Smart Repairs and Improvements for Home Sellers to Make

If you plan on selling your home, it’s tempting to make some repairs or upgrades in order to increase your home’s value. However, which repairs and improvements are the right ones?

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I’m here to answer another great question today from a follower who wants to know, “What repairs or improvements should I make to our home before we sell?” This question really has two parts to it. One is repairs and the other is improvements. 

Let’s start with the repairs. 

If something is obviously wrong with the home, like a hole in the wall, bad shingles, or a broken window, you should always fix it. I wouldn’t give the seller an allowance to do these kinds of repairs for a few reasons. First, it gives them a bad first impression of the house when they come in and see a broken window. The second reason is that when they see stuff like that, they start adding the numbers up in their head. Their number is usually a higher amount than it would cost you to just take care of the problem in the first place.

As for improvements, these are a little trickier. A lot of people want to know if adding granite countertops or redoing your floors are worth it. My philosophy has always been to make the most cost-effective improvements. The big, drastic ones can wait. The cost-effective improvements include new paint, updated lighting fixtures, and updated hardware on cabinets.

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I usually only make improvements that are cost-effective.

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If you plan on living in your home for a few more years before you sell, I would say to go ahead and get those granite countertops or new floors if you really want them. It will undoubtedly raise your home’s value when you decide to sell.

If you have any other questions for me about repairs, improvements, or selling your home in general, give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help.