(Image courtesy Burst)

With today’s nearly unprecedented seller’s market, it can be tempting to imagine that you really don’t need to make any updates or fixes to your home before putting your house on the market. More and more homes for sale are listed “as is,” and buyers are foregoing inspection contingencies in an effort to win coveted homes in a market with high demand and short supply. 

But just because you can sell your home without correcting any flaws doesn’t necessarily mean you should, especially if not disclosing an issue means a nasty surprise for buyers. 

When your real estate agent lists your home to sell “as is,” buyers should be aware that some — or many — fixes may be needed.  And if they have waived their right to contingencies upon inspection, that’s their concern, but when sales normalize and “as is” isn’t as prevalent as it has been lately, there are some fixes that just should be made before putting your house on the market.

Fixes to Take Care of Before Putting Your House on the Market

Patch Holes and Cracks

Fixing those minor cosmetic concerns, which you can probably do yourself, isn’t a requirement of the sale, but it will undoubtedly help you to achieve a better offer on your home. Homebuyers, unless they are looking for a complete remodel, are likely looking for a clean, blank slate they can move into and make their own. Simple repairs like patching holes and cracks will clean up the home’s aesthetics. And remember — paint is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to refresh a room!

HVAC Maintenance 

Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) should be in good working order, clean, free of leaks, and hopefully regularly maintained with a maintenance record you can share. Your thermostat should operate properly. If you are unsure about this, an HVAC technician can assess your system’s condition and perform a turn-up if necessary.

Faucet Repair/Replacement

Smart buyers will likely turn on your home’s faucets before making an offer, so they will find out quickly if your water features are working or not. Faucets should run leak-free, and drains shouldn’t clog. And while you’re ensuring that your faucets all work, also make sure that the Hot and Cold designations are working as intended!

Replace Missing or Expired Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors should work, and they should be less than ten years old. If your home doesn’t have detectors, you should install a couple — this is a very easy process — and it will be appreciated by homebuyers because while it is not illegal to be without a fire alarm in your home, it can affect your home insurance and should be done before putting your house on the market.

Fix Water Damage and Mold Problem

If there’s water damage to your ceiling or walls, you should look into a potential water leak and fix it. Don’t just paint over the water spot and hope that buyers won’t notice. You will need to fix these issues before putting your house on the market.

As for mold, that’s trickier. Different types of mold cause varying levels of damage to yourself and your home. While any sign of mold would cause a red flag on a home inspection, it is obviously easier to get away with selling a moldy, mildewy house with buyers foregoing these inspections. Beware, however, if you don’t disclose the existence of mold, the next owner is not going to be ok with it and could sue for the existence of mold in the house if they can prove it was pre-existing. So take care of it with mold remediation, if necessary. If it’s only a small mold issue, it might be able to be taken care of with a pair of rubber gloves, a face mask and goggles, a scrub brush, and some mold-killing cleaner like Tilex.

Repair Faulty Wiring 

Problems with your electrical wiring are something that you should never neglect. Everything should meet current codes. Around your home, make sure that you don’t have any short circuits (if so, reset the breaker), loose outlet plugs (add outlet shims until the outlet is flush with the wall), or broken light switches (replace the switch). Also, if you have an older electrical system, such as one that uses a fuse box, you may also want to get it checked or updated.

Siding and Roof Repair

Roof repair will likely require a professional, but it’s worth it because buyers are especially wary of homes that look like they might need new roofs. This is one of the most important things to fix before putting your house on the market.

The roof shouldn’t have any broken or missing tiles, shingles, or ridge caps, as these components protect your home from water damage. You can replace worn and broken roof tiles yourself, but holes, leaks, mold, or rotted wood are bigger problems that a professional can diagnose and correct before you put your house on the market. 

Some of these fixes are pretty easy, like patching holes or cracks, recaulking, or unclogging drains. Still, others might require more time, effort, and money. But these fixes are worth it! A home that needs repairs will deliver a lower price in any market, even the booming seller’s market we’ve been experiencing lately. 

Contact LIST WITH ELIZABETH® if you’ve been thinking about putting your house on the market and would like more information on what fixes we recommend to achieve top dollar for your investment.