Things to fix before selling your house. Rule of thumb, “If anything is broken, fix it.”
Opinions, suggestions, and ideas about what you should fix or not before selling your house can be overwhelming.
What should I put money in? What should I fix? There is so much information on TV and social media, even though relatives and friends have their own opinion. In this post, we will cover six things you can fix before selling your house without breaking the bank.
1. Painting
Paint is almost anything. Whether it is the exterior of the house, the trim, the interior of the house, the ceiling, the doors, etc. choosing the right interior paint colors could affect buyers’ initial interest in your home and how much you get for it if you’re selling your home.
Many people ask themselves if they should paint their house before selling it. The easy answer is yes. Dirty or scratched paint can affect your home’s resale value. New paint is a quick and inexpensive way to make your home look unique, cleaner, and desirable. A fresh coat of paint in the right color can make your home attractive to buyers.
One of the most effective psychological keys is making the buyer feel they already own your home. Experts recommend painting interior walls in Aged Beige or Polar Bear to freshen up walls before listing your home. Intense colors often negatively affect buyers because they don’t imagine living on your property. Therefore, choosing the right color is crucial to convincing a potential buyer. Painting is crucial when you review your checklist of thing to fix before selling your house.
Bathrooms are more attractive if they are painted light blue. The Home Buyers Report reported that buyers would pay 1.6% more for a bathroom with light blue walls, which represents almost $7,000 more than a $428,700 US average home price. Other good colors to choose from are Light yellow, off-white, gray, dark red, and dark green. These hues inspired a little more interest in home buyers but no increase in value.
Once you’ve chosen the right paint shades, pay attention to the finish. Matte finish paint does an excellent job on imperfect walls, those usual dents, scratches, and ripples in any home that isn’t new. Walls painted with a matte finish look smooth and contemporary.
For ceilings, use flat white paint to hide imperfections and reflect light, making the room appear larger and brighter.
Satin finish paint is ideal for trim, molding, and door frames. That bright paint will make the room look modern and clean. Otherwise, satin or eggshell finish paints affect walls differently, highlighting every flaw and making them look older and more worn.
2. Faulty Wires
Things to fix in second place are electrical problems. electrical disfunctioning leads to over 46,000 home fires a year in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The most common causes of fires are wiring, lighting, and power cords (50%), Air conditioners (3%), Cooking equipment (15%), Fans (6%), and Heating equipment (9%), and Landry and dryers (3%).
Overloaded electrical panels are also a severe problem: over 5,300 home fires yearly are caused by total electrical panels! So be sure to only use the allotted number of outlets on a power plate and never stack power plates.
To avoid and fix electrical problems, conduct a professional inspection. Sometimes the problem is one wire that is too tight and pressing the insulation. Ensure your house’s electrical panel boards are placed and secured correctly. You should follow the National Electrical Code’s guidelines to avoid code violations.
Home buyers are most willing to present with an offer when they notice that lighting and electrical fixtures are well-maintained or new. The cost to rewire a 1200-square-foot home is about $10,000. However, the property may have only missing wire nuts, damaged junction boxers, frayed wiring, faulty light switches, or outlets that may cost around $80 to $100 per hour of labor plus the cost of the material.
3. Mailboxes
Homeowners pay attention to curb appeal, but they forget about the silent, old, and tireless mailbox that stands 24 hours in front of the house. The whole picture will be completed by touching up the mailbox or replacing it with a new one.
Your mailbox is the vessel that allows you to get invitation cards from loved ones, business correspondence, and the items you order online you’ve been dying to get. So, if it is outdated or just barely functioning, it may be the right time for a DIY project, or it deserves to be replaced.
Does your mailbox door open and close properly? Are you missing the mail flag? Simple things like that make a negative impression on buyers. With a low withdrawal, you can paint and repair your mailbox. It is part of your greeting to people and, in particular, to potential buyers.
Residential mailbox prices run from $30 to 300. Replacing a mailbox is an easy do-it-yourself project that may be fun with the whole family’s participation, but if the mailbox is in good shape and just needs a hand of paint, the project will be even cheaper and still fun to do it. When people are selling their homes, do not pay attention to small details like a functional and nice mailbox, but the effect produced in buyers could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
When people are selling their homes, ignore minor details like a functional and nice mailbox, but the effect produced in buyers could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. So, consider your mailbox as one of the most important things to fix before selling your house.
4. Carpet Or Hardwood
Things to fix befores selling your house. Carpeting is ideal for rocking toddlers and cozy bedrooms. However, carpeting in heavy traffic areas is not recommended. It gets dutty quickly and requires time and money to keep it in good condition. If you are selling your home, consider investing some money and replacing the carpet with hardwood flooring in living and family rooms, bathrooms, and halls.
Why is it attractive to use wooden floors? People prefer hardwood floors because they are beautiful. Quick to clean and easy to maintain. Home buyers imagine how it would be living in your home. They do not want to incur expenses right after buying a property. Thus, engineered hardwood floors or vinyl hardwood floors ensure potential buyers that they would not need to spend money on flooring for a long time.
Hardwood floors are one of the best investments you can make. They are durable and versatile, and most buyers love them. According to real estate experts, the average ROI for installing hardwood flooring is about 70% to 80%, and hardwood flooring can increase your home’s selling price by as much as 2.5%.
