Getting your home ready to be viewed by strangers in the hope that one of them will fall in love with the house and put in an offer that reflects the value you were aiming for can be quite a tough and demanding task.
Before you phone an estate agent to evaluate your home, do a detailed interior and exterior check to make sure your property is in top shape, fixing up any small (or big) problems that might lower the value or give the potential buyer a reason to put in a low offer.
RE/MAX of Southern Africa shared a checklist of items that should be inspected for defects, faults or failings. Get your notebook out and check:
- The roof for leaks or cracks or structural issues;
- All electrical systems and wiring;
- The plumbing system for water pressure issues or leaks, including the swimming pool (if you have one);
- The sewage system on your property, septic, conservancy tank (or whatever sewerage disposal system applies) to make sure there are no blockages or leaks;
- The foundations for cracks, bulges, flooding, and dampness;
- Wet walls and any mould or problems with tiling;
- If your house has excess water that needs to be pumped away, you will need to declare this and appropriate information about your pump/drainage system;
- Structural defects associated with the property boundary. Is there a disagreement between you (or anyone else) about the boundary lines of your property? Does anything encroach on the property? If so, what?;
- If you have made alterations, extended or built more structures on your property, were these properly approved by the council?;
- Has the property or any part of it been declared a historic monument or a heritage site?
Found any of these issues? If you, as the seller, decide not to fix these problems, make sure to disclose the defects before all parties sign the Offer to Purchase.
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