Steven McFarland, below, and his company The Make Ready Group can prep any house before it hits the market. The company also offers services to customers just in need of home services but not necessarily selling their homes.

The Make Ready Group takes care of all those finishing touches before your house goes on the market — and more

By Rich Lopez
Apartment dwellers are all too familiar with the dreaded make ready preparations when moving out. Whether it’s making sure the baseboards are pristine or the oven actually works, everything has to be in tiptop shape for that next renter.
Apply that idea to that home about to go on sell and the task grows exponentially. But don’t fret — this is where The Make Ready Group can step in.
“We focus on the whole make ready aspect of helping Realtors out,” says founder Steven McFarland.
So basically, someone can do all this for you. That in itself can be a much needed relief from the already stressful duty of selling a home. But McFarland reminds that the property owner remains completely accountable for the house and any issues it may have — especially if it’s to sit vacant while on the market.
“Although the upkeep can be farmed out to an agent, the owners of that property are responsible for everything,” he says. “Sometimes a bank will own a property but they will usually have a property preservation dispatch that covers everything in the home like maintenance, repairs, landscape. Even the structure is maintained.”
The Make Ready Group grew out of working on apartments, but evolved because McFarland was also a Realtor. He began seeing how much time was getting taken up just preparing a home when he could have been selling. Now, he and his company focus solely on homes and specialize in not only preparing a home for the market, but also taking some burden off the agents.
“They really want someone to take over that responsibility,” he says, “And we specialize in that.”
Much like that property preservation crew, the Make Ready Group are the people that will handle the same issues. With McFarland coming from a real estate background, he knows all to well the importance of having a picture perfect house.
“We do anything to a property that needs to be done. Our philosophy is that the land must be maintained,” he says. “The buyer is the consumer and they will buy what they like.”
With Texas having such extreme weather, McFarland warns of certain precautions. The Texas heat is a given, but with major ice and snow storms over the past two years, he says the smallest measures can reduce major catastrophes.
“With the cold weather like we just experienced, you always want to winterize the pipes,” he says. “Drain water from the pipes and heater and make sure the water is secured going into the property. And drip the faucets. Nobody wants the pipes to burst. I’ve seen water pouring out of the ceiling and it just destroys.”
On the flip side, he recommends safety when it comes to heat. As summer gets over 100-degree temperatures, McFarland advises that no matter what, at least two people should tend to the duties should one suffer from heat stroke.
“People tend to insulate the attics in the summer, but it gets so very hot in there,” he says. “So two people are a must. Otherwise, people should really have some good ventilation going through the house and sometimes it’s just as easy as putting a box fan in.”
But one item stands out that a buyer will have much concern over.
“Heating and air is a biggie,” he says. “A place that sits vacant for a long time with the heater or air conditioning off needs to be checked to see if it’s working properly.”
McFarland has advice for the people who opt to do the make ready themselves, because there are those few willing to take it on. With his experience, McFarland immediately knows what to look for that needs his services. But ultimately, the goal is to make the house presentable and he says that can start easily with a new coat of paint, a “royal cleaning,” adjusting doors and patching holes in the wall.
“You want it ready,” he emphasizes. “Nobody can see a flaw when they walk in.”
Just don’t think the company is only for sellers. They provide home services throughout Dallas and have moved beyond the city limits tending to homes in Frisco and Southlake. But McFarland’s also noticed a recent trend in his maintenance orders.
“Oh yeah, you don’t have to be selling the property to use us,” he says. “Even if you have a commercial space, we can do the job. We have individuals with the proper skills for most any job. And we’re familiar with lots of areas around town, but as of late, we’ve definitely been getting more orders from the LGBT community in and around Oak Lawn.”
Sounds like just the right kind of company.
For more information, visit TheMakeReadyGroup.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition Feb. 4, 2011.