So you’ve accepted an offer with a home inspection, what’s next? Time to get ready and have your home put it’s best foot forward! In a perfect world, this was all done before listing, but we live in a world where Firefly only got one season, so here we are.
A lot of these fixes seem tiny, but this is all about optics. The scariest home inspection reports are the long ones, buyers start fretting about every item (rightfully), and see the scope of work that needs done to make the home right again. It’s death by a thousand cuts, except it’s the home you’re trying to sell. Compared to the inspections that have only a couple of big items, these long lists can be intimidating.
By making this segmented, hopefully it helps provide you with an achievable to do list that can be done relatively quick. I’m going to break it down by price, so that depending on the situation you have a better idea about what can or cannot be done.
Before taking any of these on however, it is important that you do a little self-evaluation; is this something you can, or want to do? Will your unwillingness to do this impact the quality of your work? If you don’t know how to do something, you can either learn to do it, or hire someone. A lot of these are pretty straightforward, however, there is nothing wrong with hiring someone. It will cost you a little bit more, but you will save time, and usually have a higher quality product at the end.
Just something to consider.
Under $200
Under $200
The cheap and easy, these are my favourite repairs.
Price isn’t everything, these relatively cheap fixes will help your home show better. Buyers will be more attracted to a home that is obviously well maintained. It is unlikely these items will get negotiated on, however, if the buyer sees these items and the more expensive one, they may just want a bulk price reduction.
Replace your Furnace Filter. In most cases, no higher than MERV 8, higher than that can cause undue stress on your system. $13 (2 pack)
Windows and Screen. Make sure your windows all open and close, repair any torn bug screens $6 (patch kit)
Caulking. Dryrotten or torn caulking gets caught by just about every home inspector. $15 for Caulk, $9 for scraper/spreader, $10 for the caulk gun. This is the one task I will usually hire out for my own home.
Receptacle and switch face plates. Make sure they’re all protected. $2-$10
Smoke Detectors. If this is expired, you should replace it anyways for safety. $40 each
Clogged Drains. You can snake them, or hire someone to do that, because it can be nasty. $19 for a Drain Snake (tool)
Leaky Shower Heads. Sometimes it is as simple as tightening the screw, or taking the head off and applying some plumbers tape. Worst case scenario, you have to replace it. $2-$50
Under $500
Little pricier, little bit more of a important part. These items may get flagged as something the buyer should do sooner rather than later, so can impact negotiations.
Duct Cleaning - this is different from furnace cleaning, duct cleaning is for the ducts and clears out dust, pet dander, and any toys dropped in the ducts. Furnace cleaning is for the mechanical portion of the furnace. $200+
Have your furnace and fireplace serviced. $200 for the Technician’s time, sometimes $200 for parts (most of the fixes I’ve seen done were around $70 for the part). If they find out you need a new furnace, this cost will obviously balloon into the thousands. It is better to find out about it now, rather than scare off the buyer.
Hire a handyman to do all of the under $200 items
Electrical. Got some broken or loose plugs, maybe an exterior light that had a high-speed interaction with a basketball? Get them fixed!
Sump Pump. Does it work? Less important, but helpful when the inspector catches it - do you have a spare pump ready to install?
Under $5,000
These are the big items that buyers may negotiate on.
Woah big price jump! Homes are a bit of an all or nothing when it comes to time and money, it’s either a cheap fix, or not. Because these can also vary a lot more, I won’t be adding prices, sorry!
Exterior Repairs. Now is the time to fix that loose piece of siding, or the soffit that flew away.
Grading. Your home doesn’t need new weeping tile and latest water control technology to control the water around your home, you need to fix the grading so the water flows away from the home.
Windows. Do you see condensation in your window? Maybe a big ugly crack? Might be time to replace it.
Roofing. Is it due to be replaced? Maybe some shingles need reaffixed.
If this seems like a lot of work, that’s because it is. It is better to spread these items out over the span of a couple months (ideally, as soon as they become a problem, or in the months before you list your home). You’ll notice that a lot of these items would be a pain to get done before the possession date, so these are way better to get done before you even list. It will help your home stand out against the competition.
