What do you do if you need to sell your home fast, but extensive repairs are outside of the question, either because they’re too expensive or you don’t have the time to execute?
Real Estate Agent Chris Wulff says that busy home sellers have a few options with this scenario, including selling “As-Is,” focusing strictly on just the “Big Ticket” items that most buyers would become concerned with or opting to avoid taking care of any repairs and doing a pre-inspection before taking the home to market disclosing all known issues up front.
Selling “As-Is”
Selling your home as-is means that you aren’t going to be offering to make any repairs — what the buyer sees is what they get. Of course, if you plan to sell a house as-is, you may have to agree to a reduced price if you decide not to take care of any repairs or issues that may come up during the inspection period.
Chris suggests that you simply inspect and disclose everything up front — he would advise that you do a pre-inspection and disclose any potential issues that are found during the inspection period. This way, buyers are completely aware before making an offers and you position your home as a great opportunity for investors, fix n’ flippers, or individuals in search of a quick close opportunity.
“Big Ticket” Items
Chris says that you only need to tackle the highest priority items and most buyers are okay with a home that needs some cosmetic touch ups. If your time and budget are limited, think about putting your efforts into the most important home improvement matters — the sticking points that are likely to kill a deal such as leaky plumbing, non-functioning electrical, any deferred maintenance, un-operable appliances, etc.
Chris also added that foundation damage, leaky roof, mold, or a furnace replacements are just a few examples (more on these big ticket items). They’ll go a long way toward improving your curb appeal, which can make a major difference attracting the right buyers.
How To Sell Your Home Without Completing Repairs
If the property is in poor condition, considering marketing the sale towards a cash buyer or investor. This is another way to bypass the renovations, and possibly the listing process itself since investor opportunities often sell “Off Market.”
Another option is to avoid any repairs up front and only cover the cost of repairs that arise during inspections this way you don’t do too much and only focus your capital on what the buyer asks to fix. Generally, if you tackle obvious issues today, you can avoid any post-inspection concerns and price reduction or credit to closing cost requests.
Easy Upgrades to Take Care Of Right Away
Many of these common wear and tear issues below can be tackled during a weekend before putting your house on the market. Make sure to speak with your Real Estate Agent before wasting any time or money!
- A fresh coat of paint, always in a neutral color.
- Fresh caulking in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Improve lighting by adding new fixtures or replacing bulbs.
- Having the carpets professionally cleaned or floors professional washed.
- Deep cleaning of the entire house.
- Upgrades to the landscaping.
- Home staging with a professional staging company!
For more tips and tricks on how to sell your home for top dollar in today’s market, click HERE to download Chris Wulff’s Ultimate Seller’s Guide for 2019.
If you’re interested in contacting Chris directly click HERE.