How to get your home ready to sell

Start a few months before you list, so the repairs, the radon test and the paperwork are done before the first buyer walks through.

Repairs first

Walk the house room by room, the way a buyer's inspector would. List what isn't working, such as a dripping faucet, a sticking door or a stained ceiling. Fix the small ones yourself or in one visit from a handyman. For anything larger, have it done or get a written estimate, so you know the cost before a buyer asks.

Test for radon

Buyers often ask whether a house has been tested for radon, and whether a high level was lowered. Test now and keep the results. A short-term test stays in the house for 2 to 90 days, depending on the device, and the lab sends results within a few weeks.

If the level is 4 picocuries per liter or higher, have it fixed before you list. Levels below 4 still carry some risk and can often be lowered. Buyers may want the level in a space they plan to use, such as a basement they'd turn into a family room. Many also want a test by someone who isn't part of the sale.

Build the house file

Gather what shows how the house has been looked after.

• Permits and final sign-offs. Keep them for any work done while you owned the house. Permitted work is inspected by the building department while it's built, and a final inspection follows at the end.
• Warranties. Keep those from contractors and manufacturers, with their end dates.
• Repair and improvement records. Keep the receipts too.
• Equipment ages. Take them from the labels on the water heater, the furnace and the air conditioner. The roof's age is on its invoice or an inspection report.

A house built before 1978

In most homes built before 1978, the seller tells the buyer what's known about lead-based paint in the house before the contract is signed. Gather any lead reports or records you have for the file.

An annotated example

What to do next

Start the file now, even if the sale is months away. List the repairs from your walk-through, book the radon test, and put the permits, warranties and receipts in one folder.