Thinking About Selling? Get Your Home Ready to List
This year has come with its fair share of pandemic-induced changes. One universal change is that we’re all cooped up at home. For some of us this new normal has us dreaming about a bigger home that suits new needs like an at-home office, a homeschooling classroom or just space to hang out away from the ENTIRE family. If you’re one of the lucky few who can sell right now, here are some sure-fire ways to get your home noticed.
When you list your home, you need to look at it through a buyer’s eyes. You may have become blind to the obvious red flags a prospective buyer will see right away. Outside wear and tear like cracked concrete, uneven steps and wall cracks are signs that will repel a buyer right at the curb. Inside damage like sloping floors, foundation wall cracks and a damp crawl space will have them making a bee line for the front door. HGTV home improvement shows have also empowered buyers to be quite savvy at knowing what to look for in a home. Well, consider us your experts on all things basementy.
You may not be able to fix everything before your listing, so here are a few things to zoom in on to make an immediate impact.
Level Concrete
Since your driveway and walkway are the first to greet a new buyer, leveling that concrete seems like the obvious first choice to tackle right away. Uneven concrete slabs not only look disheveled, but in a Michigan winter those icy jagged slabs are a serious trip hazard.
Leveling your concrete is easier than you think. Instead of replacing your slabs, we use a highly engineered PolyLevel foam to raise sunken slabs. No need to jackhammer or pour concrete and the foam does not take long to cure.
Fix Wall Cracks
You may have noticed those pesky wall cracks outside your home but not know how to handle them or worse, you think you have time before you have to fix them. These cracks may be a sign that your foundation is settling. If you have wall cracks, it’s just a matter of time before those walls start to bow. If they are bowing, call us right away because wall collapse is right around the corner. It may take a crack a while to spread, but once a wall starts bowing and weakening, wall collapse can happen in a matter of days. Wall cracks are a billboard for a buyer to not view your home.
Address Water Issues
If you’ve been putting a band aid on your basement’s flooding issues because of the expense, now is the time to address the issue once and for all. A leaking basement with standing water will create a musty smell. Even if you haven’t noticed it yet, that moisture has probably contributed to mildew and mold growth throughout your home. Ethically, you would either want to disclose these issues to a buyer or fix them for the new family. In a market flooded with great homes, any one of these issues could scare away a buyer. So, time is of the essence to not only contact us, but to act on the results of your inspection. Dragging your feet could cost you an existing home offer or give a buyer leverage to low ball you on the price.
There’s no need to panic or feel overwhelmed. While there’s no HGTV show that will prepare you to deal with uneven concrete, wall cracks and waterproofing issues, we can help! The first step is to schedule a free inspection with us. We’ll send out a system design specialist that will help you identify potential problems and offer you a solution that suits your needs.
