If you’re preparing to sell your home, you’re likely to be in receipt of a lot of advice right now. From the advice of relatives and friends who have just sold a home, or estate agents, to the plethora of information available online, you might quickly find yourself overwhelmed, particularly when it comes to home improvements: what you should fix when selling a house and what you shouldn’t.
When selling a home in the UK, it’s difficult to know what not to fix so as to attract the most possible buyers. You want to get the best price and the right price, while at the same time keeping costs to a minimum.
It’s worth bearing in mind, for instance, that it may be more cost-effective to reduce the asking price of your home rather than spend months carrying out inessential repairs on little things.
What Not To Fix When Selling A House UK?
What to Leave Alone When Selling a Home?
To a large extent, a lot of this hinges on whether or not this is a second home or an investment. For instance, renovation expenses may be deducted from taxable income (which will result in you retaining more of the equity upon sale). There are many common mistakes sellers make when they’re going through the process of selling. But generally, if you live in the UK and plan on selling your home, you should:
Avoid Significant Cosmetic Upgrades
Spending a lot of money on wallpaper or paint is never a good idea, but touching up your walls with leftovers from the original job can make a massive difference. In some instances, providing it’s cost-effective, you may even decide to have an entire wall (or room) repainted. However, be careful not to go overboard, as most potential buyers often have their own preferred colour schemes and plan to design their homes their own way.
That being said, a new lick of fresh paint where it’s needed can do so much for a property. It is better to bring out the best in your home with all the existing colour schemes than to completely change the whole outlook giving it a new house effect. Paint can get quite expensive, and people often underestimate how time-consuming it is.
Keep Decorating To a Minimum
When it comes to getting a home ready for sale (especially a quick sale), there’s usually a fine line between too much and too little. Staging a home involves arranging its furnishings and decor such that it appeals more to potential buyers.
For the vast majority of us, this involves nothing more than a thorough cleaning and clearing of clutter, but some homeowners who really want to show their property at its best will store away their old furniture and rent out some which are brand new.
Though that’s completely unnecessary. A home’s appeal can shift dramatically after adding new furniture, and the result can often look manufactured and uninviting.
As already mentioned, a fresh coat of paint may make all the difference. Transform your space by reviving its existing colour scheme or to neutral colours. Not only the inside but changing the front door to a different colour is one way to increase kerb appeal (and often market value). It is the very first thing a potential buyer will see when they come to look at your house.
Refrain From Buying New Fixtures and Fittings
It’s a good plan to repair the seals of any dripping taps or a faulty light switch or sockets in the kitchen or bathroom.
If they break, though, don’t go out of your way to replace them. People looking to buy would rather handle this process independently.
Avoid Replacing Old Appliances
It may not be worth the trouble throwing away an old dishwasher if the buyer plans to bring their own. Once they have ownership, they can decide whether or not to dispose of old appliances. So don’t buy a new appliance unless an existing one is on its last legs.
However, the results of the surveyor’s report can be improved by replacing some items. So, if necessary, you can always buy second-hand appliances as long as they are in good shape and still functioning.
There’s no need to buy brand-new appliances and the latest models. Many people opt to take their white goods with them, so there’s no need to stress over leaving things like fridges behind.
One exception to this, however, is safety appliances. More out of courtesy than legality, you should check the functionality of all of safety equipment, such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Avoid Fixing Tiling and Flooring
When a tiled wall or floor develops a crack or chip, it can be difficult to repair. In many cases, total replacement might be the only solution. The same goes for laminate flooring or carpets (they can be professionally cleaned, or perhaps DIY with a Rug Doctor). Generally, though, you should leave expensive flooring and tiling unaltered; most buyers can determine how to proceed with any snagging issues.
Forego Major Home Improvements
There’s a common misconception that homeowners should carry out major renovations to their homes before a house sale. However, properties are expected to show signs of wear and tear, so there’s no pressure to have it look brand new.
Cracks, dents, and scratches are easily repaired, as are dripping taps, grimy grout, and mould. However, major renovations like new flooring, carpeting, and worktops take time and cost more money to fix.
A new bath, sink, or basin may seem like a smart idea to increase the home’s value, but they will stand out like a sore thumb if the remainder of the bathroom (or even the property) is outdated. Rather than add value, sometimes all this does is point out the flaws in the rest of the house.
Leave Small Electrical Issues Alone
Large electrical issues can obviously be serious and need immediate attention. However, if the issue is simply a broken light switch, you may want to leave it alone.
Every home on the market comes with its faults, and certain concerns like defective switches or broken doorbells will easily pass a surveyor’s inspection.
When Your Property Is in Poor Condition
If the house you’re selling is in bad condition, it won’t be cheap to fix and you need to understand the costs involved. Your best bet is to reduce the sales price of your home until you have multiple bids from buyers.
What to Fix When Selling a House?
What work needs to be done to get your house ready to sell and get a successful sale? The answer depends on a number of factors, including how much you have available to spend and how much value certain improvements will add to your home. Often, it’s a good idea to check with an estate agent to get their views on what should or shouldn’t be sorted before the sale.
Plan your sale so that you don’t have to spend money on anything that would cut into your profits. An effective strategy is to focus on low-cost options, such as:
- Repairing wall imperfections by filling and painting over them
- Fixing broken windows
- Repairing any leaks
- Cleaning curtains and carpets to remove any lingering odours, such as cigarettes, cooking smells, and pets
- Making sure the electrics are up to standard
- Performing maintenance on gas appliances
- Taking care of pest control issues
- Declutter, declutter, declutter!
All personal belongings not listed in the sale’s description must be removed too. It’s possible that conveyancers and estate agents would consider this as waste, and if they aren’t removed from the property listing, you could be fined.
Important Things to Know Before Selling
Determine the Costs of Selling
Although you may come out ahead financially after selling your home, there are some costs you should be aware of. Before investing in renovations, it’s important to have a firm grasp on what it will cost you to sell your home. When added to other transaction costs (conveyancers, estate agents, and mortgage repayments), they could be more expensive than you first anticipate.
Review the Property Market
Even if a house has some cosmetic flaws, it can nevertheless sell rapidly in a seller’s market. However, a home that has been neglected and is in bad condition is unlikely to sell well in any market.
Avoid Aggressive Home Staging
Excessive home staging is not only unnecessary but can even backfire. It’s one of the most common mistake sellers can make when selling a house. In order to make a house more desirable to potential buyers, it may involve removing all of the current furnishings, storing them, and then hiring replacement furniture.
Aside from the obvious financial considerations, extensive home staging can occasionally disrupt the house’s character. Besides discouraging potential buyers, this sort of staging could end up costing you a lot of money.
Cleaning and organising your home for sale is essential, and in doing so, you might find that you can avoid the expenses associated with staging. If you want to add something, a bunch of fresh flowers wouldn’t be bad to help elevate a property for a viewing.
Final Thoughts
Selling property is stressful at the best of times. Therefore reducing the amount of work required is always a better option.
Of course, you always want to get the most value from the sale of your property and making it look great for photos and viewings will leave a good impression. However, some things don’t need to be fixed and any major problems will just cost you a lot of money for not a lot of return. Most issues are better for everyone if left alone.
If you’re selling your home, a good place to buy is an auction. Learn how to buy a property at auction.