Tips For Selling An Old Home

Selling an old home, especially one that is showing its age, is not easy. Potential buyers automatically assume that an old house has many defects, and you have a tough job of convincing them otherwise. The following tips should help you get over the hurdle and sell your old home:

Investigate and Understand the Defects    

The first tip is to understand the defects so that you know exactly what you are selling. That way you won't lie, even unwittingly, to your potential buyers. You don't want to tell someone that your house has never experienced a termite attack without knowing whether it is a fact or not. A potential buyer who discovers such a lie will is likely to give your home a wide berth.

Make Minimal Repairs

You will need to make some repairs to the house but just focus on the minor ones. Minimal repairs will help you get rid of obvious defects, but extensive repairs may not give you good returns on investment. For example, you can paint your front door and take care of the sagging gutters, but you don't have to replace a damaged roof.

Highlight Neighborhood Amenities and Infrastructure

If there are indeed some things wrong with the house, don't try to hide them. Instead, highlight the wonderful infrastructure and amenities in your neighborhood. Talk about the first-rate schools, good hospitals, round-the-clock shopping centers, and clean air. That way you will attract buyers interested in your kind of neighborhood; they can buy and renovate the house if they so wish.

Make Your Rooms Brighter

Your home will appear older than it is if it is dark. Therefore, lighten and brighten the home to avoid this effect. Doing this is as easy as getting rid of heavy window treatments, washing the windows to get rid of stains and using bright light fixtures for additional lighting. It also helps to clean up the whole house and reduce the amount of clutter so that the available light reaches all areas.

Try Selling It As-Is

An old home isn't necessarily full of defects. However, if the house is truly defective, you can try selling the house on an as-is basis. This means the buyer assumes all the responsibilities for the defects they may uncover after purchase. The as-is market may be small, but there is no harm in trying.

Get a real estate agent to help you sell your house without compromising on price too much. Don't forget that, on one hand, you don't want to raise your price too since that will scare away potential buyers. At the same time, you don't want to go too low and lose money. 

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