You know what I'm talking about -- those nagging repairs that you know need to be done. The quirks about your house that you've learned to live with instead of taking care of.
If you are putting your home on the market, you have to clear up your to do list. Any little issue that you have been delaying needs to be addressed and fixed. As people view your house, let them imagine living happily ever after in your home. You do not want them walking around your property making a list of things they would need to fix. Small cracks in the plaster can make a potential buyer think your whole roof is caving in. They will make a low offer to include all the repairs they think will need to be done -- even if half of them are imagined.
More importantly, if you are not even considering selling or renting, fix it today. Fix it for yourself. Believe me, I would rather be making new crafty creations than repairing anything in my house. But, the sheer relief of checking off the little things is worth way more than their usually tiny cost. I once lived with a drawer with no pull for 2 1/2 years (and broke my nail at least 3 times opening & shutting it). The replacement knob cost $1.97.
This whole post is inspired by my recent trip to my PaPa's house. He was an electrician by trade and blueberry/Christmas tree farmer by choice. This guy once turned an old washing machine into a tree shaker -- reduce, reuse recycle before it was cool. Until he was 92, he lived in his old farm house. Of course, there are the big upgrades any old house could benefit from: energy efficient windows, updated wiring, more insulation, modern kitchen & bathrooms. Those are big and important, but can be pricey. I'm talking about the litttle fixes. After his funeral, we went back to the house and I found a couple of repairs that I could not believe had gone undone.
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| gotta love that aqua blue 60's tile. it is so |
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| via home depot.com |
The soap dish over the sink in his bathroom was broken, as far as I can tell, for decades. He would repair the tractor and the pump, then brush his teeth looking at this broken ceramic thing every single night. I know some people are intimidated by tile work, but this one is so simple. Hunky Husband used a regular hammer and a flat head screwdriver to carefully pop the broken one off. It didn't even take him a minute to do. The replacement piece costs $5.97 at Home Depot! It didn't need an expensive overhaul or drastic bathroom makeover. Just a quick fix. Well, it does need a drastic bathroom makeover, but that can wait for another day.
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| via home depot.com |
Seriously? Seriously. Seriously!
On my repair tab, I've linked to HomeGain Home Sale Maximizer, an awesome tool that gives you zip code specific advice on repairing your home. It is based on a nationwide survey of 1,000 real estate professionals. It even has calculators for Return on Investment to help you decide where your dollars will work the hardest & the smartest. In my area, staging can bring a 1066% return on investment and 98%. Here, 98% of real estate professionals suggest you spend the $150 to lighten and brighten your property.
My Realtor friend, Jenn, reminded me today there are seasonal repairs that need to be knocked out this time of year. Many simple fixes turn into major repairs if they are ignored or left to get worse over time.
Make a list of the drawers, doors, holes, squeaks, leaks and pesky little messes that need to be squared away at your house in order to make it more visit ready. Do two little repairs before your next crafty masterpiece. Throw one little repair purchase in you buggy the next time you are buying 5 new colors of spray paint. You deserve to live in your show house today.
just bec
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