With so many buyers only looking for move-in ready homes, those fixer-upper listings just won’t move off the market anymore without a little help. Consequently, making updates or at least doing some basic preparation before listing has become a must for every homeowner. Although now a part of the selling process, the problem is that traditional home improvement for the real estate transaction is fundamentally broken.
Home improvement projects move at a snail’s pace
Whether it’s getting quotes back, shipping delays for materials or hiccups during the work, pre-sale updates with traditional general contractors seem to always get pushed back. These issues paired with the deficit in contractor availability nationwide can extend these project deadlines by weeks or sometimes even months. This can make for one unhappy homeowner who may even take out some of their frustrations on you. Either way, the delayed sale and your dissatisfied homeowner aren’t helping your business model.
Making updates is a risky business
Working with a traditional general contractor for pre-sale updates can be a big gamble. Not every contractor is a winning hand, and those that aren’t can also be a liability for your clients and your business. Unlicensed or uninsured contractors can cost your clients greatly, both figuratively and metaphorically. On top of that, if you work directly with these contractors, you could be at risk as well and, in some cases, even lose your license.
Even if they’re licensed and insured, it doesn’t mean that the general contractor will provide top-notch work. There has been a rise in contractor fraud and scams in the last few years. This includes everything from unfinished work to suspect billing practices. In the end, your homeowners could be out thousands of dollars, and if you recommended them, your professional reputation is on shaky ground.
General contractors are not always forthcoming
Nowadays, consumers want transparency and clarity that traditional pre-sale updates often lack. Whether it’s to cover something up or they just aren’t great at communicating, general contractors can be wishy-washy or vague when it comes to their progress. As a result, homeowners and agents may feel out of the loop or frustrated from delayed or unclear responses.
How to fix what is broken
Although the setup for traditional pre-sale home improvements is broken, Curbio is changing the way people do pre-listing updates. Typically, speed can be an issue, but Curbio focuses on speed-to-market with profit-driven projects.
Curbio also takes the risk out of these home improvement projects with licensed and vetted general contractors whose focus is on pre-sale updates that result in a high ROI. Finally, Curbio’s mobile app and dedicated project manager make for a transparent and streamlined process, so the entire project is easier for homeowners and agents.
Stop trying to navigate a broken system and let Curbio help you avoid these problems altogether. Learn more about how Curbio works at https://curbio.com/how-it-works.
