How to Sell a Home That Needs Work | 5 Top Things to Fix First

The process of selling a property can be challenging. However, even for experienced home sellers, listing a house that requires significant repairs may be a problem since, in today’s competitive housing market, a house that needs repairs is often at the bottom of the list when it comes to viewings.

It’s advisable to determine which repairs are necessary and which ones might pose a safety threat first if you want to sell your house soon. However, you may feel intimidated by the magnitude of work the house may need prior to being put on the market.

You can then determine how much money and time will be required before creating an offer. In this article, we’ll go through all the details of selling a property that requires repairs and what to fix first.

The conventional method of selling a home is by entering into a contract with a qualified agent who will take care of the promotion and marketing of your home and provide you with guidance throughout the process. The advice of an agent can help you prepare your home for sale and freshen it up. Additionally, they’ll arrange viewings for prospective buyers and make the home’s details and pictures public on websites like Zillow, Redfin, or Trulia.

Your agent handles all correspondence with the purchaser and their agent once you locate a buyer. It is the agent’s duty to make sure that all financial and legal paperwork is in order. Real estate brokers receive roughly 6% of the sale price as payment for their services.

The majority of cash purchasers acquire homes with the goal of making repairs, renovating them, and then reselling them. They don’t do any showings, cleanings, or improvements before they buy the residence. The complete transaction can close quickly and without complications. In a cash deal, the owner can compare offers from many sources and bargain for the best deal. In actuality, you engage with the buyer directly on all facets of the deal, including title, escrow, and closing.

If you decide to sell your house “as-is,” you won’t have to spend time doing any renovations; the buyer will get exactly what they see. While a buyer might still want to do an inspection, your agent can establish a standard that no significant repairs will be performed. You’ll likely have to agree to a lower sale price when you sell a property as-is than you might have if you had made some renovations and upkeep before listing.

Conduct a pre-inspection and reveal all that’s discovered on the inspection report as another way to sell the property as-is. Again, you’ll probably have to reduce your asking price, but your realtor can highlight how fantastic of an opportunity your property is for flippers, investors, or those looking for a fixer-upper.

A property can develop wear and tear over time. Long-term issues can be avoided with routine maintenance, but if you can’t afford major repairs or are ill and unable to handle minor issues, then problems may occur. If you decide it’s time to sell your home quickly, there are a handful of things you should consider taking care of first to receive the best price for your house.

1. Lighting

Make the most of your available area by providing it with smart lighting. Allowing natural light in will highlight your property’s greatest qualities and make the area much more appealing, particularly during the summer.

2. Carpets

If your house is a little older, you could be concealing gorgeous hardwood flooring behind worn-out carpeting. If so, remove the carpets and give your floors a good shine to truly make your home stand out. This is a relatively inexpensive task. Similar to this, if your flooring already has exposed wood, buff and re-polish it to bring it back to life.

3. Paint

This is among the most cost-effective methods to improve both the interior and exterior of your house. Repaint any dark or outdated rooms with neutral colors to appeal to a larger variety of prospective purchasers. Giving your doors, window frames, and any fence a fresh coat of paint can also provide a more favorable first impression than having a chipped, messy front door.

4. Kitchen and bathroom

When people view a house, they will focus on these two important rooms. While entirely remodeling both rooms wouldn’t be in many people’s budgets, it is still important to think about any small adjustments you might make that could affect your viewer’s first impressions.

A new coat of paint, fixing any missing tiles or fittings, and tightening any leaking taps are good places to start. Deep-clean both spaces since dirty kitchens and bathrooms are an absolute no-no for viewers. Consider re-grouting tiles and utilizing specialized cleaners to remove dirt from shower and bath areas and prevent the growth of mold.

5. Simple DIY

While you don’t need to be an expert, knowing the fundamentals will help a lot. Maintain your yard, restore any damaged gate panels or fence, replace any missing doorknobs, and clean the grout in the kitchen and bathroom.