If you’re planning on selling your home, you’ve probably already spent a good amount of time wondering what buyers will think. But while you want your home to be attractive to potential buyers, you also don’t want to spending unnecessary time and money making repairs that won’t get you a return in your sale price.
So what’s worth fixing? Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts for presale home repairs:
Do:
- Fix the things that you would need to fix if you WEREN’T going to sell. This is a great rule of thumb. If you had a wobbly loose brick in the walk, broken stairs to the deck, a slow leaking pipe causing mold growth in the garage, a broken doorknob…anything you know about that is unsafe or could be a hazard, you would likely fix it for your own family’s safety, thus your buyers deserve the same.
- Fix water stains. They indicate plumbing issues and cause concern, even if the pipes or plumbing issue that caused them has been fixed.
- Fix visible signs of damage from pets, like torn screens, scratches on doors and floors, holes in the yard, and pet stains on carpeting that are sources for lingering odors.
Don’t:
- Make partial updates to older kitchens and baths. Mixing old elements with new serves to date what wasn’t replaced. Either go all in and do a full remodel or adjust your sale price to allow the buyer to do one on their own.
- Decorate with trendy or bold colors. Stick with neutrals to allow buyers to envision their own belongings in the space. A blank canvas serves as a great backdrop for vision. Neutrals also photograph well and make the space look larger.
- Make renovations beyond what neighbors have done. Buyers will not pay more than what current comparables suggest, so do your homework, know the comps, and don’t overspend on money you won’t get back.
If you have lots of unknowns about the conditions of major systems in your home, or you suspect some issues, you might choose to get ahead of repairs a buyer might ask for by having your home pre-inspected by a licensed and trusted home inspector before your home ever hits the market. This will enlighten you to repairs a buyer’s inspection might reveal, so that you can choose to make them ahead of time. It may be appealing to some buyers for you to provide a copy of your pre-inspection and a detailing of repairs you’ve made. This will give buyers piece of mind that they are buying a home that’s been well-maintained and cared for.
While some repairs and upgrading in your home can help make your home more marketable, full-scale remodels are not necessary in most cases.
If you are ready to sell or thinking about selling in the near future, contact me for a consult, comparative market analysis, and marketing plan for selling your home. We’ll work together to create a game plan for before and during the marketing of your home to put you in the best position possible for a top-dollar sale.