House repairs are rarely fun. Whether you’re calling multiple contractors or staring blankly at the shelves of a local hardware store, you’ll have your work cut out for you. It could take weeks and cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars along the way. And in some cases, every day you delay the repair could make matters worse.
The situation gets much more stressful when you’re already dealing with the stress of selling a house. Unfortunately, if you’re selling your house conventionally, making repairs is a practical prerequisite for closing the deal.
So how can you manage this difficult situation?
The Repair Dilemma
Before you sell your home, you’ll need to spend some time and effort making it look as attractive as possible to prospective buyers. The more attractive your house is, the more buyers you’ll bring in and the higher your bids will be. Real estate agents advise you to make as many repairs as possible to make the house look like it’s in better condition and facilitate a faster move-in from your eventual buyer.
But this leaves you with a constellation of dilemmas. Which repairs are most important? Are there any repairs you can skip? How much can you reasonably spend on repairs without reducing the profitability of this transaction? And how should you go about managing those repairs?
In the rest of this guide, we’ll help you answer these questions. But first, understand that there is an alternative solution that doesn’t require you to make any repairs at all: you can sell your home, as is, for cash. If you do so, you’ll get an immediate cash offer on your home – and you won’t have to lift a finger to fix the home before closing the transaction. More on that later!
Consulting With Experts
One of your best strategies for managing repairs will be consulting with genuine experts. If you have a real estate agent working with you on this deal, they’ll probably advise you about which repairs need to be made and how you should make them. If a buyer makes an offer and conducts an inspection, they may specifically require that certain things be fixed before they follow through with the purchase; you can consult with your real estate agent here too.
If you don’t have a real estate agent or if you want a second opinion, contact a general contractor or home inspector you trust and get their feedback.
Fixing the Dealbreakers
If you don’t have experts to work with, your primary goal should be fixing the dealbreakers – major issues with your home that make it unsafe or unpleasant for habitation. If the average buyer encounters a dealbreaker, they’re either going to stop considering the home or significantly lower their offer.
Unfortunately, these massive issues can sometimes be expensive. But if it means selling your house faster and for a higher price, they may be worth making.
- Plumbing issues. Plumbing is one of the most important systems of your home, so if it has any issues, some buyers won’t even consider your property.
- Electrical issues. If your electrical system is old or if there are clear issues with it, buyers will understandably exercise caution; bad wiring can easily cause a house fire.
- Roof problems. Nobody wants to replace the roof of the house immediately upon moving in. This is an expensive and annoying repair, so try to take care of your roof issues proactively.
- HVAC problems. If you have any HVAC issues, home buyers won’t feel confident the atmosphere of the home will be comfortable.
- Foundation instability. Repairing a foundation can be costly and risky, with severe foundation problems costing up to $25,000. Nobody wants to deal with that upon first moving in.
Tackling the Low-Hanging Fruit
The next category of repairs you need to consider is the functional opposite: low-hanging fruit. These repairs can make a major difference in how your home is perceived, but they don’t take much time or money to fix. Because you can knock out most of them in a day, there’s no reason not to do them.
- Curb appeal. Buyers will form a first impression of your house when they see it from the street, so anything you do to boost curb appeal will work in your favor. Replacing your front door, planting new flowers, or cleaning up the landscaping can make a big difference.
- Minor defects. Small defects throughout your house, such as outlet covers that are cracked or small holes in the wall, should all be fixed before anyone tours it.
- Painting. Painting is one of the few projects that can increase the value of your home by more than you spend. With less than $1,000 of paint and supplies, you can boost your home sale price by $2,000 or more! Even if you hire a professional painter, you’ll make a return on the money you spend.
- Deep cleaning. Though it’s technically not a repair, don’t underestimate the power that a full, deep cleaning of your house can have.
Ambiguous Repairs
Once you deal with dealbreakers and the low-hanging fruit, you’ll be left with what we’ll call ambiguous repairs. These are repairs that may or may not be worth making – it’s hard to say for sure. How you deal with these ambiguous repairs depends on your goals in selling the home, your budget, your target demographics, and the condition of the rest of the house.
The Alternative Solution: Sell Your Home As Is
Of course, you can skip all of these difficulties if you simply sell your home as is. In this arrangement, you won’t have to make any repairs – you can simply accept a cash offer and walk away.
- No need for repairs. If you’re selling as is, you won’t have to make a single repair, no matter what condition your home is in.
- No need for cleaning or staging. You also won’t have to go through the effort of cleaning or staging the home for others.
- No fees, commissions, or extra charges. In this arrangement, you won’t be responsible for paying any fees, commissions, or sneaky extra charges.
- Faster closing. Because you don’t have to go through a bank, closing is much faster with this type of deal.
- (Nearly) immediate cash. After the deal is finalized, you’ll have money in the bank after just a couple of days.
Maybe you’re ready to sell your home for cash, as is. Maybe you’re still weighing your options. Either way, you can get a cash offer on your house, for free, right now – with no obligation. Get your cash offer today!