Selling a house online on your terms for cash can be fast and effective, but you
have to do it the right way and make sure to consider all important factors. One of
the biggest concerns for people selling their houses is the costly repairs. They try to
fix everything to restore their houses to the “mint” condition.
While this practice is not bad, you may end up spending a lot of money on a
property that you will sell off anyway. On average, monthly house maintenance can
cost you around $170, while the 5-year maintenance can cost up to $10,200.
So, investing in only essential repairs is important if you want to sell your house for
maximum profit. Focusing on what you can leave out in repairs is a great way to
ensure that you invest the required amount of money in the house before you sell
it. Not to mention, platforms like DirectPads make a direct cash offer and buy your
house as-is in its current condition.
However, most people are unaware of what they should not fix before they sell their
houses. You can check our list of things you should not repair when selling a house
to make an informed decision.
Things not to Fix When Selling Your House
Following are some of the things you don’t need to fix when you sell your house
online:
Minor Cosmetic Fixes
Unless you have a serious problem at hand that ruins the overall look of your house,
there is no need to make repairs. Minor issues and wear and tear are acceptable. A
few scratches on the floor or a crack on the tiles do not matter in the long run
unless you deal with a picky buyer. But your traditional buyer will squeeze every
dollar they can get out of you.
Making cosmetic fixes in your house may seem easy and small, but these repairs
can cost you a lot. You should lower your price a little instead of investing in these
repairs. However, a few things like improving landscapes is easy and can help
improve your property’s condition.
Partial Home Upgrades
There may be some parts of your house that you do not like or want to upgrade. For
instance, you may not like the sink or faucet in your picture-perfect bathroom, but
there is still no need to replace them. While it adds to the visual appeal of your
bathroom, it still won’t impact/improve your house’s price.
Making a partial upgrade to a room may also give the impression you are trying to
hide something, which can raise unnecessary suspicion or lower your house price.
So, let it be as the new owner will make these changes if they do not like it.
Driveway Cracks
Increasing your house’s curb appeal is the easiest way to ensure that you get a
good price, especially when you are selling it online. However, working on your curb
appeal doesn’t mean making your house picture-perfect or fixing everything,
including the sideway cracks.
Hairline cracks are quite common if you live in an area like San Antonio, as there is
a lot of soil movement in these areas. Thus, a driveway or sideway crack will not
scare away a potential customer or have an impact on your house price. So, it is
wise to add it to the “as-is” list when you consider all the repairs you are going to
make.
Old Building Codes
If you inherited your house from a grandparent or bought an old property, you do not need to worry about the building codes. You do not have to invest thousands of dollars in complying with the current building codes.
It is okay if a house from the 70s or 80s does not match the current building code
standards. It is not going to affect your house sale since the report will mention the
house building code details. The new buyers can upgrade the house to the current
building codes if they wish, but that is still not your concern
Minor Electrical Issues
Major electric issues like exposed wires, sparking outlets, and damaged light
fixtures need fixing right away as they are a potential threat to your and others’
safety. However, almost every house requires a few minor electrical fixes like a
wobbly outlet, a switch that does nothing, a fused light, and so on.
While you might think that these minor problems affect your house’s price, they
really don’t. The inspectors may mention that your switch outlets aren’t tight
enough, but they will probably leave any non-working lights out. Just ensure dealing
with any major electrical problems before you list your house online.
Now, let’s look at a few alternatives to ensure your house is ready for sale or listing.
Remove Items
An easy way to determine the right repair list is to separate things you can simply
remove instead of replacing and investing money. These may include window
valances or other older things that just don’t look good in a room anymore.
HomeAdvisor states the national average for new window treatment is nearly $735
per window that still does not count in your house sale.
So, if you have window valances and rods that make your house look too dark, it is
best to take them off instead of replacing them with something new.
Old Appliances
You cannot remove all old fixtures completely –for example, you will need to replace
a few old appliances before you list your house online for sale. That still doesn’t
mean that you should spend hundreds of dollars on the latest models or new light
fixtures, hardware, cabinetry, etc. You can visit the Facebook marketplace or the
Craiglist to get used appliances when you remodel your house before a sale.
In A Nutshell
Homeowners know every nook and corner of their properties as well as every little
flaw it has, which is why they get overwhelmed when they prep for selling a house.
We suggest that you only focus on the most important repairs and avoid
renewing/repairing your house completely.
It is the right approach, especially when you need quick cash and want to sell your
home as-is. In this case, DirectPads has you covered. We will make you a direct
cash offer without asking you to fix or change anything in your home. If you don’t
like the offer, that’s fine. We can list it for you as well! It’s all up to you.