Wondering what to repair before selling your house?
No doubt you have a list of items that need repairs, replacement, or renovation. Most home buyers expect a move-in ready house that doesn’t demand additional money.
Making the “wrong repairs” can result in selling for less, slower, and even taking a loss on the repair. A prospective buyer may seek out a different house. Don’t make this mistake.
Check out our “Top 10” items to repair before selling a house!
We Buy Houses In Any Condition!
Just Fill Out This Form For Your FAIR Cash Offer.
#1 – The Roof
Home sellers dread repairing the roof. Although it’s an exhausting job, it is important to property value.
Damaged roofs just look bad. They present a problem to the integrity of the house. Water can seep into your roof through the damaged areas, rot away wooden structural elements, and grow mold. If a buyer sees those cracks and damaged points, they may well leave immediately. Cracked or broken shingles look unkempt and ugly.
You will “stand out from the competition” in the wrong way with a bad roof!
Estimated Cost: Depending on the type of roof you are having installed it will cost anywhere between $3,000 – $8,000. This depends on the material you’re using and the level of installer’s level of expertise.
#2 – The Driveway
This driveway is a big first impression factor. It hurts the first impression of your home and may force buyers to turn around and look at the house next door instead.
A cracked and falling apart driveway is unappealing. More than that, buyers usually don’t want to buy a house then have to redo the driveway in the near future. Instead, they expect the owner to take care of these problems. Having a newly paved driveway also makes for a great boost in curb appeal.
Estimated Cost: Asphalt driveway replacement costs around $1 -$3 per square foot, and $4 – $7 for a concrete driveway. Higher level materials like pavers can go up to $10 per square foot.
#3 – The HVAC (Heating/Cooling)
Most buyers expect a working heating and cooling system at the start. This is particularly true in areas where heat or cold can be unbearable.
Nobody likes to sweat or be forced into heavy sweaters.
Buyers also prefer not to spend time, energy, and money hiring someone to install or repair HVAC units. Among the younger generation, especially, a working HVAC unit is as expected as a house with clean windows or sound foundation.
Looking to sell for top dollar? Make sure your heating/cooling units are in place and working at top order.
Estimated Cost: Central air/HVAC units will run you anywhere from $4000 – $8000 for average sized houses.
#4 – Leaky Faucets
Leaky faucets are painfully obvious.
Faucets are one of the first things a buyer notices when they enter your home. It could be a sign of a bad plumbing job or a generally poorly maintained house. Pesky leaky faucets – even if they aren’t a big financial cost to repair – create a poor impression. It’s easy fix and there’s no reason not to brand new and well-functioning faucets.
Estimated Cost: This can be a simple fix done with your own tools. Cost can be closer to $250 if a plumber is required.
#5 – Septic Tank
You may not think twice about where your plumbing goes until it becomes a problem.
However, buyers will wonder about the state of the septic tank. Septic tanks can cost a great deal to replace/repair. To prevent any major issues, be sure that you monitor tank level frequently. Have an inspector come and take a look at the state of your tank before putting it up for sale.
Estimated Cost: The cost for a septic system to be pumped and cleaned is around $380 – not too bad as a septic disaster can cost thousands.
#6 – Damaged & Cracked Walls
Have you noticed spreading cracks or small holes in your walls and ceiling?
It may have escaped your attention if you’ve lived there a while. The fresh eyes of prospective buyers won’t miss them and this is another huge turn-off. The damage could be perceived as a structural issue.
Luckily, this can be a quick fix. Just grab some patching solution and fill those cracks and holes. Add a little paint, and no one will know they were there in the first place.
Estimated Cost: Depending on the severity of the damage, you are looking at $300 – $1000. This will be closer to the higher end of the spectrum if you need to call in a professional.
#7 – Broken Windows
Windows are not only an appeal issue – but a safety issue as well.
Old windows can be easy access for a burglar. If a storm comes, they can crack or get destroyed.
If it’s just dirty, all you need to do is a good clean. If the grass is cracked, or the windows themselves have problems opening and closing, consider getting the work done. Buyers also can be swayed by natural light so a good window set-up can go a long way.
Estimated Cost: If just the glass is broken, it will be about $250. An entirely new window can cost up to $650.
#8 – Furniture
Open spaces don’t perform as well as spaces that contain furniture.
Here’s the caveat: disgusting looking or broken looking furniture detract from the sale. Buyers want to picture themselves in the space, and your broken furniture may hinder the imagination. To help them envision their life in your home, either remove, repair, or buy new furniture.
Estimated Cost: Staged furniture you could be looking to spend anywhere from $50 to $500.
#9 – Carpeting
If your carpet is coming apart, the buyer is not going to be pleased. Have the flooring repaired or replaced to give the space a fresh appearance. It’s much more inviting.
Estimated Cost: Depending on the carpet you choose it can be around $1000 to put that in. If you plan on installing hardwood floors that would be around $3 – $5 per square foot.
#10 – Overall
Have a contractor go with you through the house and look for code violations that need to be addressed or repaired. Serious buyers will be doing the same thing, so you want to make sure you’re one step ahead of them. There’s nothing worse than wasting a lot of time that you could have saved at the start.
Estimated Cost: The average cost to have a contractor look over your home is between $300 and $500. This is well worth the cost though as they trend to have extra knowledge on property renovation.
We Buy Houses In Any Condition!
Just Fill Out This Form For Your FAIR Cash Offer.
