Home Sellers Tip – Getting Ready to Sell Your Home – Tip # 3 – Finish Renovations and Make Repairs

Over the years that you have lived in your home there have likely been an accumulation of small renovations that have either been left unfinished or repairs that you just haven’t gotten around to making.  Now’s the time to pull out the honey do list and start getting these items crossed of.

I know what your thinking, “I’m selling this house, why would I finish these projects for someone else when I didn’t do them for myself?”. Unless you are thinking of marketing your home as a, fixer upper or a handyman’s dream, you would be wise to pull out the tools or call a handyman to tie up the loose ends.

The biggest reason for this is to enhance the way your home will show to potential buyers. As buyers walk through your home, they will be comparing it to other homes they have seen. The last thing you want is for a potential buyer’s impression of your home to be that it’s nice but …

So where do you start?

First, look at any home renovation projects you have started and maybe haven’t quite finished, for example, you installed new laminate floors in a bedroom but haven’t finished getting all the baseboard trim installed.

Unfinished renovations lead to questions in the mind of a buyer thinking if they should be concerned about other projects you have started but not finished that they can not see.

Small Repairs

Next you should take a walk around your home, inside and out, and look for any repairs that have been neglected over the years.

Starting with the outside, Are any windows missing screens? Are your down spouts directing water away from the building? Is the railing on your deck loose? Is your fence missing any boards or is it wobbly? Does your gate open, close and swing properly?

Moving inside your home you should go around the house and repair anything that has been a nuisance around your home, such as a loose door handle, broken hinge on a kitchen cupboard, or a door that doesn’t close properly. Anything that you have been meaning to get around to fixing should be addressed in some way before a buyer walks into the home and decides that the last house they saw was a little better fit for them.

Major Systems

Sometimes the major systems in your home need some repairs or maintenance. Is you plumbing working properly, are there any leaky drains, or dripping faucets? Are there any issues with the electrical, does one of the breakers trip frequently? Do all the outlets and switches work as they should? Does your heating and cooling systems keep your home at the desired temperature?

It’s a good idea to get professionals in to ensure all of these systems are working as they should in the lead up to listing your home. You don’t want to raise any concerns with potential buyers about the big ticket items in your home, these could be potential deal breakers.

While I generally do not think that you should undertake large scale renovations in order to sell your home, I do think that you should make what you have show the best it can. By making these types of repairs you will be taking another step in getting your home ready for the real estate market.