Fix You: What’s Important To Repair Before Selling Your Home?

As you prepare to leave your home behind to start a new life in a new location, the excitement can be too much to bear, but also can the list of things to do before you leave. While you may feel that you just want to get rid of your home and sell it for a decent to a low price, you owe it to yourself to get a good price for your property. So, you should think about making some quick repairs to your home so you can make a good return on your investment. It’s only right. There is no hard and fast rule to repairing your home, but many home sellers tend to make repairs that aren’t expected or even needed. So let’s break it down.

Essential Fixes

The Roof – buyers will shy away from buying your home if you have a dodgy roof. You may as well suck it up and pay for the cost. Because from the buyer’s perspective, if they have to shell out for a new roof, that’s going to take up quite a proportion of their budget. Even something like repairing your gutters can add some value to your home, but it’s not something that would cross your mind as an essential part of the fixing up process. But think about it, adequate drainage is a must for keeping any property safe. If water leaks into the property, it’s immediately devalued. By fixing your roof, you will increase the amount of potential buyers.

Ceilings & Walls – most buyers will look at your ceilings before anything else because they’re looking for potential maintenance issues, so be sure to make sure that they are free of potential leaks, but also free of stains (like cigarette smoke) or cracks. Paint with a neutral color, like tan or creamy-type colors.

Non-Essential Fixes

The Floor – it’s a question of taste and style. If you have carpeting from the 1970s, then it probably makes sense to uproot the old style and replace it with flooring. However, hardwood flooring is very popular right now so there would be no need to replace if you have that. Plywood, on the other hand, could benefit from being replaced.

Kitchen Cabinets – instead of replacing all the cabinets, you can resurface them, which involves attaching a thin veneer. If your cabinets look a bit dated, then think about painting them a better color.

The Bathroom – again, it’s a question of style. Do you have a vaguely modern bathroom already in place? Or if it looks a bit grubby, then consider painting the room a lighter color or replace the tiles.

It’s important to look at the essentials before getting your home sold not just so you can get a good asking price, but also to avoid hassle further down the line. But there’s no need to go overboard with the DIY because people will have their own ideas of how to make the home more their own. You have a budget to maintain too, so know what is essential and what isn’t.