Is Your Home Ready to Sell?
Follow this checklist to get the best price for your home.

1. Repair exterior elements.  Nothing turns off buyers faster than what they notice first (curb appeal), such as cracked sidewalks, loose gutters, peeling paint or curled shingles.  Most of these exterior repairs can be done over a few weekends by you or a contractor.
2. Freshen up the basement.  It has to be dry, neat and odor-free.  If you've had leaks or flooding, arrange for a waterproofing company to take a look.  Cracks often can be repaired with a method called epoxy injection.  Whatever the method, contractors usually offer a lifetime warranty that's transferable to the new owners. 
3. Freshen up the interior.  A new coat of paint goes a long way.  But remember that 90% of a good paint job is in the preparation.  Take time to patch holes and nicks on the walls and in the woodwork before getting out the paintbrush.  A poor paint job can be worse than old ugly walls.
4. Look at the floors.  If your bedroom carpet has a path worn in it that resembles the road to Morocco, consider replacing it (check for hardwood under carpet).  Tiles floors with loose grouting should be touched up or re-grouted.  Worn wood floors should be re-sanded.
5. Pay attention to how your home "feels."  Make sure doors don't stick, doorknobs are installed tightly and kitchen drawers glide easily.  All your window should open, and every light switch should work.  Railings on porches and staircases should feel sturdy when you try to wiggle them. 
6. Spruce up a bathroom.  It should be spotless:  no mildew, mold or funk (that's a professional term).  If the caulk line around the tub looks like a child's science experiment gone haywire, replace it.  Buy a new shower curtain.  Make sure the pipes under the sink aren't dripping and the faucets work like new. 
7. Kill the clutter.  Rent a storage locker if necessary, and organize your garage and closets.  Look at your home from an outsider's point of view.  Limiting your personal items will help prospective buyers envision their own valuables in your place.  That bobble-head collection of the 1969 Chicago Cubs, although priceless to you, may in fact be a strike against your homes.
8. Clean, Clean, Clean.  Give your house a thorough basement-to-rafters cleaning. If that's too taxing, hire a cleaning crew to scrub the place down.  Don't forget the window, and pull back the drapes to allow in as much natural light as possible.

This may should like a lot of work, but when our homes sells before all the others in your neighborhood - and at a better price - you can send me a thank-you note.

      -Lou Manfredini USA Weekend 6/6/03