Polish up that barbecue when staging your home

Selling your home don't forget the BBQ!

When Marc and Jen Robinson were looking to sell their home, their real estate agent advised them to spruce up their barbecue.

“He said it would add value to our backyard,” says Marc, a health-care professional, 34. “The problem is that our barbecue is old and very well used.” He asked whether it’s worth cleaning the old grill or whether investing in a new one would be smarter.

“In some cases neglect can cause a barbecue to seriously decay and start falling apart. In the worst cases it can even become dangerous,” says Charles Munro of Barbeque Pro Inc. “If your barbecue was purchased for under $400 and is heavily used, you may want to opt for a new cheap one.” For listing purposes, you don’t have to worry about its features, just that it looks great on the deck.

If you don’t have that kind of cash and would rather try cleaning the grill, Munro recommends these tips.

Move the barbecue to an area where water used during cleaning will run off into a garden or drain. Place a tarp under the appliance to catch any large chunks of grease. Remove grills and trays, soak them in hot soapy water for 30 minutes, then scrub each accessory thoroughly.

To clean the actual cooking chamber, spray the inside with degreaser. Heat the appliance to 300 degrees and let it sit for 20 minutes. Once it has cooled, it should be possible to spray grime away with a hose.

Robinson can also contact his local barbecue shop to see whether they can help clean or upgrade the grill. In many cases, they’ll even be able to replace burners, igniters and grills.

If none of this works and you want to invest in a good unit that you’ll take with you to the new house, Munro advises shopping with a magnet.

“[Many] barbecues look fancy and come at a cheap price point, but there is no such thing as a fully stainless steel barbecue for less than $2,000; a good trick is to bring a magnet with you when shopping; if the magnet sticks, the unit isn’t really stainless steel.”

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He adds: “Most cheap barbecues will have a porcelain finish on the interior that might claim to be nonstick, but unfortunately that’s not the case. These [units] will rust within the first couple of years of use” and they aren’t worth the investment if you’re planning to take it with you.

In terms of the trends, “gas is by far the most convenient way to grill, however, a lot of people are experimenting with charcoal and smokers.” Unless you think your prospective purchasers will buy your house for the smoker, leave that investment for your new place.

Lastly, you may want to invest in a new cover or tools. And if you’re leaving the new barbecue behind, you might see if your realtor will “arrange a gift certificate [for the new owners] to either a barbecue specialty shop or a local butcher store,” Munro says.

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