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What should you do if you plan on never selling your home? Get it — and keep it — in ready-to-sell condition.
“We all think we’re going to live in our houses for the rest of our lives. The reality is you’ve got to be prepared for what tomorrow looks like,” said Tracey Esling, 2024 president-elect for Bay East Association of Realtors.
Russ and Doris Slater, 53-year Pleasanton residents, weren’t planning on ever moving. This changed when they needed to move closer to their grandchildren.
They experienced some surprises while getting their home ready to sell. “The home inspections revealed things that you wouldn’t really think about,” Russ Slater said. “We had foundation and pest repairs that were expensive.”
Esling, a Tri-Valley resident and Realtor, said preventative and ongoing maintenance sooner rather than later will make a home safer and more comfortable to live in. And if needed, easier to sell in the future — planned or otherwise.
“There’s less to do,” Esling said. “Because our lives can change rather quickly, if you need to get your home on the market quickly, if you have to go backwards and get a lot of maintenance done, it could make preparing your home for sale more complicated.”
Esling said homeowners can start from the outside in: “You need to make sure the gutters are intact and clean because there are lots of trees in Pleasanton. Paint it and watch if there are cracks in the stucco. Is there wood rot? Are there shrubs and bushes growing up against your home? You need to make sure those items are maintained.”
Plumbing problems can creep up on homeowners particularly in Pleasanton where many homes were built more than 50 years ago. Esling said to be on the lookout for leaks under sinks, bathtubs and showers.
“Any type of leaks, even running toilets, if you see a leak, you need to check it,” Esling said. “Windows can leak and they can crack, all kinds of things can happen and you need to maintain those windows.”
Preparing their home for sale taught the Slaters several lessons that are valuable to all homeowners, even if they aren’t planning to sell. Russ Slater said, “We pulled up the carpet and discovered pristine hardwood floors,” another lesson for homeowners not planning to sell but still wanting to improve their home: regular maintenance can uncover a pleasant surprise.
Both Slater and Esling agree that professionals can help homeowners stay ahead of keeping a home in shape either for the long haul or for getting it ready to sell.
Esling said, “You need to reach out to a real estate agent because they have contacts. That’s what every one of my clients have said. Agents have painters, landscape people, roofers, gutter people, tree trimmers, we have the people that you need to make sure that your maintenance is done.”
Moving inside, Esling had more suggestions for homeowners who want to stay put: “They need to keep their homes decluttered, they need to paint the interiors, check the plumbing, keep the home up-to-date.”
Esling said homeowners don’t necessarily need to take on a large-scale remodeling project, adding, “Paint and flooring are probably the two most important things that you need to keep in good shape. You need to maintain the interior just like you maintain the exterior.”
Maintaining a home is easier if there’s less clutter and minimizing now can help later when a home is sold.
The Slaters had to tackle the declutter challenge. “We had three kids and once they left home, all of our closets were filled,” Russ Slater said. His advice for anyone planning on staying or moving is to “resist the temptation to fill empty space. If you’re willing to get rid of stuff, you’re well ahead of the game.”
Esling also had advice for taming clutter, “If a homeowner has a family, start there. The reason I say that is we all think our children want everything and the children are the ones who end up dealing with your things. Ask your kids, ‘What do you want, what don’t you want?'” For those who may not have children, Esling said someone will still eventually have to deal with their belongings and suggested everyone minimize sooner rather than later.
Getting a home ready for sale now, even if that sale may be many years in the future, could decrease the impact on a homeowner’s life when the home is eventually put on the market. Esling agreed that a homeowner can either keep their home in good shape now or be faced with having to move out while extensive maintenance and repair work is done when they are preparing to sell the house. Having to replace carpet and repaint at the same time can be disruptive versus completing that work as separate projects.
“You have to be prepared for what’s going to happen in life, and what may lead to having to sell your home. If you can be prepared, it helps when those moments come,” Esling said.
Editor’s note: David Stark is chief public affairs and communications officer for the Bay East Association of Realtors, based in Pleasanton.
