Getting your money’s worth on a home sale is best achieved by proactively addressing the major issues. Here are some problems that real estate experts agree you absolutely have to repair before listing your home.
1. Water Damage and Mold
Water damage and any resulting signs of water damage, including mold, are a must-fix when listing a home.
Homeowners should absolutely fix any remnants of water damage in their home—even if it is just a cosmetic stain on the paint from a previous leak that has been repaired.
Not only is water damage a significant problem for a home, but it can also trigger a series of doubts for potential buyers about the property's overall condition.
Signs of water damage open up a can of worms for a buyer. As soon as buyers see evidence of water damage, they start to worry about what else is not working, whether it was ever properly repaired, whether there is mold and mildew inside the walls, and why the homeowner couldn’t be bothered to fix something so important.
2. Faulty Smoke Detectors
The health and safety of all occupants is paramount whether you’re selling or buying, and making sure smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and radon systems are working is crucial.
Safety is critical, and we encourage all sellers to check local requirements for guidelines to eliminate some of the guesswork. Always test smoke detectors and install them according to local code. Carbon monoxide detectors are encouraged but may not be required.
3. Busted Plumbing
Plumbing is an essential component of a safe home, and ensuring that everything from your toilet to your sink and septic tank works is essential for potential buyers.
A licensed plumber should make any plumbing repairs.
4. Malfunctioning HVAC Systems
You can’t live safely in a home without heat or cool air. Having an HVAC system that’s in working order is a must when you sell.
When your HVAC works efficiently, heat and cool air are distributed throughout the home with good circulation. Common system breakdowns are a result of dirty HVAC filters, thermostat settings, a pilot light being out, or a faulty thermocouple.
Changing your HVAC filter once every 30 to 90 days is ideal. You can also schedule a biannual tune-up to ensure you’re never without heat.
5. Structural Issues
Any essential repair that implies a structural issue and compromises the integrity of the structure could deter potential buyers.
Structural issues include leaning walls, sagging roofs, and cracks in the walls, ceilings, and fireplaces.
“Structural and foundational issues are a tough sell because they imply other issues could be behind the walls.
6. Foundation Problems
The seriousness of a foundation problem is self-evident in the word itself: A solid foundation is vital for a good home.
The ground around your home may shift, causing changes to how the home rests on the foundation.
Before listing, check for cracks that are larger than 1/8-inch in width—the thickness of two pennies—or are actively getting bigger.
To help identify movement, you can monitor a crack over time by placing a piece of masking tape over it and seeing if it shifts.
Foundation problems spell danger on an inspection report, so addressing them before you sell will ensure a clean bill of health from your buyer’s inspector.
7. Roof Damage
A bad roof can lead to major problems for your entire home. If you can spot these problems before selling, it’s wise to address them.
A poorly maintained roof can lead to deterioration, damaged shingles, and other issues, such as moss buildup, making it easier for water to seep into ceilings. A slow roof leak can turn into a huge backlog of moisture in your ceiling or attic. This can eventually proliferate into mold that grows on walls and framing, leading to poor air quality in the home and damage to your home’s structural framing.
To spot a damaged roof, look for missing, worn, or damaged shingles while inspecting the roof from the ground. Trimming trees that are hanging over gutters or rooflines to prevent further damage.
8. Broken Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are easy fixes that go a long way when it comes to staging your home and selling it.
Make sure that all your lightbulbs are working; this not only helps from a staging perspective by keeping rooms as bright as possible, but it also allays any fears buyers have of anything possibly wrong with the electrics.
You should also address other, more serious lighting issues that have major implications on safety and meeting code.
9. Broken Appliances
Like signs of water damage, nonworking appliances could make a buyer wonder whether other systems in the home have been neglected.
If a home’s fridge, range, or other kitchen appliance is on the fritz, replacement may not be necessary. Much of the decision on whether to replace is contingent on the pricing of the home and its closest comparables. In some cases, a buyer may prefer to pick out a replacement. An allowance or price reduction could be an attractive approach to broken appliances.