Start Thinking Spring

 

One of the benefits of living in Virginia is the change of seasons. The summer brings hiking, boating, and trips to the beach. The autumn colors in the Shenandoah Valley attract fans from all over the country. Our mild winters bring snow, holidays, and cozying up to the fire.

And then spring arrives! In addition to garden starts and spring cleaning, spring is also when realtors start listing homes. If you’re planning a move to Bridgewater Retirement Community, now is time to start preparing your home to sell. If you’re like many seniors, you’ve lived in the same house for a while and may not know where to start. Here are some things to consider:

 Exteriors

Realtors talk about “curb appeal,” which is how a home looks from the road. You’ll want to power-wash the exterior surfaces of your home and consider a fresh coat of paint. Assess the condition of walkways, railings, gutters, and windows and replace pieces that are broken or overly worn.

 Landscaping

Lawns and greenery make up a large part of curb appeal. Trim shrubs and prune trees. You may have to plant new grass to fill in bare patches. In the spring, blossoming flowers attract both butterflies and buyers. Expect to mow often to keep the grass manicured for prospective buyers.

 Interiors

The house should be clean and straight, at a minimum. Check for defects that will catch a buyer’s eye – burned out bulbs or dings and scratches on the walls. You may have lived with these for so long they’ve become invisible to you. Clean out clutter, especially overcrowded rooms that limit the imagination of buyers.

 Home systems (Electric, HVAC)

Some people don’t mind a fixer-upper, but others will be turned off by an ancient or broken heating system. You may have to choose between upgrading or lowering the price. Replace filters and think about cleaning out vents, compressors, and other parts to reassure buyers.

 Then leave spring cleaning behind

This is only a partial list of things to consider. It’s always best to work with your realtor to determine what needs to be done – he or she will know the market and what prospective buyers are looking for. We created this list based on the things we do at Bridgewater to prepare for new residents.

 

And that’s one of the great benefits of living at Bridgewater. We take care of all maintenance and landscaping! Mowing, mulching, and weed control are not in our residents’ vocabulary unless they choose it. Of course, you can always have your own garden – we have a lovely community garden here that now features a greenhouse built by Bridgewater College students. Our maintenance team manages all HVAC, plumbing, and electrical chores. They will fix or replace appliances as needed. They even replace the batteries in the smoke alarms.

In addition, we offer regular housekeeping as an add-on service, and a special spring cleaning service is also available. So now when you think spring, you can concentrate on the longer days and warmer weather instead of grueling chores.