.

Clear the traffic ways so that moving from one room to another is smooth without any obstacles. There should be a “flow.” Do not have buyers walk around chairs or coffee tables to get from one room to the next.

Landscaping a House for Sale

2008-11-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

As to landscaping, do not think that adding bushes and such will improve curb appeal. More likely, removing features will do more to improve the appearance of the house.

Many, many houses have overgrown evergreen bushes or trees. Evergreens are nice when kept trimmed and in proportion to the house. However, very few people put forth the effort necessary to keep them from overwhelming the house. The more you take out, the clearer the features of the house are, and the larger your yard appears.

Keep the garage door closed at all times! You never know when an interested party will drive by the house. The house looks better with your newly painted garage doors shut.

How to Fix a Sagging Fence

2008-11-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

This sagging fence is not complicated to fix. Remove the screws that connect the fence to the post and move the fence out of the way. In this fence, the post had rotted away at ground level. Whoever built this fence used landscape lumber, not a 4x4 fence post.

Dig out the post and dig a good size hole. Digging out the post can take some work, especially if the old one was set in concrete (which it should have been). It helps if you have a 12 year-old boy to work the sledge. You should at least go down below the freeze level. I used an 8 foot post, so I dug down 2 feet.

Now add some concrete. You can buy ready-mix concrete that just needs water. Mix it up in a five-gallon bucket or in a wheelbarrow. Stick the post in the ground. Use a level to make sure the post is straight and secure it in place using tent pegs and ropes. Pour the concrete around the base to almost ground level. Once the concrete is dry (usually 24 hours), re-attach the fence to the post.

More on the Outdoors of Your House

2008-11-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

Make sure your roof looks good. Shingles should be in good repair and not discolored. You probably do not want to put on new shingles if you can avoid it. But, it can make the house more attractive, especially if the current roof is obviously in need of replacement.

Check the outside walls for problems, uneven colors, or excessive dirt. Repainting may be a good investment if the house has cracked, peeling paint. Yellow seems to be an attractive color that draws buyers. Brick walls should be sprayed off, or better yet, power-washed, and cracks in the mortar should be filled with fresh mortar. Be sure to match the depth and curve of the old mortar. The color will not be an exact match, but should look better than a black opening.

Clean out all the weeds in the cracks of walkways, patios, and the driveway. Weedeat the walkway and driveway edges. Also, if your driveway or sidewalk needs some patching, go ahead and do it.

Be sure that the backyard is taken care of also, as anyone who is serious about the house will try to get a look at the backyard, from the street, the alley, or around the corner. Power-wash decks and take care of any rot. If you have a swing set that is at the end of its days, go ahead and get rid of it. If you want to keep it but it is all rusty, at least paint it.

Curb Appeal a Little Closer

2008-11-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

One thing many people forget to do is clear away all the dirt and cobwebs from around the outside of the house. Get the corners of the porch, around the light, and the windows. Do not forget about the door knob. Change it or polish it so that it is nice and shiny. The doorknob is an important part of the first impression. More on that later.

Any sagging or broken areas on the porch need to be fixed. That includes the ceiling of the porch, an area frequently neglected even after birds begin building nests in there. Be sure you look at the bottom of the posts on the porch and decks for any rotting. If they are cast iron, then wire brush any rust and then paint. Rotted wood needs to be filled with an epoxy or be replaced.

Be sure any railings and steps are secure. Most metal railings would be fine if they were tightened as soon as they become loose. Try to tighten the screw or lag bolt and see if this secures your railing. If not, replace whatever is needed, bolts, screw sheaths (the part that fits down in the concrete to secure the bolt), etc.

Examples of screw sheaths

The hardest part of replacing a screw sheath is getting the old one out. If you cannot pry it out, drill it out. Then vacuum out the hole. Simply push the new sheath in and you are ready to go.

If you have wooden steps that are loose, see if you can tap shims between the step and the riser (the front of the step that you can kick as you go up the steps) or the step and the runner (the sides of the stairs). If you can’t, pulling the step off and adding shims will work if the wood is not rotten. Shims are available in any hardware store. Sometimes adding an L-bracket to the bottom of the step and securing it to the riser or runner will hold the step in place. If you can get behind the steps, put the brackets there. If not, paint the bracket the same color as the steps.

Curb Appeal 2

2008-11-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Do everything possible to make the front outstanding. Paint the garage doors, the front door, the shutters, and the window frames if they need it. White is the best color choice, as it is a neutral color. Put away kids toys and lawn tools.

This is not staged. This is my driveway most of the year. Everything but the trash can needs to go for optimal curb appeal.

Clear away dead trees, tree stumps, and overgrown shrubs. Keep the lawn mowed and leaves raked or mulched. Rake out the leaves from under the shrubs. Trim any tree limbs that are touching the house or are too close. For the limbs, it may be wise to get a professional. You do not want to cause damage and have even more repairs to do.

For oil spots in the driveway or garage, go to an auto parts store and ask for oil dry, also called “kitty litter.” It contains clay granules just like kitty litter, only not scented. You put a little down on the driveway and grind it into the spot with your shoe. You will be amazed at how well it works.

If it is the right season, plant some colorful plants. Lighter colors like yellow seem more cheery than darker colors like purple. Annuals best will suit your need.

Curb Appeal

2008-11-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Curb appeal cannot be emphasized enough. A huge percentage of buyers will make a preliminary “yes” or “no” decision as they drive up to the house. You do not want to put negative thoughts into their minds right away. Even before that, most people at least drive by a house before they consider going through it. You do not want to lose them before they even contact anyone about your home.

Drive up to the house with new eyes. How does the mailbox look? The lamppost? The trees and shrubs? According to a national Realtor’s survey, landscaping can make a 4% to 15% difference in your final selling price. That is a huge amount! So be sure your lawn looks trim, neat, and uncluttered.
Get someone else to look at your house. Someone who has not been there before would be ideal. Someone who can point out all the things that you have learned to live with but need to be fixed or cleaned. If you live on a corner, then at least two sides, if not all four, are visible from the road. For best results, make sure all sides look presentable.