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Drip, drip, drip goes the faucet. Bang, bang,
bang goes the furnace.
These
are not the sounds a homeowner wants to hear, especially when the
home is about to go on the market. But 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? In an article (Improve Before
You Sell: Seven Tips for Sellers, August 4, 1999) by Robert Bruss, a
real estate expert, 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 effect 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, talk it up and share the report
with buyers. If you repair anything, walk them 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.
If you have questions about this or any other
home buying or selling subject, confer with the real estate
professionals who can help provide you with more detail…
We
can be reached at (310) 265-2130
Prudential California Realty is an independently owned and operated
member
|of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential
Financial company.
Equal Housing
Opportunity
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