After receiving a promotion, Alastair decided to sell his old house and buy a bigger one. He hired a Lake Mary realtor to help him with the process. The agent advised him to get some repairs done before listing the house. Alastair evaluated his house and decided to fix the peeling paint in the bathroom and the squeaky floorboards in the living room, patch up the holes in the roof, and change the cabinets and tiling in the kitchen. When he got an offer on the house, the negotiations didn’t go too far. While Alastair had taken care of the cosmetic repairs, he had failed to look beneath the surface such as the plumbing.
What you need to take away from this story is that repairs that strengthen the bones of the house matter moreover repairs done purely for aesthetic appeal. No matter how good your house looks from the outside, the truth will come out during the home inspection.
Here are some of the top repairs you should get done before listing your house:
Water and Mold Stains
A black-green patch on your ceiling dripping water is one of the nastiest sights in a house. Usually, this stain tells a story of plumbing problems that haven’t been fixed in quite a while. Do not try to fix this problem by painting over the stain because it will be revealed during the home inspection. This brings us to our second repair:
Slow or Leaky Drains
It’s probably the slow or leaky drains that are causing those moldy patches. The first thing a buyer does after entering the house is he checks out the flush in the bathroom and then all the faucets in the house. Slow drain is usually a problem with plumbing so better get your main drain line checked to find out if it’s a clog that’s causing everything.
Electrical Outlets
After the flush and faucets, the buyer moves on to the switches and electrical outlets. You will find him turning the switches on and off to make sure that the lights are working. Don’t be surprised if they bring a charger with them to check out the electrical outlets. Apart from making sure that everything is working, you also need to focus on the connections. Meaning – the switch in the kitchen should not turn on the light in the garage.
The Lawn
If you haven’t been paying attention to your lawn, then we urge you to get it mowed immediately. While you are at it, plant some fresh flowers and repaint the fence to spruce up the front yard.
Damaged Floorboards and Deteriorating Carpet
Loose floorboards are a trip hazard and can cause untold damage. The same is the case with carpets that have deteriorated and are down to threads. This damage might be due to plumbing problems that are causing water to leak underneath the floorboards.
The plus point of making these repairs is that the buyer will not negotiate on the sale price aggressively. To get help with your house’s sale process, get in touch with a Sanford Florida realtor. For Orlando real estate, visit the website Megan Dowdy Realty or call on 407-509-9279.
