In this Knoxville home market, buyers are expecting the property to be “move in” ready. In order to sell your house in this competitive market, these repairs should be made before you list your Knoxville home for sale.

Repair and clean the gutters. Loose or hanging gutters are a huge red flag that the property hasn’t been maintained.

Fix cabinet doors that are askew. Make sure all cabinet doors can open and close easily.  Cabinet pulls and hardware should be updated and installed properly.

Replace chipped tile and re-seal grout. A cracked or chipped tile will stick out like a sore thumb to potential buyers. It leaves an impression that the home will require a lot of work before moving in.

Repair leaky or dripping faucets. You might not notice a drippy faucet, but a potential buyer will.

Patch nail holes. A little putty and paint and potential buyers will never know where pictures or posters used to hang.

Eliminate odors. Candles or potpourri can’t mask powerful kitchen odors or the smell of smokers living in the home. Cleaning can usually eliminate most kitchen smells, but certain deep fried cooking aromas can permeate the cabinets, ceiling, and walls. A more thorough, deep scrubbing might be necessary. For smokers, cleaning might not be enough. Removing carpet and painting the walls may be the only way to eliminate the smell of smoke.

Clean the baseboards. Dust and grime accumulate along the baseboards and in corners where the vacuum and mop can’t reach. Spend some extra time getting those hard to reach places.

Remove peeling wallpaper. Outdated, peeling wallpaper represents a headache to a potential buyer. Remove the wallpaper and go with a neutral paint color.

Making all these necessary repairs will give you an advantage when trying to sell your Knoxville home. If you have any questions about listing your house, then contact an experienced Realtor, like Judi Starliper and the J-Star Team.