To-Do List before Selling Your Property

To-Do List You Should Do before Selling Your Property!

​​As a landlord and property owner, it is imperative that the unit you are renting to potential tenants is not only spacious and aesthetically pleasing, but also safe and well-functioning. Complaints of leaking roofs or clogged pipes will cost longer in the long run to repair as not only do you risk losing unhappy tenants, but because one problem is likely to compound into several more mishaps. A leaking roof can also cause mould growth, damaged wallpaper or paint chipping off. The sooner these issues in your property is thoroughly examined and renovated, the easer your business will be when leasing or selling your property, satisfied customers.

Furthermore, the last thing anyone wants is the risk of harm to someone’s health. Mold allergies, non-functioning fire systems, outdated boilers and pipes about to burst can not only injure someone, but also threaten someone’s life. Home is meant to be a safe, comfortable place for anyone, and the following checklist will make sure that this is so for your potential clients.

​1. Water leakage detection

​Do you suspect that there water stains on the ceiling or walls? Is there an area where paint keeps chipping off? Is there frequent condensation on windows? Moisture control is crucial to making sure the home is well insulation, energy efficient and mold resistant. Addressing leaking taps and pipes can save up to 2000 gallons of water per year!

A way to detect if there are any large leaks is by using the water meter. Turn off all taps and appliances that use water, both inside and outside the house, then take note of the meter reading. After 20-30 minutes, if the reading changes, it could be due to a large water leak that should be found and fixed immediately. Smaller leaks, however, can go unnoticed and are difficult to detect.

Since water leaks can come from many sources (taps, tub, toilet, water machines etc.), it saves a lot of time and money to hire experts to check the house thoroughly for water leaks. GTA Resoration’s water leak detection is an example of a good service to get this done. From there on, if there are leaks that are easily repairable, such as a leaky faucet, simply fix it yourself. Having a new faucet is also attractive and a bonus point for selling your home. For major leaks, it is better to hire a service to get it fixed. 

Waterproofing the house is another option to consider. Chances are, Water leaks will continue to occur throughout the year. Many leaks will go unattended for years and cause huge water losses in the long run. Unnoticed water leaks can also lead to structural damage and mold growth, which compound the amount of problems in the building that you may end up paying a lot of money for. Waterproofing may initially seem like a costly process, but it saves a lot of time and money in the long run as it prevents future leaking and mold formation.

2. Is there mold growth or chances of mould growth?

​Chances are, there is already some mold in the house, especially in the bathroom. Having a mold removal service like that of GTA Restoration is an excellent choice to rid the property of any mold growth. The next step is to prevent this further.

Many people suffer from mold spore allergies. Furthermore, mold spores can react with substances in the air to create toxins that take the form of black mold spores that can cause respiratory illnesses and asthma in those living among it.

Two of the main causes of mold growth are water leakages and roof leakages (check number 2 and 5 on this list).

If you have decades old carpeting or a stack of ancient newspapers, throw them away. It is highly likely that mold (among many other nasty entities) are thriving there already, completely unnoticed. 

Buying a humidity meter can make it easy to keep humidity levels between 30-60%, which is the safe zone to avoid mould growth.

Improving air circulation is also a great away to make an environment unsuitable for mould growth. Install door holders to keep doors open between rooms, clean out ventilation shafts and move furniture away from windows and walls. The kitchen, bathroom and laundry room must have ventilation installed that is functioning and well cleaned.

Check the drainage system and exterior of the house. Does the water slope away onto the road or does it stay and collect around the house? Make sure there are drainage pipes to collect water from the roof and direct it away from the house. 

If you are renovating the walls of the house, buy mold resistant paint and give the walls a coat of some neutral color. Remove old wallpaper (which mould can grow behind), clean the walls and paint it freshly with mold resistant paint. Not only does this mold-proof the house, but it also gives an appearance that isn’t distracting and is attractive to buyers.

3. Is the house electrically safe?

​Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority reported that nearly 110 children under the age of 15 are rushed to emergency due to electrical injuries every year. The number of non-fatal electrical injuries is even higher.

Making your property’s electric circuits safe is perhaps the most important item on your checklist-especially if you plan to sell to a family with children. Here are some of the things you can look out for:

Burn marks on sockets; if you see any of these around the house/building, have it looked into immediately. 
Worn out or broken cables. Each and every cable and lead should be thoroughly examined to make sure it isn’t close to water sources or heat sources such as the stove, isn’t in a place where it can be touched or tripped over easily and is properly covered and insulated. 
Broken outlets or visible colored wires. All wires should be held firmly inside the socket. The socket should be checked to see that there aren’t any naked live-wires or broken wires.

It is a good idea to invest in safety proofing all the sockets. This will greatly attract buyers with children.

4. Is the roof leaking?

​Leaving a leaking roof can end in many ways-and none of them are good. Except for the annoying breeze of bitter cold air that can come through and the dripping of water into the household after every rain spell (which is more than enough to turn away buyers immediately), leaking roofs bring with them an abundance of health hazards. The most dangerous of these is the risk of fire. Water getting under the roof can make its way into the electrical circuits and wiring in the ceiling. Even if it doesn’t cause a fire, it can damage many electrical outlets in the house and a house without functioning electricity is a house no one will live in.

Water can also corrode wooden roof support and wall framing. This deterioration, if left alone long enough, could cause the roof’s foundations to collapse.

5. Fire safety

Test all present smoke alarms and install new ones in each and every room in the house. This is the most important step of preparing your property for sale. Fire extinguishers should be kept around the house where the likelihoods of a fire damage occurring is highest and is easily accessible in the case of an emergency. Get the boiler and gas pipes checked by the gas provider, and ask them to take a look to make sure there aren’t major fire hazards lying around that could be removed.

All of this may sound expensive, time consuming and maybe even unnecessary to some, but it is crucial to look at the long term consequences of neglecting any of the issues listed. Major water leaks, unhappy tenants and an actual fire are things that will not save you any money or time and can be avoided by taking the necessary precaution before selling a safe, energy efficient property to a happy family.