With time and general wear and tear, any home will need a bit of fixing up. This is doubly important when one plans on selling your home. It is surprising just how large an impact some minor repair neglect can have on a home’s resale value. It is not always a matter of the actual expenses involved in repairs. Frequently it’s more about the impression disrepair may give regarding the overall condition of the home.
That said, not all maintenance is financially worthwhile when compared to its impact on your asking price. As a seller, you have to focus on assessing the safety, operation, and condition in relation to how much each will impact your asking price. It is never a bad idea to get a professional assessment from expert home inspectors to help guide the repairs you choose to make, and in this list, we share three of the most important things to look at when repairing your home to add to your asking price.
Cracks
These are often overlooked by the owner preparing their home for the market. This makes perfect sense in that many small cracks are nothing to be concerned about and are usually a reasonably easy fix for the new owner. However, even the smallest wall crack can create the perception that there may be more severe concerns with the property’s structure.
The uninformed eye often jumps to conclusions about structural integrity, even when it’s just a tiny surface crack in the paintwork. Put in the bit of effort it takes to ensure that cracks and chips are all patched up and repaired. This included any cracks in surfaces and tiles. Even a hairline crack in a tile can raise suspicion regarding the home’s foundation.
Lighting
Lighting is just as important as sorting out cracks, if not more so in its impact on the home and how it displays. You want to aim for lighting that emphasizes the strengths of a space. Dim lighting done unintentionally can make a home feel drab, and rooms tend to seem uncomfortable. Opt instead for dimmer switches in areas that may benefit from moodier lighting.
As for small spaces, you want to make sure you keep them well lit while using drop lights or other-directed lighting to bring in much-needed dimension. If you find that a light fitting or a specific fixture is not the perfect fit for a room, replace it. The effort and expense will see returns when you sell.
The Bathrooms
It may seem peculiar that the bathroom is the only room to feature on this short-list, but it one of the more overlooked areas of a home in terms of maintenance and repair. A prospective buyer may not be turned off by a smudge on a wall in a bedroom, but the same smudge on a bathroom wall could be a dealbreaker.
Every surface must be clean, neat, and tidy. Glass panes and surfaces such as the shower doors and any mirrors that the bathroom may feature must be in perfect condition. Besides being spotlessly clean, you need to make sure that you have repaired or replaced any damaged items.