When you’re selling your house, first impressions are everything. Scott Cam showed how to work through different areas of the property, making sure those first impressions are good ones.

Front gate

The first thing potential buyers will notice is a front gate that doesn’t close properly. Scott showed how easy it is to fix up a sagging gate. You’ll need a helper to lift the gate into the correct position, then simply remove the screws, realign and lift the gate.

Squeaking doors

Even little things like squeaking doors can give a bad impression. Go through your house with an oil can at the ready, checking to see if anything squeaks, creaks or makes a noise.

Cracked tiles

A cracked tile in the bathroom is not a good look! To remove the tile use an old screwdriver and carefully chip away, starting from the centre. (Tip: never start from the edge, or you’ll crack the surrounding tiles as well.) When it comes to replacement tiles there are several options: Use a matching tile (if you don’t have spares you could take a tile from behind the vanity or toilet, or you might be able to find one at a discontinued tile shop) Use a feature tile. Just one feature tile in a wall will look strange, so you’ll have to add a few more in some sort of pattern. Depending on the position of the cracked tile, replace it with a bathroom accessory, such as a soap dish.

Mould

Mould is unsightly, it smells and it’s the third biggest source of human allergies after dustmites and pollen. (Information sourced from Department of Immunology, Westmead Hospital)

Mould thrives in damp, dark and poorly ventilated areas. Potential home buyers will have second thoughts if your house is mouldy, because mould indicates that there may be leaks or other underlying problems. Here are Scottie’s tips on dealing with mould:

• Fix the immediate problem by cleaning with a bleach solution or a commercial product, such as Exit Mould (several treatments over a number of weeks is recommended). Find the source of any moisture entering the house.
• Check roofs, gutters, drains and pipes and fix any leaks.
• Improve the sub-floor ventilation.
• Install air vents, making sure to put them on both sides of the house for proper cross ventilation.
  
• Clear rubbish, garden beds, soil or anything else that might be blocking existing vents.
  
• Ventilation from exhaust fans should be ducted through the roof to the outside, not into the rafters.
• Open up all the doors and windows on both sides of the house.
• Let the sunlight in, allow fresh air to circulate and reduce internal humidity.
• To get rid of musty smells, air your cupboards. If the linen cupboard smells musty, take out all the linen and give it a wash. Scented drawer liners give drawers and cupboards a pleasant smell.
• It’s also a good idea to steam clean carpets, perhaps with scented oil added to the rinse water.
  

Further information

New mould cleaning products in this segment:

• Chlorfoam - $16.50 for 5L
• Bathmaid - $15.50 for 5L (available through ESA Cleaning Products phone: 0408 975 818)
  
• Oil cans cost about $3 from hardware stores.
• Tile cement costs about $14 from hardware stores.
• Rosewater Drawer Liners available from gift stores for around $35.
  

Margaret Vidmead
Remedial Massage Therapist
Kingsford NSW
Mobile: 0414 741 764

Discontinued tile stores

NSW
Santa Maria Tiles
196 Avoca Street
Randwick
Phone: (02) 9399 6368

Obsolete Tiles
3 South Street
Rydalmere
Phone: (02) 9684 6333

Vic
Keith Fagg
Bayfield and Canterbury Road
Bayswater North
Phone: (03) 9729 4555

WA
Tile Library
Unit 4, 25 Collingwood Street
Osborne Park
Phone: (08) 9242 8500

Copyright CTC Productions 2003