There’s a saying that you should leave things better than you found them. A home that’s been thoroughly lived in will naturally have some signs of wear and tear. When you’re selling, you have to observe certain etiquette for the next owner. It’s a lot like returning borrowed cars with a tank full of gas. Admittedly, there are certain things you won’t have to do, such as give the walls a fresh coat of paint – the new owners or even the realtors will do that themselves before showing the space to potential buyers. But you still need to make sure the house is presentable when it’s turned over to its new owners.
Clean
Before you let go of the house for good, make sure that it gets a deep clean. This entails a thorough cleaning of each room as well as fixtures such as carpeting. If there’s wall-to-wall carpeting, you’ll have to give those carpets a deep clean before the move. If the house has already been sold with wall-to-wall carpeting on the floors, the next owner probably wants to keep the flooring that way or has plans to change it once it’s theirs. If the house has not yet been sold, replacing the flooring with a more low-maintenance material such as hardwood can boost your home’s resale value.
See to it that you also clean or replace the filters on the HVAC systems. Leaving the new owners with an air conditioning system that has to work harder to cool the room because of its dirtied-up filters isn’t the right way to welcome them.
You won’t likely do all the cleaning yourself with all your preparations for the move. Hire professional house cleaning services to take care of this.
Plumbing
This is something you’ll need a professional to take a look at. Even plumbing problems that appear simple and easy to repair, such as leaky taps or pipes, might indicate a bigger plumbing issue. Trying to fix this yourself when you’re not trained for this kind of work might cost you more. Hire a professional plumber to take a look at any plumbing issues before you move out as a courtesy to the next owner.
Damaged window screens
Window screens with holes on them never look good on any home. Damaged window screens can undermine insulation as well as let pests and rodents into the house. Replace these before moving out.
Grout
Grout is a mixture of water, cement, lime, and sometimes color pigment found in the spaces between each tile. While it doesn’t appear to fill much of the area, a new application of grout can instantly make a tiled wall look brand new. But reapplying grout isn’t just to give your tiles a polished appearance. It’s also for adding strength to your tile work.
Damaged drywall
Over the years, you may have dented, scratched, or even made a hole or two in the drywall. You might have even made some more dents just by moving your furniture. Nonetheless, drywall damages are easy to fix up. You can even fix them yourself if the damages are small. There are plenty of drywall repair kits available on the market. Apart from the compound, make sure that you have a drywall knife, primer, and some paint to cover up when you’re done.
For more significant damages, you can always contact a drywall contractor to do the job.
Roof and gutters
Overhead structures such as the roof and gutters are integral to any building, and any damages – even minor ones – will make themselves known eventually. Even if the signs of wear and tear are minor – such as leaks – make sure to fix them up before leaving. See to it that you also clean and unclog the gutters.
Update your address
This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and the next owner of the house. If the house has been sold and waits to be turned over to the buyer, inform your mail carrier and other companies or institutions about your address change. This is so that the new owners will not keep receiving your mail, but this is also for you – someone else receiving mail that’s meant for you is a potential infringement of your privacy.
When moving out of your home, you’ll naturally have some arrangements with the realtor or new owner about what repairs will be your responsibility. As you prepare to leave, see that the home is in good condition for the new owners. It’s not just a part of your agreement with them, but it’s also a way to welcome them to their new space.
