Five maintenance tips to sell your home this summer

Are you in the process of selling your home this summer? Making sure your home is maintained to a high standard throughout all four seasons is no doubt vital in order to boost your chances for making a sale. However, the summer months are a great time to undertake some seasonal DIY maintenance on your house which will boost your chances of selling.

To increase your chances of selling this summer, we’ve put together five of our top home maintenance tips to tick off your list over the sunny days ahead!

Make some exterior touch-ups and repairs!

Now that the sun’s out and shining, it’s the perfect time to get outside and make those touch-ups and repairs to the outside of your house that you’ve been putting off over the winter months.

This work need not be expensive, but these small maintenance tasks will certainly contribute to the bigger picture of making your house more presentable and sale ready. Think about touching-up neglected windowpanes with a fresh coating of paint. Clean out the drainpipes, replace any missing tiles, and give the exteriors of the windows a wipe down.

Don’t leave these until the winter months when it’s cold and miserable outside – take advantage of the sun and make your home stand out to prospective buyers! After all, it is the exterior of the house they will see first, and first impressions count!

Jet wash decking, patios and driveways

It’s not uncommon for garden decking and patios to appear beaten up following the harsh winter months of rain, fallen leaves and muddy shoes. This is especially the case if such flooring is neglected for years, as we come to forget their true beauty hidden under layers of grime and dirt.

Jet washing is a surprisingly delightful way of spending a hot summers day due to it being rewarding, satisfying and extremely therapeutic. Perhaps a neighbour or a friend has one you could borrow for the day? Or alternatively, you may wish to hire one for the day off the many businesses who offer these services. By washing it in the summer, you also have the added bonus of the sun drying it quickly – perfect for any unexpected viewings!

A jet washed patio or decking cleaned to a high standard will certainly catch the eye of a potential homeowner – so it’s made its way onto our list of summer maintenance for home sellers!

Check over your roofing

The roof of a house is a component which is often overlooked by homeowners – with maintenance usually called in once it’s too late (and often, costly). The summer period is a great time to inspect your roof for any areas you may wish to repair which will, as a result, make your home more attractive to potential buyers this summer.

If you are not confident checking your roof yourself, we highly recommend calling in a professional to take a look. Of course, you need not replace the whole roof in its entirety, but it is certainly worth repairing any noticeably loose or damaged shingles. Minor flaws on a roof are likely to go over the heads of the homeowner as they become used to them, yet may stand out to a pair of fresh eyes – so its best to have a check!

Address any damp which may have formed over the winter

Throughout the cold and rainy months between October and March, it’s not uncommon for houses to accumulate potential damp and/or mould as a result. You may skip this step if your house is damp-free (nice work!), but if you spot any, the summertime offers a great window of opportunity to address any mouldy problems accumulated over the winter.

Household retailer B&Q has some excellent tips on their website for mould treatment and prevention, so we recommend having a read through this summer and sort out any issues before the winter (and more importantly, before any future house viewings!).

Take pest control measures

The summer months are often celebrated for their glorious weather, which brings out an abundance of plant, animal and human life. Unfortunately, a small proportion of this life appears in the form of unwanted pests, infiltrating our homes during this season and being a nuisance. We’re not just talking about in-laws here – we’re talking about rats, mice and other opportunistic vermin seeking out our food waste.

Throughout the summer, be extra careful to maintain a high standard of cleanliness in your living areas in order to minimise the risk of potential vermin. Keeping bins tidy can also play a large role in deterring unwanted pests, as the sunny heat can exacerbate smells coming from the bins and attract pests. As these are the last thing you want in your house when you’re trying to sell, we recommend making this a priority should it become an apparent problem.

We hope our tips will keep your home looking great this summer! If you do need further advice, do get in touch with us here.