Should You Make Repairs When Selling Your San Diego Home?

Updated at 8:29 AM, Mon April 16, 2018

When selling a home in San Diego, the first thing homeowners may ask themselves is whether or not they should bother to make repairs before selling. Once owners decide to sell, it often feels like a race to move out as quickly as possible. Taking the time to make repairs may feel like an unpleasant delay that owners wish to avoid.

However, it’s an important question to ask, since the condition of the house bears heavily on the actual and perceived value of the property. To decide if a repair should be done prior to listing a home for sale in San Diego, it helps to try and look at the house objectively, through the eyes of a potential buyer. The smartest thing to do is to present the home in the best possible light; and that definitely means taking care of certain repairs. Following is the bare minimum that San Diego home sellers should take care of before listing.

Leaky Faucets

You don’t want potential buyers to walk through your home for sale in San Diego to the cadence of a dripping faucet. If any of the taps in your home require a certain “touch” to get them to turn off completely, it’s time to fix them properly. Leaky faucets are often remedied with the simple installation of a new rubber seat washer, which you can replace yourself.

Cracked Windows

If you have one or more cracks in a window, it may be something you’re used to, but homebuyers will notice it right away. This is a simple repair, and one worth doing. Just remove the entire window and bring it to a window replacement store in San Diego. They can finish the work in a day or two and all you have to do is pop the window back in place.

Broken Tiles and Chipped Floors

Bad flooring is not only unsightly; breaks and chips can cause a hazard, especially when you’re going to be inviting homebuyers inside. If you have any spots that need repairs, just call up a local flooring company to come and take care of it for you. Again, this is an inexpensive and fast repair to make that will help make your home look its best.

Stained Carpet

If your carpet is older, chances are it has stains from spills, pets, kids and general wear and tear. Unless the carpet is absolutely hideous, it doesn’t make sense to replace the carpeting because the new owners will probably just rip that out and get what they want anyway. Instead, call up a quality carpet cleaning company in San Diego and have them do a deep clean and stain treatment. This will also make the carpet fibers stand up again, which helps make it look fresh and clean. If stains still won’t budge after that, invest in some attractive area rugs to hide the discoloration.

Broken Blinds

Bent blind slats and torn cords make window treatments look cheap and worn out. There are DIY methods to replace individual slats and even re-string cording. However, since you probably have a long list of repairs to finish, a better option is to simply replace them with new blinds or leave them off the windows entirely. Whatever you do, though, don’t leave dirty or broken blinds on the windows after you list your San Diego home for sale.

Holes in the Walls or Doors

You’ll definitely want to patch and repair any dents or holes in the walls or doors. You can purchase patch kits at any hardware store. The repair process takes a few days because you have to allow time for each layer to dry before moving on to the next step. If you don’t have the time or patience, a handyman can make the repairs for you.

Missing Hardware

Make sure that all the hardware in your San Diego home for sale is present and in good working condition. Check doorknobs, cabinet handles, door knockers, spigots and faucet handles. Replacing broken or missing hardware is simple to accomplish using standard household tools.

Repairs That You Might Not Want to Make

There are certain times when you might not want to make repairs, or might not be able to make them, when selling your San Diego home, such as:

  • The repair is complicated and will take so long that you’ll miss your opportunity to get in on the market when it’s hot. An example would be shoring up the foundation, or an expansive roof replacement. In this case, you should be prepared to make concessions for the buyer since they will have to deal with the repair.
  • The repair will severely limit your family’s ability to live comfortably while it’s being done. An example would be mold remediation. In a case like this, you might want to move out and have the repair done while the house is vacant, then sell it.
  • The repair cost is beyond your means, or will put a serious dent in your profit when you sell the home. In this case, try to modify the extent of the repair, or work with your real estate agent to come up with some compromises for the buyers.

In summary, basic repairs, especially ones that have aesthetic value, should always be done before selling your San Diego home. Larger repairs need further consideration, depending upon the nature of the repairs and the individual circumstances of the homeowner. In general, the more repairs you can take care of, the better your home will look to buyers. 

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