When you’re selling a home, the temptation is always to focus on the visual appeal of kitchens, bathrooms, and curb appeal. These things are important for sure, but if you ignore all the behind-the-scenes systems, you’ll be sorry. That’s why we developed a home maintenance checklist.

When potential buyers are looking at a home, they don’t expect to find leaky pipes, really old hot water heaters or furnaces, or switches that don’t work.

These will generally turn off a buyer, regardless of how amazing the kitchen and bathrooms look.

Home inspectors will likely come through your home as part of the sales process, and they can derail a sale if they start pointing out issues that normally wouldn’t be seen by a homeowner.

Having a pre-sale home maintenance checklist will serve you well. For some of these inspections, you would be wise to hire a professional to assist. It’s safer to have an electrician review your wiring and an HVAC technician will know exactly what to look for on your furnace and air conditioning unit.

Heating & Cooling

• Change or clean furnace and air conditioning filters.
• Clear and clean areas around heating and cooling equipment. 
• Have equipment serviced if needed.
• If your equipment is older consider having it replaced.

Electrical

• Check your electrical box for loose wires. If you see any, don’t touch them or the box. Call an electrician.
• Check exposed wiring and outlets for signs of wear or damage. 
• Repair and test switches and outlets.
• If any part of your electrical system is in question, hire a professional to service it.

Plumbing

• Check water pressure when faucets in bathroom(s) and kitchen are turned on. 
• Look for leaks at faucets, sink traps, and valves.
• Clear slow-running or clogged drains. 
• If any part of your plumbing system is in question, hire a professional to service it.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with looking at all these systems yourself, and you’re not sure you know what to look for, one easy way to get this done (and more) is to hire a home inspector. A certified home inspector can usually cover all mechanical issues and more.

They’ll be able to identify possible trouble spots you need to address. Plus, buyers may want to have an inspection done anyway and you can save them a step in the process by showing them you have already done that and addressed any issues. That gets you on the road to an offer faster.

Turning to a real estate agent for a professional opinion can help if you’re not sure which systems to upgrade. It pays to know what competition you’re facing.