Ready For Sale? Spruce Up Deck, Complete Repairs before Listing

Fixer Tips

• Clear out items stored around the work area for easy access.  

• Dryer vents should be cleaned annually to avoid potential fire hazards.

• If the area around the washer and dryer units is unusually warm or lint is collecting on the walls, you may have a problem.
• Seasonal plants and flowers are an inexpensive way to add warmth and color to indoor and outdoor spaces. 
• To save time, shop ahead for any parts or materials. Or, Fixer will shop for you.  We charge a flat $50 trip fee plus a 20 percent markup on materials.

A busy realtor’s office was getting ready to put a Southport condo on the market but first needed some help with maintenance and repairs.  The condo owner noticed lint on the walls near the washer and dryer and thought the dryer was due for cleaning. The condo’s spacious rooftop deck also needed attention. There were loose boards around a built-in flower bed and dead flowers needed to be pulled and replaced. 

After accessing the back of the dryer, Fixer handywoman Jayme quickly diagnosed the problem: the gasket around the metal hose had come undone and the hose was no longer connected to the dryer’s ventilation system.  Jayme made a trip to Home Depot for a replacement part along with flowers and topsoil to spruce up the deck. (Fixer charges a flat $50 trip fee plus a 20 percent markup on materials.) 

Upon her return, she replaced the gasket and the clamp holding it in place, and cleaned up the walls where lint had accumulated.  Moving outdoors, she pulled out dead plants and replaced them with mums and a variety of hostas and other hearty perennials. In slightly over an hour, the entire service was complete.  

“In our line of work, stuff comes up and we need it fixed quickly,” said Rachel, who was overseeing the repairs for the condo owner. “Jayme was on-time, explained what she was doing well, completed the projects and even threw out the trash! That was unexpected and appreciated. We will book again.”