Selling your home
Screens when you are selling your home
Torn, bent or missing screens are small items that show up in listing photos, at showings and on a buyer's repair request, and they are usually quick to put right. A-Affordable Screen rescreens and replaces window screens and builds custom sliding screen doors for Reno-Sparks sellers, measured on site with a free quote.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
Why small screen problems matter in a sale
Buyers form an impression from the outside of the house first. A window screen with a flapping tear, a patio door with no screen, or a slider leaning off its track reads as deferred maintenance, even when the rest of the home is in good shape. None of these are expensive problems, but they can make a buyer wonder what else was left. Buyers who plan to open the windows in summer also know the CDC's advice to "Use screens on windows and doors."
Screens also sit in an odd spot in the inspection process. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice, which many home inspectors follow, say the inspector is not required to "inspect or operate screens, storm windows, shutters, awnings, fences, outbuildings, or exterior accent lighting." So a damaged screen may not appear in the report at all, and instead turns up when the buyers walk through the house themselves.
When buyers ask for it before closing
Sometimes the request comes late. Jessica R., a Sparks seller, wrote on Yelp in 2019 that "the buyers of my home wanted a new one placed before their final walk through," meaning a new sliding patio screen door, and that her door was "not a standard size." She wrote that Larry "came out that evening and measured my patio door and made a high quality sliding screen door that night and placed it the next morning (in time for the final walk through)."
That was one job on one schedule, and we give you a realistic time with the quote rather than a promise here. What it shows is that a non-standard slider can be measured and built locally rather than special-ordered. Call as soon as a screen shows up on a repair request. More customer stories are on our reviews page.
What to look at before you list
If you find more than a couple of problems, it is usually simpler to have every screen looked at in one visit than to chase them one at a time.
- Walk around the outside and look at every window for torn, faded or sagging mesh.
- Count the screens. Missing screens on a few windows stand out in photos of the front.
- Check that each screen sits flat in its channel with no gap or bowed frame.
- Slide the patio screen door from end to end; it should roll smoothly and latch.
- Look for pet damage at the bottom of the slider and on low windows.
- Find any screens stored in the garage or shed and put them back in the right windows.
| What a buyer sees | What it can suggest | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| A torn or sagging window screen | Deferred upkeep | Rescreen the existing frame |
| Windows with no screens | Missing parts or an unfinished job | New custom window screens |
| A slider that drags or is off its track | A worn or bent door | Rescreen a good frame, or a custom new sliding screen door |
| No screen door on the patio door | Missing part | A custom sliding screen door |
| Mismatched frame colors | Piecemeal repairs over the years | Matching frames where it matters most |
| Pet-shredded mesh at the bottom of the slider | Pet wear | New mesh, pet-resistant if the buyers have pets |
Fix, rescreen or replace
A torn screen in a straight, square frame needs only new mesh, rolled in with new spline or with the same spline reused when it is still good; our rescreen or replace guide shows how to tell. A frame that is bent, cracked at a corner or missing gets a new frame built to the window. For a sliding screen door, a straight frame can be rescreened; a bent or worn door is better replaced with a custom one sized to the opening, in 80-inch or 96-inch heights and any width.
The quote lists each screen, so you can decide what is worth doing before the sale and what the new owners can choose for themselves. If you are doing several windows, multi-window discounts apply, and our cost guide explains what drives screen prices.
Tall patio doors in newer homes
Newer houses often have taller sliding patio doors, close to 8 feet rather than the 6 feet 8 inches of older homes. Stock screen doors rarely fit those openings, which is one reason a missing slider screen stays missing through several owners. We build sliding screen doors in 80-inch and 96-inch heights and any width. Our sliding screen door sizes guide explains how to tell which one you have.
The housing figures show why this comes up. In Census Bureau survey data for 2020-2024, the median home in ZIP 89521 in South Reno was built in 2007, with about three in four built since 2000. In ZIP 89431 in Sparks, the median home dates from 1973 and about 69 percent were built before 1980, so worn doors and out-of-square openings are the more common story there.
Solar screens and a sale
If the house already has solar screens, make sure they are all in place and none are torn or peeling before photos. Buyers touring in summer may notice a cooler west side of the house; buyers touring in winter may ask whether the screens come off. Either way, it helps to know which windows have them and to leave any removable ones labeled for the new owners.
Adding solar screens only to sell is rarely necessary. They are a comfort choice that the new owners can make for themselves.
Listing photos
Photographers shoot the front and back of the house in full light, which is when torn mesh and mismatched frames show most. Having screens on every window, in the same frame color, keeps the exterior shots consistent. If some windows carry solar screens and others do not, ask us whether to match them or leave the mix; that is a matter of taste, and we will show you samples. Our guide to solar screen colors and privacy shows how different fabrics look from the street.
