7 Problems You Must Fix Before Selling Your Home, According to Pros

Every homeowner knows a thing or two about how flipping certain spaces—namely the kitchen and bath—can help sell the home. However, prospective sellers should also pay attention to the minute and unobservable details and repairs that can slow down or cancel a sale.

Here are seven issues that real estate professionals recommend homeowners address.

Meet the Experts

• Florence Saade, is a realtor associated with Brown Harris Stevens.

• Steven Nicastro is a real estate professional and content team lead at Clever Real Estate.

Repair the Floors

Make any necessary repairs to blaring problems in the flooring, be it a crack, chip, or tear, depending on the material. People will often notice and acknowledge floors that are in good or bad condition when viewing a home but tend to see flooring refurbishment as a huge hassle they don’t want to undertake.

Also, in the current market, hardwood floors are more attractive to buyers than carpeting, so consider replacing carpeted or tiled floors—except for tiled kitchen and bath spaces—with new hardwood or even engineered-wood flooring. The investment could lure in more buyers and a higher price.

Stop the Leaks

Both sellers and buyers may think a leak is minor and can be held at bay by positioning a bucket under the leak until one gets around to repairing it. But ignoring it even for what seems like a short period can lead to more costly problems.

“While it can be tempting for a seller to ignore a minor leak, that leak will grow and could become mold—and mold remediation is quite expensive,” Florence Saade, a realtor associated with Brown Harris Stevens, says.

While buyers might not spot the problem in the initial tour, home inspections will reveal it and sellers have a legal obligation to disclose any known issues to potential buyers.

Update Curb Appeal

“Buyers can get a good idea of the home just by looking at it from the street,” Saade says. “Relatively easy fixes like painting and landscaping let potential buyers know the home is cared for and that can help a property sell faster than others.”

Look at all aspects of curb appeal: Repaint the exterior or just the front door — whether in the existing color or a new, more appealing hue — and repair any broken landscape elements such as decks and fences.

Check for obvious damage to metal window screens and repair it, if needed. If the driveways and paths are in dingy condition, consider power-washing them.

Fix Internal Systems

Home systems not necessarily visible to the naked eye, including HVAC, electrical, and plumbing should be in working and up-to-date condition.

“While it’s true that any home can sell at the right price, significant issues can be a hard pass and these deal-breakers usually revolve around safety and problems that can make a home unlivable,” Steven Nicastro, a real estate professional and content team lead at Clever Real Estate, says.

Non-operating HVAC components, for example, a broken furnace, are especially important for buyers looking to settle in regions that experience extreme weather conditions or distinct seasons. Nonworking water and waste systems are more obvious to the buyer.

"Consider major electrical problems like outdated aluminum wiring or frequently tripping circuits,” Nicastro says.

Smooth Over Walls

“A cheap yet high return-on-investment upgrade is repairing drywall," Nicastro says. "Patching up and smoothing over holes, cracks, and scuffs can significantly clean up your home’s appearance, making it feel more move-in ready."

Consider also painting over any noticeable leftover marks after fixing any holes, cracks, and scuffs for a cleaner look.

Update Key Appliances

While cosmetic and functional kitchen upgrades are commonplace in selling a house, you might not have a significant enough budget for a full renovation.

Consider replacing one or two major appliances such as the fridge and stove. These items play front and center since they’re used frequently by the home occupants, and you need not splurge on the updates: Swap out a dated beige fridge with a stainless steel one, for instance. Replace an old gas or electric coil range with an induction cooktop.

If buyers in your area are more concerned with a clean look than an open flame, they’ll like the seamless appearance of induction—and it’s eco-friendly. Both of these upgrades are more expensive replacements, but they won’t break the bank if you know how to shop seasonal appliance sales.

Lighten Up

Most homemakers are attracted to well-lit spaces, which tend to appear larger and more welcoming. If it’s impossible to increase natural light in some rooms on your budget, simply consider adding or replacing light fixtures or optimizing existing light sources with higher-lumen or-wattage bulbs.

Read Next: 5 Design Trends to Skip This Year, According to Real Estate Agents

Read the original article on The Spruce.