Repairs to Make Before You Sell Your Home

If you’re getting ready to sell a home, you need to be ready to make that home stand out in the marketplace. It’s a buyer’s market right now, and anything that you can do to entice buyers into looking at your home and making an offer is worth it.

Recently, while seeking a perfect match for one of my clients, and after eliminating a number of properties in various forms of disrepair, we happened upon a home which reflected an obvious pride of ownership. This property reflected the owners care and obvious labor of love. What a sight for sore eyes this was and this home stood well above the crowd.

There are even a few relatively simple and inexpensive repairs you should consider making before you try to sell your home:

• Pay attention to the perimeter. Get rid of dead plants in your flower beds. Check the yard for waste. Make sure that, even before the potential buyer enters the house, they have a positive feeling about it.
• Fix up entrance problems. Whether the screen on your screen door is starting to sag or whether it’s a tarnished doorknob, the front door makes a huge impression on a potential buyer. If you tip a buyer off to potential problems before they come through the door, you’re going to have an uphill battle. Watch for aging or bent aluminum parts, sagging screens, and corroded hinge screws. A simple coat of paint on the front door can do wonders for that first impression.
• Make minor roof repairs. Whether it’s a gutter that’s hanging low or a few missing shingles, there are often relatively easy repairs you can make to the roof. These repairs are usually very visible, so even a single loose shingle can make a buyer think the roof has problem.
• Fix nail holes. Get some lightweight putty to fill in nail holes from old pictures or artwork. Paint your repaired spots. If you have damage bigger than a nail hole, call a professional handyman.
• Get rid of smoke and animal smells. If you’ve had a smoker in the house, you may need to wash yoru walls with an ammonia-based cleaner. You also can paint an undercoat of Killz on the wall to seal in the nicotine smell.
• Fix damaged vinyl floors. If your bathroom has discolored spots or loose spots, you’ve probably got some moisture damage. Have a professional do it, but you may be able to save a few bucks by stripping the old vinyl and prepping the floor on your own.
• Stop leaky faucets. Leaky faucets are relatively easy to fix, and tend to draw attention to themselves. Rather than trying to diagnose a faucet problem, you’re better off just replacing the whole thing, and it’s not going to be that much more expensive.

Just making these simple repairs can make the difference between a house sitting for sale for an extended period of time and getting an offer right away.

Brian Kinkade is a broker and team lead with Brokers Guild – Cherry Creek Ltd, a full service Denver real estate firm. His team specializes in Denver luxury properties, equestrian homes, and International real estate sales. Brian invites you to visit his website for more information.