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I have a list of about 24-27 MINOR repair details that are either cosmetic or were in our original home inspection when we bought our home 8 years ago. This is not foundational issues or anything IMO that is major. Many of the items a buyer wouldn't be aware of until a home inspection. In all with parts and labor, it will run $2000-2500 to fix what is needed based on our handyman quotes. I have fixed all that I'm comfortable with and capable of.
Our buyer's agent says to hang onto the extra $2k, while the listing agent recommends putting the extra $2k into repair.
I'd appreciate the pros/cons. Our home is already 98% move in ready, updated, with an open floor plan.
If anyone can redirect a similar thread about this that would be helpful to. I can post the repair items needed it that would provide more details for feedback.
Leave at least 12 of these for THEIR home inspector to find as inspectors HAVE to find something wrong.
Fix the ones that are more complicated to fix. For example, those that require days (in time, not labor) to fix.
Fix the ones that might turn off a prospective buyer. For example, a dent in the wall.
Do not fix invisible ones. For example, a missing cover plate on a junction box in the attic.
Here's what we did before listing (although we have had issues with listing agents so can't tell you whether it worked out or not). We repaired all the noticeable stuff that a buyer would see. We figured for the other stuff we would wait until we have a buyer and then repair it at that time. Either way, we are going to be repairing it, it's just about whether it's now or later. Anything that would turn a buyer off, though, was repaired. The other stuff is minor detail stuff like you said wouldn't be noticed.
I went ahead and posted my list for feedback. Feel free to reply or DM if you have advice on my "fix it/to do" list before listing home.
Fixes 1. Several Stress cracks in brick (no foundation issues-this was checkedand confirmed this past week) 2. Garage Door-Damaged trim/paint on garage door base, sides, and upper 3. Door leading to garage hollow coretype, needs to be regular door. 4. French Back doors-Damaged trim (inside and out water damage),Back door threshold damaged, part of back door damage inside door. Opening between patio door frame and brick needs sealing. 5. Discoloration on brick on severalparts of house. 6. Back bathroom door notproperly aligned results in force needing to be used to shut and open door(confirmed it is not foundation issue) 7. Master bedroom door not on hinges correctly-difficult to shutall way. 8. Regrouting in corner where drywall and shower corner. Shower glass connect on drywall area, side areas of bath andshower seat 9. Threshold in hallway floor needs to be put down
10. Garage ceiling sagging in areas. replace nails and put Screws in roofing. 11. Tile in bathroom loose.-reinstall 12. Toilet in bathroom wobbly. May need to be tightened down orcaulked at bottom. 13. Crack from kitchen backsplash after we had to remove bugs thatwere stuck behind glass.
14. Garage door rubber threshold loose and not covering all of bottom panel.
15. skylight-repaint chips and upper area of shower that is not smooth.
16. Put in new screw at bottom of AC Vent in living room (sticking out halfway and jammed).
Not sure.
17. Water heater storm collar not properly sealed
18. Exposed fasteners need sealing on bathroom skylight roof.
Leave alone-will show up on inspection report
19. Chimney-Mortarcap on Chimney is damaged. 20. PVC Conduit protecting sprinkler is broken. Need new PVC pipe.
21. Need AC unit to have new outside insulation pipe. 22. Foam around outside drain pipe
23. damaged window latch-secured with two other latches on side of window.
24. Touchup paint in two spots around molding by ceiling of TV
25. Fix metal casing around water hose from wall to Toilet in back bathroom.
26. Pull down stair case at garage has been secured in rough opening using drywallscrews. Need secured with 16/ 16 d nails (4 per side)
27.Fireplace-Cracks in fire box need pointing upwith fire clay mortar, Damper will not open, Small holes in fire box. (We havenot used this since we moved in).
28. Front faucet needs support and is slightly bent but works fine.
29. Two missing knockouts in panel front
30. Wiring at garbage disposal switch enclosedwith wood blocks. Not in a junction box.
31. Loose dead front at electric disconnect boxfor a/c condensing unit,.
32. Two missingknockouts resulting in openings in panel front.
33. Exposed wiring at switch for garage disposer mounted under cabinet not injunction box. Previous owner used wood to secure. Was told there was not acorrect junction box size that would fit this area. Not sure if that is true ornot.
34. Loose dead front at electric disconnect box for a/c condensing unit. Twomissing knockouts resulting in openings in panel front.
Last edited by clickbear; 05-26-2014 at 04:54 PM..
Are you saying all this stuff was found on the inspcction prior to when you bought the house 8 years ago? Why didn't you have the seller fix any of it? And why haven't you had it fixed sometime during the last 8 years?
There are several things on that list that have either gotten worse over the years or are simply eyesores.
Some of the items were as it and others on the list have occurred over time. There were other items the seller paid along with some foundation repair and came down significantly on the offer we made.
Regardless, I'm trying to address it now and trying to trim down the "Must Do" list vs "not worry about" list before getting ready to sell the home. Thanks for the feedback. I feel better about what to address now.
Last edited by clickbear; 05-26-2014 at 04:13 PM..
I imagine it depends on your market. If you have a slow market, you will end up having to do the repairs anyway, so you might as well do them now when you have time and are not under the gun of trying to close the deal. It will also give your buyers less ability to mess around with you on price after the inspection gets done.
If you are in a hot market, you are under less pressure because it's unlikely a small number of repairs will deal a deal, so you could probably wait or do some of the worst stuff, with the caveat that lots of delayed maintenance could signify deeper problems and might scare some people off.
If you are in a super hot market (multiple offers and homes going above asking), you could consider a prelisting inspection. Then you could repair the things found (or not) and supply the inspection report to your sellers. Usually a buyer won't accept your inspection, but in a ultra-competitive situation you may get one or two to,waive the inspection if you have a thorough one already done.
I think some people will disagree with me on the last point, buy two of my neighbors recently did it this way and that is exactly how it worked out.
I guess it boils down to, if you will have the leverage in your market, you can do what you want. If not, get the repairs done.
If it was my house I would fix everything. This way the buyer has no come back with some demand. If you can't find much if anything wrong there isn't a whole lot to negotiate about.
If anything fix the glaringly obvious bad stuff. Let the inspector find something wrong so the buyer can now ask for some concessions.
I'm the sort that would just fix the darn thing, if it was broken. This endless "gee, what can I get away with not fixing" guessing game just seems like it's inviting trouble.
Do you want top dollar? Then fix 'em. Are you willing to play roulette with what the inspector will find, and then be in the position of having to make financial concessions?
Do unto others -- if you were buying the house, you'd want the items fixed, wouldn't you?
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