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Helpful Tips 4. Make
Needed Repairs Before Putting Your Home on the Market.
Home sellers have one goal—to sell their home as quickly as
possible near or at the listing price. A home in move-in
condition makes meeting this ideal easier.
Many of today’s prospective homebuyers have busy lifestyles
and are looking for properties that don’t require a lot of
work. Homeowners should be proactive by making needed
repairs before putting their homes on the market.
Inspect both inside and outside the home. Take inventory of
practical and aesthetic repairs. You may want to apply a
fresh coat of paint on the walls, doors, and shutters. Clean
the carpet and buff and polish wooden floors. Tighten and
polish hardware. Repair cracks in sidewalks and driveways,
and clean any stains on them. Replace missing or warped
roofing. Clean or re-grout kitchen and bathrooms. Repair
dripping faucets and drains or plumbing fixtures that aren’t
operating.
Fix sticking doors and replace old locks and doorknobs.
Replace burned-out bulbs and broken electrical sockets.
Replace cracked windows and torn screens. Repair broken
fencing and reseal the deck. Clean up stains on the tiles
and countertops.
Some experts also recommend hiring a certified home
inspector to thoroughly and impartially evaluate the
property. (For a list of inspectors in your area, visit the
American Society of Home Inspectors website,
www.ashi.com, or ask your real estate professional for
recommendations.) A standard report will review the
condition of the home’s heating system, central air
conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems, the roof,
attic, walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, the
foundation, basement and visible structure.
If the pre-inspection results in a checklist, have a real
estate professional look over the report with you to help
you prioritize the list of repairs.
Depending on your goals and budget, you may want to repair
only items that could cause significant deterioration to the
home, such as a leak. In addition, your local market
conditions may dictate how extensive your repairs need to
be. Let your budget and your real estate professional guide
you.
However, be careful about fixing up too much. Sellers rarely
recoup money on major remodeling projects, and you may want
to save funds for your new home. Also, obtaining home
improvement loans can adversely affect your ability to
qualify for your next mortgage. Check out Home Sale
Maximizer at homegain.com to measure how various repairs and
improvements can affect the sale price of a home.
A home in good condition demonstrates pride of ownership.
Taking the time to make small repairs to your home can go a
long way in making sure that your home is presented to
potential buyers in its best possible light. They also just
might make the sale. |
