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Real Estate
Whip Your Home Into Shape
IBY ANGELA COLLEY
F YOU’RE LOOKING TO SELL YOUR home during prime house-shopping season this spring, you’d better get
cracking now. After all, it’s not as easy as slapping an ad on Craigslist. If you want your humble abode to stand out from the competition, that could take months to do right.
Step 1 to selling a home is a New Year’s classic: Whip your place into shape by x- ing any problems and upgrading the eye- sores. Because like it or not, your home has sustained some wear and tear over the years. Here’s how to assess the dam- age and nd out which renovations will pay o down the road.
1. Tally the Age of Various Items
No matter how great your home looks at rst glance, any savvy buyer will point to various parts and pop the question: How old? And since guesstimates won’t cut it, it’s time to gather some paperwork. If you’ve purchased your home in the past few years, check your home records or seller’s disclosure for the age or last repair of big items (namely your roof, HVAC system, water heater, and gutters), or dig up copies of your own maintenance records or receipts.
How long items last depends on a lot of factors such as the model and how well it’s been maintained, but you can get a general idea of average life span from the National Association of Home Builders. For example:
• Wood shingle and shake roof: 15 to 30
years
• Central air-conditioning unit: 15 years • Electric water heater: 14 years
• Gutters: 30 years

outdated plumbing.
While the cost varies, people pay
an average of $473 for a home inspec- tion, according to Angie’s List. Go to the National Association of Home Inspectors to nd an inspector in your area. It may cost a bit, but it will buy you the peace of mind of knowing you’re not in for any surprises down the road. In fact, having a home inspection report handy to show buyers can inspire con dence that they (and you by association) aren’t in for any nasty surprises as you move toward a deal.
4. Decide What Needs Renovating
Once you know what in your house could stand for repairs or upgrades, it’s time to decide where to infuse some cash. Don’t worry, not everything needs to be done before your home’s on the market. And while you’re probably not jump- ing at the idea of renovating a property you’re going to sell, certain xes will give you an edge over the competition, which means more/better o ers. Remember, real estate is an investment!
But don’t just obsess over the obvious – e.g., your kitchen could stand for new cabinets. After all, many buyers will want to tweak cosmetic details to their own tastes, so you could be throwing money down the drain. Instead, focus on x-its that are less susceptible to personal pref- erences that buyers like to know are in good shape.
For example, a recent study by the National Association of Realtors found that upgrading hardwood oors reaps an estimated 100 percent return on investment, essentially paying for itself. Upgrading your insulation can net you a 95 percent ROI, a new roof a whopping 105 percent! Because what buyers don’t like to know they’ve got a solid roof over their heads?
2. Do Your Own Walk-Through
Channel Sherlock Holmes and go through your home, room by room. Look for signs of damage that might drag down its value. Chandler Crouch, broker for Chandler Crouch Realtors in Forth Worth, Texas, suggests looking for these common problem spots:
• Wood rot around outside door frames, window ledges, and garage doors. Con- densation and rain can cause these areas to weaken and rot.
• Water stains on the ceiling or near doors and windows. This can indicate a leaky roof or rain seeping in from outside.
• Leaks under sinks or around toilets.
• Bulges under carpet or discoloration on hardwood oors, which can indi- cate ooding problems or an uneven
foundation.
Next, test what’s called the “func-
tionality” in every room. For example,
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“Cracks visible in the walls and oor, doors that don’t shut right, broken han- dles on cabinetry, basically anything that doesn’t work perfectly should be repaired,” Crouch says. And don’t forget to inspect the outside.
“A lot of sellers skip the outside, but it is so important. That is where buyers will make their rst impression,” says Darbi McGlone, a realtor with Jim Talbot Real Estate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
3. Bring in the Pros
Once you’ve done your own walk- through, you may want to have a pro take a second look. These people can spot aws you overlooked, because either you’re used to them or you didn’t realize they could cause trouble. You can enlist a Realtor or hire a home inspector to do an inspection (or pre-inspection) to pinpoint problems from bad wiring to
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