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Want to know what not to fix when selling a house?

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5 fixes that won’t necessarily boost your sale price

People often rush in to make fixes to their homes to give them more selling power. But the truth is, many of these fixes can be expensive and unnecessary. Some fixes are either irrelevant to buyers or put them off altogether. As a seller, you want to focus on fixing the things that will add value to your sale price.

So, what not to fix before selling?

1. Unnecessary cosmetic touches

Quite often, sellers feel the need to add feature walls or repaint walls in trendy colours. The truth is, unless your paint is peeling or the colour of your paint outdated or distasteful, these kinds of cosmetic changes can be a waste of money. You’re better off keeping your neutral paints and adding colour through pillows, throws and accessories. Paint is a more permanent, expensive option and repainting in bold colours could be a setback for your sale – not all buyers have the same décor taste as you.

2. Partial fixes or cheap cover-ups

There’s nothing worse than a half-fixed fence, a shoddy renovation or a cheap cover-up such as a painting covering a hole in the wall. Trying to pull wool over your buyers’ eyes by doing things half-heartedly only gives a cheap impression, devaluing your house. If you’re going to fix or renovate something, do it right.

3. Lavishly landscaped gardens

Landscaping the garden for property to present beautifully both inside and out makes sense economically. But there’s no point having a beautifully landscaped garden if your house is in disarray. If budgets are tight, you’d be wiser getting your garden into shape by pairing back hedges, weeding and mowing lawns and put your money into more essential fixes around the house.

4. Solar Panels

The initial outlay for solar panels is expensive and relies on long-term usage and energy savings to start seeing returns. While you could promote them as a bonus incentive to buyers, they may not necessarily contribute to a higher sale price.

5. Converted Rooms

There’s no point converting a room unless you know it’s what your buyers want. For example, everyone loves an ensuite and a master bedroom with no ensuite can be a big setback. If you have a cupboard or space you can convert into an ensuite, it makes economic sense. But converting a bedroom into a study, may not be in your buyers’ interests if they don’t have the need to work from home, for instance.

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