Should sellers make home repairs
before they sell?

After years of living in a home, most homeowners have put off taking care of various home maintenance items. Because there is usually no urgency, they procrastinate. It takes an emergency, such as a roof leak in the heavy rainy season, to motivate owners to get the problem fixed.   However, when you decide to sell your home, deferred home maintenance can suddenly become an issue. Most buyers want a home they can move right into without having to make a lot of repairs. And so, sellers have to decide whether to make the deferred repairs before they put their home on the market, or to leave the work for the buyers to fix.   If sellers have the time, money, and the inclination, they will come out ahead by fixing any problems before listing their house for sale. If your house is in move-in condition it will appeal to a wider group of prospective home buyers. For example, first-time home buyers, and buyers with busy lifestyles, often will not consider buying a home that needs a lot of work. That is because they do not have the time or the experience to deal with the problems.   The listings that command the most attention are those that are in the best condition. If homes look sharp and are priced right, more than one buyer may make an offer. When multiple offers occur, the price may get bid up. Even if there are not multiple offers, experience has shown that a house that is in good condition will sell more quickly than one that needs work. A quick sale often means that the sales price will be close to the list price.   Today's prospective home buyers are very particular, and few are willing to buy "fixer-uppers." If sellers do not make repairs before putting their home on the market there will be less interest in the property and it may take a long time to sell. Usually the longer a listing sits on the market unsold, the lower the ultimate selling price.   Also, when selling a home that needs a lot of repairs, the closing could be delayed if the lender requires the work to be completed prior to funding the loan. Skilled workers are very busy today and it may not be possible to schedule major repairs in time to close as scheduled.