Many sellers wonder they should fix before selling their home. Home inspections are common among Northern Virginia real estate transactions. There are so many things that come up over and over on an inspection that to agents, they’re no big deal. However, to buyers, especially first-time buyers, they always think a repair will cost more than they actually will. Or worse, they ask for a massive credit to replace something all together when a simple fix before an inspection could have avoided a large battle.
For Example:
- Broken window seals: if you see fog on a window, you likely have a broken window seal. About $175 to fix, where a new window is $500. Better yet, if your windows are under warranty – see if they’ll come fix them for free.
- Services appliances. A burner on the stove giving you trouble? Haven’t had that HVAC serviced in a while? Get that done. Try a deal like this $69 Tune Up.
- Plumbing repairs. Loose toilet, dripping faucet, loose shower head, need caulking, jetted tubs, slow drains, etc. Get all of that tightened up before it goes live. You can even do some of that yourself if you’re handy, but once a contract is involved, it has to be performed by a licensed plumber.
- Masonry work. Cracked chimney, cracked stairs, missing mortar between bricks, loose patio pavers or bricks, etc. Most masonry companies have a minimum to fix something (about $1,000 or so). If you have to give $1,000 credit instead of just having it all fixed for something that might cost $500, seems silly to not just take care of it and most cracks are visible to the eye.
There are other items that might make a bigger difference to the eye of a buyer, but they’re mostly cosmetic. If you’re looking for a specific type of contractor, download my FREE Resource Guide with a list of trusted referrals. If you’re looking for advice on prepping your home for sale, have an agent (me! me!) come see it well before you plan on selling to give you advice on what you really need to fix and what you can save your money on.