Dear
Pat,
We are thinking about selling our home sometime
in the next year. We are trying to get our house
ready for sale but are overwhelmed by what to do
next. What are the most essential tasks for us
to do before we sell? How many houses sell in
the winter or should we plan to wait until
spring? We want to find a new home before we
sell.
--Too Much To Do
Dear Too Much,
You have asked some really important questions.
There is still time to complete small exterior
repairs which will make a big difference if you
end up selling your home in the winter months.
We expect the market to be brisk all through the
year: last January, for example, was extremely
busy. Your dream home could come on the market
any time, so you're smart to be prepared. Here's
a list of chores to do before the snow falls:
--Scrape and paint as much of
the exterior as necessary or feasible, but
especially the front entry and threshold.
--Repair cement steps if cracked.
--Tuckpoint brick trim and foundation.
--Since you may sell in April, plant a few
spring bulbs in front, get rid of scrub trees
and weeds from garden.
|
 |
 --Clean
garage and yard now (you don't want to be seen
trying to chisel the kids' trikes out of the
yard as the buyers are walking up to your house
in January!).
--Clean gutters after the leaves fall (during
the 30 seconds before the ice storm).
--Check the roof and make repairs now. Roofers
work all year, but delays caused by snow cover
or ice can be a problem during a transaction.
My list is far from complete,
and I'm sure you can think of many other
pre-selling chores that you'd rather do now,
while the temperature is still above freezing.
And, yes, we haven't covered anything on the
all-important interior-that's another topic. But
by getting started as soon as possible on the
outside tasks, you'll gain an advantage over
many other sellers if you go on the market in
the winter.
| Pat
Rosaves is a full-time real estate
professional living in the Seward -
Longfellow area. She has more than 24
years experience in helping people with
their real estate needs. Questions may be
sent to her at River Realty, 2543 38th
Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55406. Or call her
at 612-724-1314 or email her at
pat@riverrealty.net
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