Exterior Maintenance Checklist For Selling Your House In Maryland

Intro

Selling a house in Maryland can be quite stressful. Getting the right price for your home is usually not easy. The process of getting it ready for market, looking for prospective buyers, and showing your home can take a lot out of you. There are however various things that you can do that will ensure that you get the best offer possible without making any mistakes along the way.

One of these steps is to have an exterior maintenance checklist at hand to ensure that nothing goes unnoticed during this time and all needed work gets done before putting your house on the market. Most prospective buyers will likely go through your property one or more times before they decide on whether to buy it or not.

In this article, we will share with you an exterior maintenance checklist that you can use to ensure that your home is in the top shape and ready for sale.

Landscape and lawn

The way your home appears from the outside will often give a prospective buyer or passerby their first opinion of it. It is thus important that everything about your yard, lawn, fencing, walkways, driveways and other visible landscaping elements look great at all times. Some things to check once in a while include:

· Mulching- Make sure mulch is present around shrubs and trees as well as sprucing up planters. The presence of mulch helps in keeping moisture levels appropriate within plants during warmer weather which makes them much more healthy looking. This also prevents weeds from growing.

· Trees and shrubs- Check trees to ensure they don’t have broken limbs or branches that need pruning. Shrubs should be trimmed correctly with the least amount of damage to their bark. Shrubs that are too close to your home can also block windows, doors or patios which makes it look messy and even become a hazard if branches fall on vehicles or people during a windy day.

· Weed control- Regularly check for weeds around the lawn and make sure you remove them as soon as you see them. It is often recommended to do this every few weeks . You may use an herbicide purchased over the counter from your local store but be careful not to treat areas where flowers grow.

· Fertilizer- Applying fertilizer during spring will ensure that your lawn stays green and healthy throughout the summer months. This helps in keeping weeds away while making nutrients readily available for grass to absorb them quickly. For best results, use a soil test and follow its recommendations when applying the right amount of fertilizer.

Roofing

Having a roof that leaks or is about to fall off can ruin all chances you have of selling your home at top price no matter how great everything else is with it on the outside. The most visible part of your house from street view is the roof so you should make sure it looks as good as possible before showing and taking pictures for marketing materials. This should include:

· Roof Inspections- You should inspect your roof regularly and fix any leaks, damaged shingles or flashing as soon as you spot them. If you are unsure about what to look for when inspecting your roof then get help from a professional contractor. A good rule of thumb is replacing your roof every 15 years even if it’s still in good condition. This will ensure that no problem goes unfixed due to the normal wear and tear affecting roofs over long periods of time.

· Gutter cleaning– Gutters tend to accumulate leaves and other debris during most parts of the year which can easily block them hence limiting drainage away from houses. Cleaning out these gutters after each fall season is a very important step in keeping your roof in good condition and protected from problems. You can either use a ladder to reach the top of your house or get professional help if you are uncomfortable using a ladder.

Exterior walls, doors and windows


It is often recommended that you wash down all exterior walls with water regularly so as to prevent them from looking old and worn out. This should also be done for any brick siding present on your home’s exterior. Some other things to check include:

· Paint- It is very important to ensure that exterior paint on your home is well maintained at all times because it will affect how people view your property from outside through its color and appearance. If the paint has faded or started peeling off then take it back to a point where it looks good. Generally, you should repaint your house periodically in a new color every 8 – 10 years or sooner if necessary.

· Windows- Another part of the exterior walls that needs to be cleaned regularly is the windows . Dirt and grime tend to accumulate on these glass areas over time and cleaning them will ensure they stay looking as clear as possible at all times. If done well then window washing can help increase curb appeal by making rooms appear brighter from outside because people won’t see smudges and fingerprints on their surfaces. It also allows natural light into living spaces instead of diminishing its quality through dirty windows

Your Turn

So what else could you do to improve how your house looks from the outside? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.