Your Realtor came, inspected, and gave you a “honey-do” list of things that needed to be accomplished in order to get your house ready to show and sell for the best price. You did most of the things, all the big stuff. Good enough, right? Wrong! Leaving even small problems can put your home in the “fixer-upper” category.

Long list!

The list was long and, you were thinking, a bit over zealous. I mean after all, they surely didn’t mean you really had to touch up the paint behind the bedroom door or in the closet. Who looks there anyway? Everyone, that’s who!

Besides, you’re thinking, they’re going to repaint anyway. Better to do a few obvious things on the list and no one will notice the rest. The problem is that they do notice. This is especially true if the homebuyers are first time buyers who have always had a landlord, or their parents, fixing things around their living spaces.

It may be as simple as a paint touch up or replacing a wall switch cover, but for someone who doesn’t know how it’s a big deal. Even for those who have previously been homeowners they may know how easy it is to fix those little things, but they may be thinking “ok, so what else is wrong here?”

TV shows don’t help!

Have you ever watched those HGTV shows like House Hunters or Fixer Upper? In House Hunters they often have just those kinds of brand new first time buyers. Have you noticed how nit picky those house hunters are? Watch an episode or two and see how quickly they turn their noses up at a home that has a few minors to-do’s left on the list. The Realtor will try and minimize it with a “that’s a simple fix” but they are having none of it.

Then there is Fixer Upper

Chip and Joanna Gaines find a few houses that are fixer uppers and then they fix it up. The problem for you, the homeowner, would be that shows like that show potential buyers all of the possible “skeletons in the closet” like bad wiring, etc., that they think could be wrong with your home because you missed those little details.

So take the time and do it all!