So, you’re ready to list your home for sale … then you look around. Maybe you’ve already invested in doing up the exterior of your property, but it still needs significant work. Maybe it is hopelessly outdated or suffering with rot issues.
Should you spend more money fixing the issues or sell it like it is?
This is one question whose answer depends on the variables. What is the condition of homes for sale in your area that you are competing with? Whether it is a good, bad or neutral market? What is the possible return on your investment?
A lot of sellers spend far too much money into wasteful work before listing their home for sale. They fix flaws that buyers aren’t interested in or wouldn’t have paid extra for anyway. Talk with your agent before going ahead with any work to look at the benefits and disadvantages for your property and situation.
Selling your house ‘as is’
If a property needs a lot of work with holes in the walls and rot in the wood, failing electrical systems and leaky plumbing – this isn’t a property with easy fixes! A lick of paint is unlikely to help. With this scenario, you might want to just set the price low enough to attract multiple offers.
Do buyers want homes they can do up or homes ready to move into?
Some buyers say they want to buy a fixer-upper house, but they are generally looking for places that require only light cosmetic repairs. Buyers are attracted to fixer-uppers if they cannot afford a more expensive home or wish to make money by fixing up and selling the home themselves.
The majority of such buyers are willing to carry out small works such as painting the walls or laying new carpet, for example. They do not want to rebuild the foundations or move walls.
Most buyers want a home that is in ready-to-move-in condition. You will therefore limit the number of buyers who may be interested in your home by not making repairs. Consider upgrades to the exterior like a new garage door, for example. For Garage Doors Essex, visit a site like Lime BDS, a supplier of https://www.limeit.co.uk/
Before working on your home
The smart seller will consider the expense of proposed improvements to the market value of the home after upgrades or projects are completed. The increase may not be justified if the upgrade will not return the investment.
It might be wiser to carry out a smaller kitchen remodel rather than replacing all the cabinets with designer units, for example. Sometimes just painting oak cabinets a darker colour and installing updated hardware to give your kitchen a new look.
Where to start
The top improvements to consider include actions like patching holes and cracks in walls and ceilings, dealing with leaks and repairing damaged equipment and heating systems. Cosmetic touches include things like replacing worn or stained carpet, repainting dark or dirty walls with neutral paint and replacing the old curtains and shutters.