Fall Chores for the Winter Market

Dear Pat,
We are thinking about selling our home sometime in the next year. We are trying to get our house ready for sale but are overwhelmed by what to do next. What are the most essential tasks for us to do before we sell? How many houses sell in the winter or should we plan to wait until spring? We want to find a new home before we sell.
 --Too Much To Do

Dear Too Much,
You have asked some really important questions. There is still time to complete small exterior repairs which will make a big difference if you end up selling your home in the winter months. We expect the market to be brisk all through the year: last January, for example, was extremely busy. Your dream home could come on the market any time, so you're smart to be prepared. Here's a list of chores to do before the snow falls:

--Scrape and paint as much of the exterior as necessary or feasible, but especially the front entry and threshold.
--Repair cement steps if cracked.
--Tuckpoint brick trim and foundation.
--Since you may sell in April, plant a few spring bulbs in front, get rid of scrub trees and weeds from garden.
--Clean garage and yard now (you don't want to be seen trying to chisel the kids' trikes out of the yard as the buyers are walking up to your house in January!).
--Clean gutters after the leaves fall (during the 30 seconds before the ice storm).
--Check the roof and make repairs now. Roofers work all year, but delays caused by snow cover or ice can be a problem during a transaction.

My list is far from complete, and I'm sure you can think of many other pre-selling chores that you'd rather do now, while the temperature is still above freezing. And, yes, we haven't covered anything on the all-important interior-that's another topic. But by getting started as soon as possible on the outside tasks, you'll gain an advantage over many other sellers if you go on the market in the winter.