Tips for Selling a Home in Rochester Minnesota

PREPARING YOUR HOME TO SELL

Sometimes when we live in a home for some length of time we delay doing some of the minor maintenance items we should be doing. The simple truth is most homes in Rochester MN need work before they are ready to market. I KNOW it is true of mine. I have no intention of selling, but I know when I do I have some minor repairs to make and upgrading of light fixtures and faucets etc.

All appliances need to be working. They don't need to be new just clean and in proper working order. The same is true for faucets. Make sure they turn on properly and don't leak. If it doesn't work, repair or replace it.

If any windows don't work or are cracked, fix or replace them. Make sure all the screens and storm door are working properly, as well. Speaking of doors, take care of the squeaky door and fix the doors that don't open properly or at all.

As for the outside of your home, make sure you have replaced any missing or damaged shingles, repair your gutter if it has come apart and make sure the grade in your lawn is going away from the house. The most common problem with water in the basement is improper landscaping.

Now, take a notebook and start at the front of your house. Tour your house as a buyer would: look for anything broken or dated. Pay attention to the furnace and note when the last cleaning was. Make sure it has been serviced within 12 months of listing your home. Make a list of everything that needs repairing, whether it be just a squeaky door hinge or a major repair. Ideally they should all be repaired before listing the home in the Rochester Minnesota MLS. Make a list and get them taken care of.

Remember, a buyer doesn't notice what IS working, but they will definitely notice what ISN'T working.