Do your floors squeak? If so, you might want to consider repairing them before you start showing your house on the market. This way, the squeaky floors won’t be the reason you aren’t moving to your new home.
Though you may be used to the squeaky floors in your old, charming house, prospective buyers won’t be. Remember, it is important for house hunters to be able to imagine themselves moving into the house and living there. A squeaky floor can be an annoying deterrent. So, what can you do?
First of all, when you want to sell your home and move out, you really have to take a look around and see what needs improvement. Many of the little quirks you have come to accept can be annoying, and even alarming, to buyers. Squeaky floors definitely fall into this category.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel. If you have squeaky floors, you won’t have to spend a lot of money to fix them. So, you will be able to move out with some padding in that wallet of yours.
Squeaky floors are usually caused by shrinkage in the wooden planks, joists or subfloor. The squeaking is probably most noticeable in the winter and cooler months when the air is a little drier. If you have just minor squeaks, you can dust a little baby powder or graphite into the spaces between the floorboards.
If baby powder doesn’t work, there are other things you can do to get that squeaking to let up. You could secure the subfloor, tighten the boards or use a floor repair kit to alleviate the problem. In no time you should be able to sell the home and move out!
Jon Huser
