RISMedia
  • News
  • Premier
  • Reports
  • Events
  • Power Broker
  • Newsmakers
  • More
    • Publications
    • Education
No Result
View All Result
  • Agents
  • Brokers
  • Teams
  • Marketing
  • Coaching
  • Technology
  • More
    • Headliners New
    • Luxury
    • Best Practices
    • Consumer
    • National
    • Our Editors
Join Premier
Sign In
RISMedia
  • News
  • Premier
  • Reports
  • Events
  • Power Broker
  • Newsmakers
  • More
    • Publications
    • Education
No Result
View All Result
RISMedia
No Result
View All Result

The Mortgage Professor: Should You Fix Up a Home before Selling It?

Home Consumer
By Jack Guttentag
September 3, 2013
Reading Time: 3 mins read

(MCT)—Recently I put my home up for sale, and because it needed a new roof, deck, and septic system, came face to face with this question. This article is based heavily on that experience, in which I made a serious mistake that other sellers can avoid.

It is easier to sell a house that is attractive to potential buyers, which means that you spend a little time and money on cosmetics. This is partly just a matter of making sure the house is clean, the yard is neat, the driveway is swept, bushes pruned and so on. Easily fixed structural defects, like a loose shingle, should be fixed.

Houses almost always look better when furnished than when empty — and they also look larger. If you are moving to another residence and plan to take your furnishings with you, try to arrange to show the house before you move out of it.

But if your house also has structural defects that are costly to fix, as mine did, the challenge is in deciding whether or not to fix them before sale.

Every house has defects, some obvious and others hidden. Both types will affect the price a buyer is willing to pay. It is a mistake to think that a potential buyer will assume that the only defects that exist are those that are visible.

Page 1 of 3
123Next
ShareTweetShare
Susanne Dwyer

Susanne Dwyer

Related Posts

8 Gadgets to Invest in for Your Real Estate Business
Agents

8 Gadgets to Invest in for Your Real Estate Business

August 17, 2022
RTRN Highlights the Importance of Home Performance
Agents

RTRN Highlights the Importance of Home Performance

August 17, 2022
Forging a Digital Frontier for Agents and Brokers
Agents

Forging a Digital Frontier for Agents and Brokers

August 17, 2022
L.A. County Real Estate Company Aligns with RE/MAX
Agents

L.A. County Real Estate Company Aligns with RE/MAX

August 17, 2022
Weichert, Realtors® – Providence Properties Opens Brokerage In Watford City
Agents

Weichert, Realtors® – Providence Properties Opens Brokerage In Watford City

August 17, 2022
Homebuilder Confidence Falls for 8th Straight Month
Agents

Homebuilder Confidence Falls for 8th Straight Month

August 16, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tip of the Day

Keep Up With What Today’s Buyers Want

Today’s buyers want move-in ready but over 80% of homes in the U.S. are 20 years or older making pre-listing... Learn more.

Business Tip of the Day provided by
REGISTER NOW

Recent Posts

  • 8 Gadgets to Invest in for Your Real Estate Business
  • RTRN Highlights the Importance of Home Performance
  • Forging a Digital Frontier for Agents and Brokers

Categories

  • Spotlights
  • Best Practices
  • Advice
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Social Media

The Most Important Real Estate News & Events

Click below to receive the latest real estate news and events directly to your inbox.

Sign Up
By signing up, you agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

About Blog Our Products Our Team Contact Advertise/Sponsor Media Kit Email Whitelist Terms & Policies

© 2022 RISMedia. All Rights Reserved. Design by Real Estate Webmasters.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Premier
  • Reports
  • News
    • Agents
    • Brokers
    • Teams
    • Consumer
    • Marketing
    • Coaching
    • Technology
    • Headliners New
    • Luxury
    • Best Practices
    • National
    • Our Editors
  • Publications
    • Real Estate Magazine
    • Past Issues
    • Custom Covers
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Podcasts
    • Event Coverage
  • Education
    • Get Licensed
    • REALTOR® Courses
    • Continuing Education
    • Luxury Designation
    • Real Estate Tools
  • Newsmakers
    • 2022 Newsmakers
    • 2021 Newsmakers
    • 2020 Newsmakers
    • 2019 Newsmakers
  • Power Broker
    • 2022 Power Broker
    • 2021 Power Broker
    • 2020 Power Broker
    • 2019 Power Broker
  • Join Premier
  • Sign In

© 2022 RISMedia. All Rights Reserved. Design by Real Estate Webmasters.

X