Selling your home can be stressful. Once your home is listed, it could be on the market for days, weeks, or months. During this time, you may have to regularly vacate your home to allow potential buyers to tour the property. Ensuring a quick sale can alleviate the uncertainty and allow you to complete your move as soon as possible.
The economy can help or hinder your ability to sell your home. While that’s one factor that’s out of your control, maintaining your property can improve your chances of a quick sale. Once you’ve completed the maintenance tasks explored here, review the factors listed that can determine whether you need to remodel your home.
Pre-Sale Maintenance
Appliances are typically included in the sale of your home, and buyers will want to ensure they’re acquiring appliances that work. Test the appliances and make sure they’re working correctly. If they aren’t, you may be able to have them repaired. You can also consider replacing older appliances, even if they still function. Installing new kitchen appliances is one way of updating your kitchen and appealing to potential buyers.
Have your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system inspected. Replace the air filter, have the ducts cleaned, and have repairs completed before listing your home. Buyers will notice heating or cooling issues when they tour your home if the system isn’t working correctly.
Check your walls and patch any holes or cracks. If you notice discoloration in the ceilings or walls, it could be a sign of water damage. Check your roof and inspect your attic and pipes. If your roof is damaged, you should have it repaired. Potential buyers may be deterred from making an offer if your roof isn’t in good shape.
Replace any cracked windows in your home and fix leaking faucets to ensure your home is ready to be put on the market. You can also freshen up your home’s look by repainting key rooms, the front door, and window trim.
Age and Decor
You may need to consider remodeling your house if your home is old. If you haven’t updated the decor, potential buyers may view the house as a renovation property, limiting the number of buyers interested in your house. Although popcorn ceilings were once popular, some popcorn ceilings are made from hazardous materials and may need to be removed by professionals. For potential buyers, the presence of popcorn ceilings, asbestos tiles, or lead paint can represent expensive, time-consuming maintenance issues.
Homes that have unique decor can also deter buyers. The unique design choices that appealed to you may be features that cost you a sale. Some decor issues can be addressed by repainting, but your home may not appeal to buyers if you opted for neon pink tiles in the bathroom or didn’t install a wall separating your master bedroom from its ensuite.
Location and Market
Although you can’t change your home’s location or control the real estate market, you should consider whether the location or current market conditions could hurt your ability to sell your home. You may want to invest in renovations to offset these variables and entice buyers with the promise of a remodeled home.
Inspection Results
All buyers are advised to have a professional home inspector inspect the property before the sale is finalized. If the inspection reveals extensive repairs are required, you may be asked to reduce the sale price to compensate or complete the repairs. You can prevent issues by having the property inspected before you list it. The inspection may identify issues that would require parts of the property to be renovated. For example, you may need to renovate your main bathroom if an inspection reveals water damage or mold growth.
You may be able to sell your home without remodeling it if you’ve maintained your property, the home’s decor is up to date, and no significant repairs are required. You may choose to remodel the property to improve your chances of selling your home if the market is weak or your home isn’t in an ideal location. You may also be able to find a buyer with minor cosmetic updates, such as repainting, without incurring the expense of remodeling your house before you sell.
