Scary....my to-do list to sell my house

[FreshTressa]

I have to do all of those things before I can put my house on the market....it is going to take years!!!

Get boxes
Pack boxes
Fix window


Garage-
cleanx
fix windowx
fix garage door so it closes straight

kitchen-
repair microwave handle
repair drawer
repair cabinet
move couch
?paint
take down posters

Living Room/Entry
Paint downstairs bathroom
Sweep Popcorn ceilings ?call to see how much to remove
Paint living room and dining room

Office-
remove air condtioner

Hallway
carpet stairs
glue wood on floor
can you fix squeaks?

Cat bathroom
Install new towel rack
sand and paint trim
fix faucet
try to get it so you cant see back crack
Remove paint stains from toilet

Allison's bedroom
?Paint - low priority

Master Bedroom
Install Mirrors

All over house-
New doors
touch up white trim
polish floors
clean moulding
make sure closet doors work
Wash windows

OUTDOORS
Install kick plate
Ask Kenny if he can patch porch cement
Touch up Paint
Get roof cleaned
New Gutters
Wash windows

Landscaping
Clean Backyardx
Fill dig holesx
Fertilize Lawnx
Remove Bushesx
Edge
Place River Rock
Put down new bark

 

[luv2nascar]

set small goals for yourself. Family should be assigned jobs too. Do some every weekend. It was easier for me to pack a box a week night than the other things I had to do. So pack a box everynight especially load up stuff to go night before garbage. Trim down stuff if you aren't using it you won't use it after you move either. Donate, sell or give it away.

 

[Briarmom]

I am right there with you.
The realtor called today and asked how it was coming along. Everytime I get something done, the kids make a huge mess and I have to stop what I'm doing and clean that up. How the heck am I going to get my house to stay clean?
We painted some white paint in our bathroom where we'd flubbed and gotten blue on the ceiling. I went to get the blue paint to make it look good...OH! We are out of it!
This is going to be the hardest move ever.

 

[FreshTressa]

I am right there with you.
The realtor called today and asked how it was coming along. Everytime I get something done, the kids make a huge mess and I have to stop what I'm doing and clean that up. How the heck am I going to get my house to stay clean?
We painted some white paint in our bathroom where we'd flubbed and gotten blue on the ceiling. I went to get the blue paint to make it look good...OH! We are out of it!
This is going to be the hardest move ever.

Hehe...we need a support group! My kids are downstairs having a tea party and using the easy bake oven (without supervision *gasp*).

I don't even want to see the mess.

 

[Briarmom]

We need to have it on the market soon. We are moving the end of May and I can't imagine what it will be like if we don't sell...I just can't imagine it.

How the heck are you supposed to make your house look like a model? I have kids. We have a ton of toys. I don't want to get rid of the treadmill!!!!!!
I need a drink.

 

[barkley]

i've got my list too (but we had the realtor out and when he looked at some items he said he did'nt think they needed to be done so that eliminated a few things). i was HAPPILY surprised when i called a window cleaning company and they quoted only $115 to clean inside and out as well as the screens every window and slider in the house (and i have those nasty high windows up at the tippy top of the catherdral ceilings)-so i can cross that off my list and let them do it. the "yard guy" is going to do all the yard work (and we're timing that to be done a week before we list so it will look "fresh")-we also found it was cheaper to hire a local handyman who owns his own power washer vs. renting and washing the house and patios on our own.

as far as making a house look like a model home (esp when kids are around)-i've taken 2 large (artificial christmas tree storage size) plastic tubs and put them in the kids closets. if someone calls for a showing i can do a mad dash and throw any toys into them and cover with the lid. i'm also going to stay on top of the laundry so any dirty clothes can get tossed into an empty washer so they're out of sight. i also am going to stay on constant cob-web patrol because i think having them in the corners near the ceiling edge makes the cleanest house look dingy.
realtor said not to stress about packing anything but what we want to declutter and then it can go into the garage. i figure (and realtor backed this up) unless you are promoting something special (built in's, cabinetry, etc) in the garage most buyers know it's going to be a storage hole when you are marketing your house (and for us it's going to hold some of the extra furniture we are moving out to show off the size of the rooms).

good luck in your getting your chores done-try sprinkling some baby powder on wood floors that squeek. supposedly it will solve the problem (wd 40 works great on doors and sliders).

