What Structural Repairs to Consider Before Selling Any Old Home

By Meghan Belnap

You have an old home to sell. Perhaps you're moving, upgrading, downgrading or selling off property. Either way, you want to attract the most buyers to ensure you get a quick sale. Here are four things you should work on before listing an older home:

Old or Leaky Roofs

You can replace old shingles, seal up the chimney and ensure the fascia and soffits are free of holes from pests or rot. If you have leaks, then it might be necessary for a roofing contractor to come and look at the problem. There might be issues you cannot see like warps in the underlayers or mold. A roof replacement might be necessary if you have too much damage to repair in a small area.

Saggy Walls and Sticky Cabinets

Having these problems in your home may indicate an issue with your foundation. If it's been over 10 years since you had a foundation inspection, then you might want to talk to someone about checking out the slab under the home. Cracks, shifting soil and erosion can remove pockets of dirt, allowing the slab to move out of level.

When your doors and windows are hard to open and stick, then buyers will wonder if there are hidden foundation issues that they should avoid. You may lose bids if you don't fix this problem before putting your home on the market. Plus, anything that shows up in the home inspection will be a surprise and most buyers will ask for concessions, taking money out of your pocket.

Uneven Floors

This problem might be because of the foundation, but it can also be because of old flooring. If there are areas where your feet sink in the middle of the floor, then there is a possibility that this part of your floor is rotting or experiencing water damage. Termites can invade a home and eat away the wood supports if the homeowner doesn't catch the problem soon enough. Pipe leaks can cause water damage that'll worsen over time. Leaks in the wall and condensation issues can also cause rot.

Fixing up an old home is often cheaper if you do the work before listing. If you don't, the buyer may back out altogether,or opt for the most expensive company to do the work, and you have to foot the bill. Fixing electric, roofing, HVAC, flooring and foundation issues before you sell an old home may save you money in the end.

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