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Take Care of Repairs before Potential Buyers Walk through Your Home

A cracked window pane. A doorbell hanging by a wire. A hole in the living room wall from that time you practiced your golf swing inside.

All of our homes have them--those annoying little broken things. We patch them up roughly, thinking "I'll fix that next week." But of course we don't. And in no time at all, we become totally blind to them. It takes your ever-observant mother commenting on your oven handle for you to remember that it wasn't always duct taped in place.

Everyone's got their favorite fix-it juice (e.g., WD-40, Superglue, wood putty, etc.). What's your go-to?

Repairs can be costly, especially if you're not particularly handy. (Of course. That's part of the reason people hold off doing them.) But especially for sellers, it's important to consider the cost of not doing them.

That doorknob that came out in your potential buyer's hand? It could cost you an offer. And even the things a buyer can't see could both cost you money and negatively impact your negotiating position when they come back on an inspection report.

So, What's a Seller to Do?

  • Put in some elbow grease! Polish varnished knobs and fixtures; tighten screws on cabinet knobs and pulls; replace missing switch-plates; etc.
  • Walk through your home with a friend--the brassy one who doesn't have a filter. Ask him or her to be brutally honest in pointing out repairs that you might not have noticed.
  • Ask your realtor's advice. An experienced realtor should be able to spot likely deal-breakers. 
  • Consider hiring a handyman/woman to come in for a few hours to help you with minor repairs (e.g., leaky faucets and the like). You can often get deals on handyman services through AngiesList or similar agencies.

 Pre-Listing Inspection

Pre-listing inspections are becoming more and more popular. These are when a seller brings in a home inspector before they put their home on the market. Potentially, a pre-listing inspection might turn up a big-ticket item. Maybe a structural issue, roof damage, broken HVAC system, etc. In that case, you want to know, and the sooner the better.

But aside from just big-ticket items, a pre-listing inspection can provide you with a very handy punch list of smaller items to get your place into great shape for listing. And the better shape your home is in, the better your negotiating position and the smoother the entire process will go for you. From that perspective, the pre-listing inspection (and follow-through on the items found in the process) can be invaluable to your home sale.

Why doesn't everyone do it? Well, a home inspection will probably run you at least a few hundred dollars. Plus, most buyers will still want to do their own home inspection. So, regardless of how much money and effort you spend addressing the items found by your pre-listing inspector, there's no guarantee that the buyer's inspection will come back clean. In fact, it most likely won't. (Inspectors are paid to find things. They don't feel like they've done their job if they don't.)

If you've been a low-maintenance or absentee homeowner, a pre-listing inspection can be a great idea before you list. If you've been living in your house and super-diligent about repairs and upkeep, it may not be worth your money to do one. But if you're like most of us--somewhere in-between--the pre-listing inspection can provide peace of mind going into your home sale.

Ready to Buy or Sell Your Home in NoVa?

Contact The Norris Realty Group!
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