Working back from a closing date
Screen work is small, but it still has to fit a schedule. The best approach is to work backward from the date that matters, whether that is the listing photos, the first open house or the final walk-through, and call early enough that the work is not squeezed into the last day. We give you a time with the quote once we have seen the job.
- List the screen items. Walk the house with the checklist below, or use the buyer's repair request if there is one.
- Call or text with your date. Tell us the listing, walk-through or closing date along with the items.
- Free measure. We measure each screen and door on site and note which can be rescreened and which need new frames.
- Quote with a time. You get the price for each item and a realistic time for the work.
- Work and check. Screens are installed and checked in place, so the house is ready for photos or the walk-through.
Good to know
Keep the invoice for any screen work done for a buyer's request. It is the simplest way to show the item was handled before closing.
For listing agents
If you manage a pre-listing punch list for sellers, screens are an easy line to hand off. Send the address, a list or photos of the screens in question, and the date the house goes on the market or the date of the final walk-through. Ask us how access works if the sellers have already moved out. We measure on site and send the free quote to whoever is paying for the work.
Handing the house over
Leave the new owners what they need to look after the screens. Put any stored or seasonal screens back in their windows or label them by room, leave spare screens with the house, and mention which windows have solar screens. Tell the buyers to keep the slider track clean and to latch screen doors when the afternoon wind picks up; those two habits prevent most everyday wear.
Buying instead of selling
If you are the buyer, screens are a fair item to walk through at the final inspection: count them, slide the patio screen door, and look for tears. If something is missing after closing, it is a straightforward fix, and we measure and quote at no charge.
Get it measured
Call or text (775) 240-0418 and tell us your listing or closing date. We come to the house, measure, show samples and leave a free quote. You can also use our free quote form. Military and referral discounts also apply. Installation carries a lifetime warranty, and solar screen material a 20-year warranty.
Checklist
Checklist
- Every window has a screen, and every screen is in the right window.
- No tears, holes or loose spline visible from the street or backyard.
- Frames sit flat with no bows or cracked corners.
- The sliding screen door rolls, stays on its track and latches.
- Pet damage on the slider and low windows rescreened or replaced.
- Screen colors consistent enough for listing photos.
Reviews
What customers say
“I contacted Larry the owner on a Friday afternoon in need of a new sliding patio screen door ASAP. The one that came with the house had broken and the buyers of my home wanted a new one placed before their final walk through on Saturday!!! Of course my homes door is not a standard size you can get from Home Depot or those kind of places it must be special ordered or built. I didn't think it would be possible to have a new one placed in time but Larry understood my dilema came out that evening and measured my patio door and made a high quality sliding screen door that night and placed it the next morning (in time for the final walk through)! Larry is professional, friendly, very well priced. Bottom line is Larry builds a high quality door that I wish I could take to my new home. Thank you!!”
“Replaced four window screens screens and a sliding door.Very fair pricing, competency and very pleasant to deal with. What more can you want?”
“Called directly to get details, provide options to solve our specific needs and explain the process to get us our screens. Great communication throughout both by text and phone calls. Service was completed in timeframe promised. Quality of screen material a new frames is excellent! Definitely recommend.”
Questions
Straight answers
Do home inspectors check screens?
Not necessarily. The InterNACHI Standards of Practice say inspectors are not required to inspect or operate screens, so screen problems often surface at showings or the final walk-through instead.
Is it worth replacing screens before selling?
Torn or missing screens are inexpensive to fix compared with the impression they give. Rescreening a sound frame is the lowest-cost option.
How fast can you make a sliding screen door?
It depends on the door and the schedule. Call as soon as you know, and we give you a realistic time with the quote.
My patio door is not a standard size. Can you still make a screen door?
Yes. We build to the measured opening in 80-inch and 96-inch heights and any width.
Can my agent set this up for me?
Yes. Ask us, and we can talk through access and the quote with your agent.
Should I add solar screens before listing?
Usually not just for the sale. Replace torn or missing ones so the set looks complete, and let the new owners decide on more.
What if the buyers ask for screens after the inspection?
Call as soon as the request comes in with your closing or walk-through date. We measure, quote, and give you a realistic time with the quote.
Sources: InterNACHI Standards of Practice for Performing a General Home Inspection (section 3.2, Exterior) (opens in a new tab) · CDC: Preventing Mosquito Bites (opens in a new tab) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (year built) (opens in a new tab)
Since 1997 · Sparks, Nevada
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