A well-maintained home is always a more attractive property to buyers. But if you’ve been neglecting your house for a while, now might be the time to make some serious home improvements before putting it on the market. When you fix up a home before selling, you increase the property value and bring a lot of curb appeal to your property.
However, if you don’t know how to fix up a house to sell, you might feel intimidated. Here’s a secret, though. You don’t have to! In this article, we’re going to answer the question: “Do I need to fix up my house before selling”, as well as talk about how to fix up a home to sell in Texas and what to fix up before selling a house.
Should You Fix Up Your House Before Selling?
Fixing up your house before selling it can be a good idea, but there are also some pitfalls that you need to avoid. The first thing to consider is whether or not the repairs will increase the value of your home and make it more attractive to potential cash home buyers in Texas. Specific improvements might create problems for future owners, such as adding insulation which increases cooling costs in warmer climates.
There’s also the risk that new flooring or paint won’t quite match old finishes in other rooms. If you decide on renovations, make sure they do not cause any issues for future homeowners.
Keep them simple so that they’ll be less expensive and take less time than complicated projects like remodeling bathrooms or kitchens. If you’re not sure whether or not to renovate before selling your house in Texas, check with real estate agents in the area for their opinions.
What You Should Fix Up on Your House Before
When you’re deciding what to fix up before selling the house, consider the age of your property. If it was built in the last decade or two, the chances are that companies that buy houses in Arlington will find it attractive enough (and it might even be considered modern). However, renovations are necessary if you have an old roof, dated kitchen countertops, outdated appliances, etc. Here are some things to focus on when sprucing up for resale:
Kitchen Update
Kitchen remodels are one of the most popular DIY renovations because they do so much to improve property value and appeal. An updated look is crucial for maximizing your return on investment when selling your house in Texas. Flooring for this room should also give potential buyers a glimpse into your house’s personality.
You can add a hint of creativity with the right pattern or provide an air of elegance to a home that’s more traditional with the right style. Keep in mind that working with solid color, classic design options will give potential buyers a sense of ease and comfort they’ll appreciate when looking at your home.
Floors
Old carpets are not only unattractive to many potential buyers, but they also can be challenging to sell because of their age. If you’re planning on making home repairs anyway, it is definitely worth the extra effort to put down new flooring before putting up your house for sale in Texas or anywhere else.
Tile is an excellent choice for kitchens and bathrooms; it’s both stylish and easy to clean. Consider hardwood floors stained in neutral colors like walnut or oak for living rooms instead of painted white. It may require additional maintenance, but the investment will pay off when you’re accepting cash offers for your house.
Paint and Wallpaper
If you’re looking for someone to buy your house in Dallas, minor repairs such as a fresh coat of paint is a great way to spruce up your home before selling it, as long as you stick with neutral colors that won’t become dated over time.
While most people tend to decorate with pastel colors, neutrals such as beige or taupe are much more versatile and complement whichever color scheme you might choose for new buyers’ décor once they move in.
If you decide to add some color to walls, here’s a tip: try using complementary colors throughout the house instead of matching any specific room’s paint color exactly. This trick can save time and money and still give potential buyers a sense of aesthetic unity throughout the entire property.
Kitchen and Bathroom Updates
Many homes built before the 1990s won’t need as many renovations as those created later because they were made with more efficient designs. However, if your house was built in or after this period, you might want to consider an updated kitchen and bathrooms.
A brand-new kitchen can quickly increase a property’s value by $10,000 or more depending on the area of the country and the size of the home. A good rule of thumb is to spend about 10% of your home’s selling price on these upgrades, so if you sell your house for $200,000, shoot for about $20,000 for renovations.
Minor things like new faucets, updated light fixtures, cleaning the grout, fixing leaky pipes, or taking some time to repaint the walls can increase a home sale.
Minor or Major House Repairs?
It’s important to note how much time, effort, and money you will spend before asking, “Do I have to fix up my house before selling?” A common mistake many home sellers make when preparing their homes for sale is spending too much on renovations that are either temporary fixes or don’t add any value to the property.
Before deciding whether or not to go ahead with a renovation project, consider the benefits versus the costs — both in the short term and long term. For example, replacing dated cabinets in your kitchen might be an attractive option to give buyers a better first impression of your home.
However, if it means changing out old appliances, too, you’ll have little chance of recouping this investment when selling your house in Texas, so it may be worth holding off on that project. To sell a house with foundation damage would be a major repair.
Cosmetic House Repairs in Texas
It’s important to remember that cosmetic house repairs are only part of the process when selling your Texas home. While regular maintenance can help get your property’s value up, you should also consider professional cleaning services for carpets, wood floors, and windows before listing your home.
If there are obvious signs of wear-and-tear — water damage in the basement, broken molding around door frames, leaks under sinks — make sure to hire a contractor to fix these issues before showing off your property. If you want to impress buyers with your house in Texas, make sure everything shines.
Redecorating Your House
Selling your home is an exciting time, but if you’re looking to make a quick sale, there are some things you should avoid during the process. The most important thing to remember is that potential buyers will want their house in Texas to be as much like their own as possible.
Therefore, approaching redecoration with this mindset can help minimize wasted efforts and money spent on renovations. If you plan to set an asking price for less than what your house is worth, make sure it still looks nice; don’t decorate your walls with posters or tacky wallpaper borders unless you plan to forego trying to sell your property at all.
Doing things like decluttering and making the space as neutral as possible before an open house can get you top dollar. This low-cost way of improving your home look can help buyers imagine themselves in their new home.
Will Fixing Up Your House Add Value To Your House?
Many have a big question when preparing a house for sale is if all the money they invest in renovations will add up to a higher selling price. Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. It depends on the amount and type of work you do, whether or not your neighborhood has seen an uptick in property values recently, and other factors that are entirely beyond your control.
However, some general rules of thumb about renovations can help you make an educated decision. First, try before you buy – in other words, repair anything expensive or time-consuming that needs fixing before signing a contract for the sale of your house in Texas. Nothing will sour buyers more quickly than any number of unforeseen costs or complications.
It’s also essential to make improvements specifically in line with what buyers want if you want them to pay more for your house. For example, the kitchen is a big selling point, but it will do little good if your countertops are outdated or chipped.
Make sure you take the neighborhood into account as well; even an elegant new kitchen might not entice buyers if similar-style homes surround your house.
How to Sell Your House After You’ve Fixed It Up
Even after you’ve done all your renovations, there still might not be much profit left in the sale of your house in Texas. However, if you expect to make money off that project before starting it, or if you’re feeling a little burned out from the process by the time everything is complete, a real estate agent can help find potential buyers even if you aren’t able to sell your property yourself.
You can also choose to work with a buyer’s agent who will help purchase your home as-is and let the new owner worry about renovations. Just remember that those agents typically base their fee on a percentage of your sale price, so you’ll want to ask how much they need to do to earn their money.
With the right agent, your house in Texas should sell faster and for more money than if you tried to do it yourself or hired a realtor who specializes in selling properties that are ready to move into. Do your research before hiring anyone, though.
Conclusion
Selling your house in Texas might not be the most straightforward process, but you should be able to make a quick sale with the right renovation choices.
First, remember that renovations are only worth it when selling your home for more money if they are pertinent to what buyers want in their new property. Next, research which areas are seeing increased property values recently and make your renovations conform to this trend.
Finally, when you’re ready to sell, hire a real estate agent who will not only help you get the most money out of your home but also advertise it to people looking for houses in its price range.