As a sustainable and natural substance, wood is an environmentally friendly choice that helps to insulate the home and lower energy bills. The long life of hardwood floors also means less waste of replacement materials. Reclaimed or recycled wood flooring is available for those who want to live green.
Other types of wood flooring use less hardwood to get the job done, such as engineered hardwood and HDF-based products. Do your research and shop around, and you just might find a floor that’s beautiful and green at the same time!
5. Fixing windows and doors
Many homeowners believe that potential buyers would not check on windows and doors, but experience has demonstrated that home buyers examined them in a particular way during visits.
Doors and windows are the connectors between the out and indoor worlds. So, it is crucial to have them in good condition and repair any small or large detail that may impede their full functionality.
Checking and replacing the damaged caulking around windows doesn’t take time, and it is inexpensive. That prevents dust and humidity from accumulating around windows and potentially dealing with significant damage to the house structure.
If your home doesn’t need interior painting, retouch windows and doors anyways. Buyers appreciate a home with well-cared doors and windows because the general perception will be that the house has been well-maintained. Therefore, it will be a good purchase.
It is also important to check and replace knob doors if needed. Window lashes and cabinet hardware are small details that homeowners often fail to review, but buyers pay attention to large and small pieces when they are visiting a house.
So if you’re selling your home, don’t hesitate to repair or replace the little things that may only cost a few dollars but, at the time of sale, would be crucial to closing with the best selling price.
Doors and windows shoulb be consider to fix before selling your house.
6. Garage
Upgrading the garage is something few homeowners take into account. Many people consider it a waste to invest in ascending the garage when they want to sell their house.
More than 85% of homeowners use their garage as storage, and more than 75% park one vehicle in it and use the rest of the garage space as storage.
However, the garage is an integral part of the properties. Buyers pay special attention to garages. If the place is a basic structure without drywall and an unfinished ceiling, they will offer at least $10,000 less for the house. It is worst if the garage is full of items, old furniture, boxes, and an inoperable vehicle.
Fixing the garage should not be expensive. Remove motor oil stains and resurfacing the garage floor cost around $ 300. In Lowes, Home Depot, or other hardware stores, you can find garage flooring kits material that is easy to work.
By Covering the garage doors with drywall and applying a neutral paint color, home buyers will be significantly impressed and willing to make a decent offer for your house.
Finally but not less important is the garage door. Make sure that the garage opens and closes properly. If your garage door operates with one remote, ensure that the devices work without a problem.
It is a good idea to empty your garage when you have potential buyers at home. An empty, clean, and well-presented garage have an excellent effect on buyers. People love to see homes with plenty of space, so they can picture themselves using the property. If the laundry area is in your garage, ensure the space is clean. Do not wash clothes during buyers are visiting your home.
Overview
Before selling your house, Take a tour around it and outline the areas to repair or enhance the property’s appeal. Homeowners usually don’t pay attention to small details that are crucial to impress buyers, but the reality shows that potential buyers look in detail at all corners of the property they have an interest.
Although every spot of a property should be in excellent condition, painting is the fixture that most buyers notice and consider when deciding to bid. Light and neutral colors on the walls produce and welcoming ambiance. The bathroom also should be clean and well painted, light blue color is recommended to use in the bathroom’s walls.
Buyers want to see a clean front yard when they arrive at the property. As a complementary, a new or well-painted mailbox will complete the picture outside your house.
Small or large details around your house can change a buyer’s decision.
It is essential that your living room, family room, kitchen, and garage show their space. If you have extra furniture, books, and ornaments covering the walls and the view of the house dimension, consider doing a deep clean-up and removing extra stuff.
The doors and windows are the focus of attention where potential buyers determine if your house has been poorly or well maintained. By checking and fixing small cracks on windows and doors, homeowners prevent further damages that could cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars if a replacement is needed.
You can do minor home repairs yourself or contract a professional who will do an excellent job and, by reviewing your house, ensure that it will be ready for sale.
Are You Ready To Sell?
If your are planning to sell your property, it is important to make a list of thing to fix before selling your house. Calculate costs and also, consider hiring an experimented real estate agent. Agents can guide you if your house needs more improvements. The downfall is that repairing costs might rise considerably. Take into account that a professional agent will suggest conducting a comprehensive home inspection to find out the actual situation of your property.
The process of selling through the market usually takes from 91 to 180 days, and in the mind time, you need to cover all your home expenses, such as the mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and property taxes. A real estate agent is a good option if you are not in a hurry to sell your home.
On the contrary, you can consider selling your house off the market. Professional home buyers make an offer for your house as-is. The process of buying your home is fast and straightforward. Usually, investors visit your house, explain the steps to buy your property, and make an offer in less than 24 hours.
It is necessary to mention that if you decide to sell your house to an investor, you do not need to repair anything, not even clean and tidy your home. Companies that buy homes don’t care about your garden, mailbox, or paint outside and inside your home.
After they present you with an offer, you can take the time you need to study and compare the proposal, even though you can shop around to analyze different offers. Once you accept the offer, you will be paid in about seven days.
While selling your house through the market takes about 180 days, selling it to a professional home buyer can take no more than ten days.
We suggest you take the time and consider the two alternatives to sell your house. Make up your numbers by calculating the time and money you spend in both methods.
Selling your house through the market is the traditional option, but selling it to an investor has been demonstrated to be more convenient to homeowners who need to sell their houses in no time.