You need to check for any odors. Ask a friend or neighbor to help you because they will be able to smell odors you are used to and therefore do not notice any more. Obviously you want the home you inherited to look and smell as new, clean and fresh as it possibly can. 

More often than not, the bad smell is caused by mold, mildew, and the releasing of foul gasses inside the house. Lack of air circulation further enhances these problems. If the house is not lit properly, more complications can be expected.

First and foremost, try finding out the source of the moisture and take actions to remove the problem. You may also need to call a professional if there is a cracked foundation, water leak or roof leakage. It becomes really easy to fix the problem once you have found the source.

Using a dehumidifier to keep the moisture level down in a place that stays damp and dark is also a good idea. If you can dry the area, it would be beneficial.  

Scrubbing the smelly areas of the house by using boric acid, white vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide etc. is a good way to get rid of the smell. Once done, don’t forget to ventilate the rooms with fans, open windows or keeping the air conditioning on.

Opening the windows and letting the sun shine in will also help in reducing the smell of these musty areas. 

Using Zeolite powder is also an effective way some people use to deodorize the smells in the house. It is reusable and lasts a long time. Charcoal is another substance that can be used to deodorize.

Baking soda is yet another safe and effective way to combat musty odors in the house. You can do it by spraying baking soda over the problem area, which will help in soaking up any moisture and defuse the smell. It is preferable to leave on overnight and then vacuum up in the morning.

Repairs to Consider

When selling a home that you have inherited, your rooms will look larger if the walls are light colored and the lighting is bright. If any walls are painted in a dark color, you might want to think about painting them white or off-white.

If the walls are a light color, but dirty, another coat should freshen them up. Increasing the wattage of the light bulbs in the house can really brighten it up, too. If your house is carpeted, you should replace any overly stained or odorous areas.

If you don't want to replace the carpet, a good shampooing should take out the worst of the dirt and make it smell better. Clean and polish all the mirrors and windows.

You should also thoroughly clean your oven and stove.  Clean the drip pans under each burner and the oven. Ensure all the dirt build-up and grease are removed.

Polish the exterior of the oven and stove until it shines. You also need to clean the other appliances, such as the dishwasher and refrigerator. Clean all the kitchen countertops and try to have them uncluttered. Try to reduce the number of items in all the cabinets in the house, including the kitchen cabinets.

Clean the window treatments, including blinds, and get rid of all the fingerprints around the light switches and doorknobs. Be sure the areas around the trashcans are cleaned, especially the one in the kitchen.

Make sure the clothes in your closets are hanging neatly, rather than being overcrowded. Remove some of the items on the floor and shelves, so the room looks clear and more spacious. Your basement, garage and attic space should also be cleaned and tidied up.

If the home you inherited has any squeaks, leaks or rattles, do everything you can to eliminate them.  These noises and sounds can give the impression there is a lot of work which needs to be done. Tighten any loose screws, bolts or nuts on doorknobs, light switches and cabinet hinges.

Tack down any loose mouldings. You might want to clean and replace the caulking in the house. If your steps, stairs or banister are loose, tighten them up. Repair any water leaks and get rid of any signs of water damage. You can paint over the water stains or replace damaged wallpaper. Fix any doors or windows that do not open and close smoothly.

Selling your home requires you to pay attention to a bunch of different things. In addition to talking about the financial details to agents, you need to keep your house in the best condition possible for selling.

Every buyer who tours your house is going to be looking for something a little bit different, but you can do a few things to help make your house as appealing as possible to everybody. Every home takes on the personality of the person who owns the house. This is going to happen normally.

However, if you are ready to put your house up for sale, you need to hide as many of your personal items as you possibly can.

This means that you need to put all of your family photos out of sight. It also includes other personal items that may be on the walls or counters, such as certificates, posters, trophies and so forth.

The reason that you do this is because you want all of your potential buyers to see your home as their next home.

If you have items from your personal life all over the place, this is difficult for buyers to do. So even though you love your mementos, your decorations and your photos, it is better to keep them hidden when you have people coming to look at your house.

Painting the outside of your home might be a little expensive, but it may be an excellent way to convince potential buyers to pick your house. It may be worthwhile to have this done, especially if the house is overdue for a paint job. If your whole house does not need to be painted, a touch up might be all that is necessary.

You should paint the exterior of your home and your door while you're at it. This is what visitors will see when they initially come in. Another thing you should paint is your mailbox, especially if it badly needs to be painted. 

Other exterior features like your fence or garage door should be painted as well.

Before someone buys a house, they usually get it professionally inspected. You might want to do this yourself, get your home inspected, if you want it to sell. You may not be aware of certain problems that only an inspector can locate.

The inspector is useful in that they can tell you what repairs should be done prior to the sale. Before the sale of the house, the inspector can tell you if there is roof damage, or perhaps if you have termites that need to be taking care of. It is in your best interest to fix any repairs that must be done prior to the sale, instead of being surprised at a point in the future.

You need to take an honest look at your entire home when preparing it for sale. Fixing anything that is broken, and cleaning up your home inside and out, is absolutely necessary.

Using strategies and tips listed here, you should be able to get your home looking its best in no time at all. From top to bottom, your home needs to be cleaned and repaired.

Just use our recommendations, and any others you can think of, to make it sell as quickly as possible.