5 Repairs You Need to Make Before Selling

Chances are, your REALTOR offered advice about things you should do to your house before you put it on the market. You may want to make those changes if you want to get bigger and better offers from buyers.

REALTORS are experts in knowing what potential buyers will notice and how it could influence their buying decisions. They know what sends buyers running and what makes them place competitive offers.

Eliminate distracting drawbacks to give buyers a positive experience while they are viewing your home. Here are the top five repairs you need to make before selling your home:

• Broken entry doors: Your doors are part of that important first impression. Walk up to any house with a shabby front door or a broken screen and you might think that there is some obvious neglect involved for the entire home. It is an assumption most buyers will make instantly. Make sure everything at the entrance is in working order. If the screen door is damaged, install a new one. If the paint is chipping, apply a fresh coat of paint.
  
  
• Light switches that don’t work: If you have a switch that doesn’t work, now is the time to get it repaired. If buyers flip a switch and it doesn’t work, it makes them think there are potential electrical problems throughout the house.
  
  
• Shower curtains: Old shower curtains are a distraction. If you invest in a quality shower curtain, bathmat, and luxurious towels, you create a clean (providing the bathroom is also clean) and fresh feeling. To buyers, this one of the most important rooms of the home.
  
  
• Stained carpets and ugly flooring: Your floors are hard to hide. Visually, they can make or break a room. If your carpet is stained and worn or the hardwood flooring is battered, it is best to address these issues before you show the home. Refinishing your wood floors can actually attract buyers and make them think about placing an offer. New, neutral colored carpets can change the entire first impression that any room makes.
  
  
• Missing shingles on your roof: It happens to even healthy roofs. Winter storms can make a few shingles fall off—and this sends a bad message to buyers. It is wise to hire a roofer to replace any missing or broken shingles or roofing tiles and clean off any discolorations or moss. Let you roof show “good upkeep” when buyers drive up.

There are many things beyond these five repairs that you can do to prepare your home to make the best first impression with buyers. Even if you don’t notice these issues, potential buyers just may, and that could cost you those quick and competitive offers you are looking for.