Everyone wants to present their house in the best light when they are looking to sell. We’ve been told that it’s the best way to make the most and sell quickly. Not all repairs are created equal and really aren’t worth the time and money, especially if it delays listing or hurts your return on investment. We’ll cover the top 5 things not to fix when selling your house. By focusing on the right things and avoiding unnecessary expenses when repairing your house, you can really maximize the profit you make from the sale of your house. Pay attention to the home selling tips after we tell you the things to avoid.
Are There Really Home Improvement Mistakes?
Most people aren’t professional rehabbers or are up on the latest trends in home repairs. And even if they had an idea, they aren’t experts in creating detailed timelines, setting a predetermined budget, or providing the funds to do the home improvements. It becomes an unfortunate mistake when the homeowner finds the mistakes they have made in the middle of the rehab. These mistakes can easily result in delayed completion, extra expenses (which could easily lead to borrowing money from family or even worse, expensive personal loans), and a lot more added stress. There can easily be mistakes that are made when doing your own home improvements. By avoiding the top 5 things SILT Real Estate and Investments, LLC recommends not to fix when selling your house, you can avoid those mistakes and make sure you’re profiting the most on the sale of your house.
Steer Clear of Fixing Minor Cosmetic Flaws
Most showings only last 10 to 30 minutes. It varies quite a bit, mostly by the size of the house. It’s really not enough time for potential buyers to look at every flaw in the house. They won’t notice cosmetic imperfections like scuffed walls or floorboards, holes in the wall from hanging pictures, or even that dated wallpaper still hanging on your wall. They seem like needed repairs to you, but home buyers are rushed in and out of the house by agents. They want to get a feel for the house itself and want to picture themselves in the house. They can easily picture themselves DIYing the repairs you’re thinking of paying for. Even finishes, like doorknobs or light fixtures, will most likely want to be changed by future homeowners.
Home Selling Tip #1
Focus on decluttering and organizing your house. This can lead to tremendous gains without spending much money. Clean, decluttered, and well-staged homes create a positive first impression making buyers attracted to your property and more likely to make an offer on it.
Don’t Make Major Structural Changes
Any major structural repairs that are needed to be repaired should be done when repairing the house. Examples are things like a leaky roof or foundation issues leading to water damage in the house. What you should avoid are things like cracks in a wall, adding a room or even removing a wall to open a room, even if it’s something like expanding the kitchen or adding an ensuite to your primary bedroom can be too costly. These often can become very expensive and delay selling your house, making the return on your investment low. You may think that repairing things like an uneven floor should be taken care of. Future buyers will most likely have their own ideas and preferences of what they’d like to do to their new house.
Home Selling Tip #2
Only focus on the major things needed to sell the house. We mentioned roofs and foundations, but pay attention to other safety and major repair issues like electrical and plumbing. You could also start by getting an inspection and addressing any major repairs they suggest.
Avoid Personalized And Unique Design Choices
Personalized touches will have made your house feel like a home while you’ve lived there. Anything that can be decisive though, will off-put potential buyers. This can include things like murals, religious symbols, or even custom cabinetry not in a closet, and would be best to be removed before you sell. Remember buyers won’t have the same taste as you and even brightly colored walls or an unconventional room layout may turn buyers away.
Home Selling Tip #3
Opt to remove all personalized items and design choices when thinking of repairing the house. This can include painting neutral colors or using the most updated color schemes. The goal is to allow buyers to picture themselves living in the house. I’d even recommend removing big family photos to allow buyers to visualize their family photos where those are.
Try Not To Make Major Landscaping Changes
Curb appeal is important and plays a crucial role in attracting buyers to your house. However, doing a complete overhaul or adding something like a retaining wall will be costly and will not give you a good return on your investment. Buyers may not even like the major overhaul you’ve done and may want to make changes on their own. I have seen numerous times when buyers have changed front landscaping as soon as they have bought the house.
Home Selling Tip #4
Definitely clean up the landscaping by having the grass, shrubs, and bushes trimmed to look like it has been professionally maintained. You may even want to paint the front door, add colorful flower boxes, or replace your mailbox to make it look fresh and clean.
Avert Making High-End Upgrades
The market you are in will dictate the upgrades that you should make. It’s really important to consider the neighborhood your house is in. Avoid making high-end upgrades like high-end appliances, luxury garage doors, or even an over-improved fence. Buyers generally don’t notice the upgrades and may even be turned off by something like new appliances. They also will not find the same value in the upgrades that you did and may be unwilling to spend the money on them.
Home Selling Tip #5
Focus on making cost-effective upgrades like updating light fixtures to LED modern fixtures, painting kitchen cabinets or even updating a backsplash to give the room a new clean fresh look when you’re repairing the house.
If you want to find out more about how to sell your house as is, check out this article here. If this sounds like too much of a hassle and just want to sell your house as is, fill out the short form below. We can start to discuss the condition of your home and get started on a fair offer that will help you avoid having to worry about making any repairs.
When it comes to selling your house, it’s crucial to prioritize your repairs wisely. By avoiding unnecessary repairs and only focusing on the most important items, you can maximize your profit and improve the sales time and process. There are a few general rules of thumb when deciding what not to fix before selling your house:
- Don’t fix anything that’s not broken. If a repair isn’t necessary to make your home livable, don’t worry about it.
- Don’t fix anything that will cost more than it’s worth. If the cost of a repair is more than the added value it will bring to your home, it’s not worth doing.
- If you’re unsure, seek professional advice. If you’re not sure whether or not to fix or rehab something, it’s always a good idea to get professional advice from a home staging or design consultant, real estate agent, or even a home inspector.
With all of this in mind, you’ll be on your way to a successful sale of your house while boosting your profit. If you’re still not sure what to touch or do, don’t hesitate to contact us or call us at (708) 415-3801. Or if this sounds like too much to tackle and just want to sell your house as is, fill out the short form below and we’ll contact you right away to help you figure out what things not to fix to sell your house.