 

[momrek06]

We need to have it on the market soon. We are moving the end of May and I can't imagine what it will be like if we don't sell...I just can't imagine it.

How the heck are you supposed to make your house look like a model? I have kids. We have a ton of toys. I don't want to get rid of the treadmill!!!!!!
I need a drink.

We sold our house in MAY 2005. We were building a new house. BEFORE we even listed it, we spoke to allot of friends and family members and what everyone decided was to call a TRASH CO., and order those HUGE DUMPSTERS that they drop off at your house and START cleaning out the house. We were in our house for 15 yrs. Our sons were 4 & 7 and now they are 20 and 23! So as you can see we had EVERYTHING stock piled in the house from toys to clothes etc etc. It was the BEST idea. DH & I spent two whole weekends cleaning the house out and knowing what we were and were not taking to the new house AND then we LISTED it. So we were on the road to SOME SORT OF ORGANIZATION!!! Good Luck!!!

 

[FreshTressa]

Is your new house more organized??

My dad is coming over sunday with a pick up and hauling trailer to take to the goodwill and dump.

I'm so overwhelmed, I'm sitting here posting instead of working!

 

[momrek06]

Is your new house more organized??

My dad is coming over sunday with a pick up and hauling trailer to take to the goodwill and dump.

I'm so overwhelmed, I'm sitting here posting instead of working!

FreshTressa: Renting and having those dumpsters and cleaning out the house was so THERAPEUTIC...O MAN, I had stuff everywhere. We had to bite the bullet and clean it all out. YES! YES! YES! We moved into the new house June 1st and I have MAINTAINED a sense of over all well being BY simply not allowing the "crap" to pile up anymore. Both DH & I found throwing everything out we did NOT use very rewarding!!! YES, we did!! Ugh, I know that sounds crazy BUT once you START with the dumping and throwing and cleaning up and out, you are on a ROLL and you just need to keep going. I just did NOT want to list the house and still have the crap all over the place. YES, it is so overwhelming BUT once you start because you know it has to get done, you find some kind of inner strength and magically it gets done. It you have those dumpsters out in your driveway, it is just so easy to start cleaning. We put everything we were going to sell at a yard sale in the garage, and items to be trashed went right in the dumpster.

 

[Briarmom]

The dumpsters wouldn't work in our case. We have only lived here 3 years, but are done having BABIES so we have some baby stuff. Plus a lot of toys.

Our situation is different than most because we will be leaving our house the end of May, and the kids and I will go to my parents house for 3 months and then go to Egypt to live for 10 months. During this time, our main 'stuff' will be in storage for that time. So, I am looking at everything and saying 'if I don't take this with me, will I use it in a year.
My hair is going to fall out.

 

[momrek06]

The dumpsters wouldn't work in our case. We have only lived here 3 years, but are done having BABIES so we have some baby stuff. Plus a lot of toys.

Our situation is different than most because we will be leaving our house the end of May, and the kids and I will go to my parents house for 3 months and then go to Egypt to live for 10 months. During this time, our main 'stuff' will be in storage for that time. So, I am looking at everything and saying 'if I don't take this with me, will I use it in a year.
My hair is going to fall out.

NO NO NO, your hair will not be falling out. BUT you make a very good point. If you feel there are items that you will NOT need for a month, either throw those items away OR if in good condition have a yard sale and sell them.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I have to do all of those things before I can put my house on the market....it is going to take years!!!

Hallway
carpet stairs
glue wood on floor
can you fix squeaks?

We have squeaks upstairs on the floor. There is a way you can nail those down to lessen the squeaking noises...do a web search. Is it a carpeted area or is it wood?

 

[FreshTressa]

It is hardwoods.