Monday, November 1, 2010

Prepping Your Home May Mean Repairs

Often our daily lives are very busy.  So busy we drive into the garage, closing the door behind us, and dart into the house to dinner or to our favorite chair in the living or family room to collapse. 

Secondly, it isn't uncommon for a minor problem with our home to not warrant our immediate attention.  Ever have a slow drip from the shower head that only bothers you because the dripping water is cold rather than warm???  Or notice a small tear in the carpet that the dog or the kids made that was sealed with masking tape "to ensure it doesn't get any worse"??

The lack of knowledge and the act of ignoring 'little' problems with the house are the two major reason REPAIRS are TYPICALLY REQUIRED.   Partially completed projects can be a 3rd reason that repairs are required.

If you think a repair is too minor to require repair, ask yourself "Would I buy this house if I saw that"  and secondarily "Would I pay the asking price if I knew the seller left "that" in that condition???

A Realtor is a great person to consult if you wish to know how the market will respond to your home's present condition.  Touring the home together, he/she can note repair items to address and provide names of competent contractors.   If you prefer to get your own contractors, http://www.servicemagic.com/ and http://www.askangie.com/  are great sites to check out.

A self trained handy man/woman???  Try http://www.ehow.com/ or any of the "For Dummies"series books for step by step directions on most repairs.

 TWO TRUTHS TO REMEMBER:
   1. The buyer believes any repair is more
            expensive than it really is
   2.  The buyer wonders if "this repair" that I see
            wasn't addressed what else is wrong with
             the house.

        Both points can be used by a Buyer to justify
  a low offer and cause a difficult negotiations for
  Buyer and Seller.

 What repair caused you concern in the last house you bought???

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