Should You Make Repairs Prior to Selling Your Home?

Does it pay to make repairs prior to listing or should new owners deal with your "to do" list? The answer is not that clear cut.

Consider today's time-sensitive masses. Many prospective homeowners hope to buy a home in "move-in" condition. Read: no repairs required. To meet this ideal, and make the sale, homeowners need to be proactive.

Even if you already know of repairs that should be made, some experts recommend hiring a certified home inspector to thoroughly and impartially evaluate the property. (For a list of inspectors in your area, contact the American Society of Home Inspectors at 800-743-2744 or visit them at www.ashi.com.) If the pre-inspection results in a checklist, the information will help homeowners feel empowered.

Do you have an incentive to make repairs? Buyers will discount the offer price by much more than the cost of the repair or replacement. The buyer might even walk away.

To help you prioritize items, have a real estate professional look over the pre-inspection report or your own list of repairs. Also, check out Home Sale Maximizer at homegain.com to measure how various repairs and improvements can affect the sale price of a home.

In addition to fixing the problems uncovered by the inspector, you may want to:

Paint inside and outside

Tighten and polish hardware

Repair cracks in sidewalks and driveways

Replace missing or warped roofing

Clean or re-grout kitchen and bathrooms

Repair dripping faucets

Fix sticking doors

Repair broken fencing

Replace badly worn carpeting

Polish hardwood floors

If you have your home pre-inspected, share the report with your agent. If you repair anything, walk him/her through the documentation, pointing out the item and the cost to you.

Depending on your goals and your budget, you may want to repair only items that could cause significant deterioration to the home such as a leak. Let your budget and your real estate professional guide you. Making certain needed repairs just might make the sale.

Contact Chuck so that he can perform a no cost Comparable Market Analysis for you. This CMA will take in to account the recent comparable home sales in your area as well as comparable homes for sale on the market in your area. A comprehensive CMA is the best starting point for any Homeowner who is thinking of Selling their home.

REMAX, Nobody Sells More Real Estate!

Equal Housing Opportunity