6 Ways a Handyman Can Make Your House Shine

I’ve talked about things you can do for yourself when preparing your house for sale, but some jobs are just too big to take on alone. Since I’m a handyman here in the Asheville area, I thought I’d offer a list of 6 ways a guy like me can help you get your house ready for sale.

1)      A Walk-Through. This is probably the best service you can get from a good handyman: a walk-through of your home to help you decide what needs to be fixed. Even if you don’t hire a handyman, get a friend to walk through the house with you to make a checklist of things to fix up or clean before you put it on the market. You need someone who can look at your house with a detached eye and see the things you overlook from habit. After all, your buyer will see the house for the first time, and they will see many things you no longer notice.

2)      Fixing Holes and Repainting. It’s easy enough to touch up the paint on your house, but if your walls have lots of little holes and dents, you might want to call in a professional to patch over all the little blemishes. Professional painters are also faster and neater than many amateurs, which makes a difference when you’re in a hurry to get your house ready to sell.

3)      Patching Your Floor. If you’re planning to replace or repair the flooring in a large area, it’s best to call in a flooring specialist; but specialists often don’t want to do small jobs. For example, if you’ve got an older hardwood floor, you’ve probably noticed that it’s getting worn in high-traffic areas such as the spot just in front of the door. Replacing bits of flooring takes skill if you want to do it seamlessly, so hire it out to a handyman.

4)      Replacing Faucets, Door Knobs and Locks. If you’re handy with a screwdriver or a pair of pliers, and you can read directions, you can probably replace these items yourself. But this kind of work can seem intimidating, especially with the more complicated locks. That’s when you should call a handyman.

5)      Touching Up the Tub. You may not realize it, but your house is constantly in motion—very limited motion—due to changes in humidity and temperature. One thing that often moves a little bit is your bathroom wall; this often leaves an ugly little gap between the tub and the wall. Get your handyman to refresh the caulk line and brighten up the bathtub.

6)      Replacing Appliances, Light Fixtures and Ceiling Fans. I’m not a huge fan of new appliances—those fancy electronic models seem to require more repairs than the old ones—but many home buyers like to see an updated kitchen and laundry area. Our local “big box” hardware store no longer offers appliance installation, so unless you can install your new fixtures yourself, you’ll need to call a handyman or appliance specialist.

This is really just a short list of the many ways a good handyman can help you. As I mentioned in the beginning, the most important thing you can get from a handyman is a fresh set of eyes to see what your house might need in order to look its best.

Need a little help making your “to do” list? If you’re in Asheville, give me a call.