Getting Your Flower Mound Home Ready for the Appraiser
If you own Flower Mound, Texas real estate, and you are trying to sell your home, there are a couple of things to consider doing before you put your house on the market. Consider that if someone is applying for a loan to buy your home, they will need to have it appraised to find out how much the bank will loan against it. Obviously, you will want your home to appraise at the fullest value possible. The best way to do this is go through this checklist, and be sure that you have covered all the bases. PAINTING OUTSIDE If your house has cracking and flaking paint; it is time to give it another coat. Touching up spots here and there will only make it appear like you are trying to hide something, so be honest with yourself, and consider getting at least one coat of fresh, crisp color on your home so it can look its best. PAINTING INSIDE Again, if your home is just a little pale, this is not necessarily a reason to paint the whole thing, but it sure will help. If you have flakes and peeling, and particularly water marks, these will unquestionably need to be painted. Water marks are signs of a water leak, and this always lowers the cost of a house. If the new owners are not confident that the leak has been fixed, they will want to reserve money for repairs right from the beginning. Neutral colors work best, with white ceilings and trim. MILDEW Always address any mildew problems. This is a real deal breaker. Nobody wants to move into a house with mold and mildew, and financial institutions will not loan as much against it. First of all, stop the water from leaking inside. Then repair any drywall if it needs it, or simply scrape it smooth and skim it with drywall compound. Then get a good stain blocker like ‘Kilz” primer, and make sure there are no signs of water before you present it to the appraiser. Then you can honestly say ‘It has been fixed.’ THE YARD Whether they are conscious of it or not, most people’s first opinion of your house will be their lasting one. If they pull up and see old cars all over the lot- even if you promise to get rid of them- this will leave a bad taste in their mouth. Just because you like to work on cars, doesn’t mean the new owner will. And there is a 99% chance that the new owner’s wife will not either, and she plays a large role in choosing their next home. More importantly, the bank will reduce a property’s value that has anything in the yard that is not part of the house. From their standpoint, if it will be leaving, it should be gone by the time the appraiser comes out.
