Don’t overdo it: Here’s what not to fix when selling a house

Before putting your home on the market, it’s important to make it look its best for prospective buyers. Getting a home in show-ready shape might involve decluttering the interiors, sprucing up the curb appeal and investing in key repairs around the residence.

But don’t get carried away. Pouring too much money into the home can be a losing investment: It won’t substantially improve your sale price, leaving you out-of-pocket for unnecessary expenses. So it’s important to know where to draw the line. Here are some of the things homeowners need not fix when listing a home for sale.

Why you don’t need to fix everything 

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to focus on fixing items that may impact your home’s sale price. Beyond that, money spent on repairs and replacements may be wasted, as prospective buyers may not find the improvements necessary or even notice the work was done at all.

In addition, most major renovation projects do not recoup the money you spend on them at resale. “Many times a major kitchen renovation or room addition won’t give you the return on investment that you might expect,” says Jade Lee Duffy, a Realtor with Epique in San Diego, California. For example, spending thousands of dollars on fancy new kitchen tiles can backfire: Buyers have their own taste and don’t want to end up paying for new tile that they don’t like. Projects like extensive landscaping, high-end fixtures and new pools typically do not offer a dollar-for-dollar return either, she says.

Buyers do usually expect the house to be in “good working order,” though, says Duffy. Before embarking on repairs, consult with a local real estate agent for advice and input about projects that make the most sense — and might translate into better offers.

What you should fix when you sell 

Julie Upton, a Realtor with Compass in the San Francisco Bay Area, suggests concentrating on things buyers typically notice most. “Buyers see flooring, walls, kitchens and baths,” she says. “They focus on beautiful main living spaces. That is where you should start.”

You should address basic wear-and-tear in these areas. For example, fresh paint is a must, says Upton — in fact, she advises against even listing a home without repainting the interiors first. Refinishing hardwood floors can also be a good idea. According to the National Association of Realtors’ most recent “Remodeling Impact Report,” refinished hardwoods are one of the few renovation projects that actually recoup more than their cost.

Although it’s a less sexy fix, updating an aging or faulty heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) system might also be worth considering, especially if you live in a warm-weather locale. “The number one repair is HVAC during any summer home sale,” says Dustin Fox, a Realtor with Pearson Smith Realty in Ashburn, Virginia. “If your air conditioning is toward the end of its life and the thermostat can’t keep up with the set temperature, buyers — and buyer’s agents — will notice.”

Beyond repairs

You only have one chance to make a first impression with buyers, so investing in your home’s front entrance and the immediate area is usually money well spent. “When the exterior of a home has good curb appeal, it means it is attractive to look at and inspires confidence,” says Dino DiNenna, a broker-Realtor with Southern Lifestyle Properties in Hilton Head, South Carolina. “Good curb appeal can help to sell a home faster and at a much better price.”

Staging can also make a home more desirable and appealing to buyers. Well-staged homes sell faster than unstaged ones, says DiNenna. “Plus, it can increase the selling price of a home by 20 percent or more,” he says.

What not to fix when selling a house

Just as important as knowing what to fix is knowing what you don’t need to bother with. There’s typically no need to address relatively small issues, including:

• Minor electrical or plumbing issues: Often buyers will not worry about small, isolated electrical and plumbing problems — the light switch attached to nothing, the faucet that drips a bit before stopping. “Just disclose these issues and let the buyer deal with it,” says Upton.
• Older appliances: Real estate listings love to name-drop snazzy brands or tout a “newly outfitted” kitchen/bathroom/laundry room — and certainly, state-of-the-art appliances can be appealing. But not having them is rarely a deal-breaker, especially in a hot market, says Keri Rizzi, a Realtor with HomeSmart in White Plains, New York. Only “if feedback repeatedly comes in stating that the old appliances are keeping buyers from making offers” should sellers take that into consideration and adjust their price accordingly, or replace the appliances, she says.
• Aging windows: You want your windows to be sparkling clean, but don’t bother to actually replace them. New windows are a costly endeavor that typically will not prove valuable when listing your home on the market. “We never recommend replacing windows,” says Fox. “We’ve rarely had a client not move forward with an offer because the windows are old.”
• Outdated floor coverings: As long as it’s in decent shape, it’s probably not worth replacing wall-to-wall carpeting or dated-looking floor tiles. Buyers might not adore them, but they can be easily replaced with something more to the new owner’s personal taste.
• Any project you can’t finish: Avoid starting any work that may not be able to be completed prior to listing. Works-in-progress can negatively impact a prospective buyer’s impression of your home: ”A half-finished anything looks worse than just leaving it as is,” says Upton. “It also sends a signal that the seller ran out of money, so a buyer may think they can offer less because the seller may be in financial distress.”

Bottom line

You’ll incur plenty of costs when selling a home, so it’s important to keep a lid on the ones you can control. While it’s important to ensure your home makes a good first impression, some repairs can be skipped — and some may even be a turn-off to prospective buyers. Before spending a great deal of money on repairs and renovations, talk with an experienced real estate professional about the projects to prioritize. You want your dollars to go where they’ll have the most impact, garnering you the best return on your investment when it comes to sale price.