Use These Tips When Selling An Old House
Many homebuyers are naturally suspicious of old properties. They think that old homes are not in good conditions, have malfunctioning appliances or were constructed with the wrong materials. Therefore, as a seller of an old home, you have your work cut out for you. Use these tips to make the work easier:
Make Sure It Doesn't Look Old
Your house may be old, but it doesn't have to look old. It will be difficult to sell a house that potential buyers see and automatically think "well, this house sure does look old." This means you should change or improve some of the negative things that people usually associate with old houses. Examples include dirty windows, leaking roofs, squeaky floors, and discolored siding, among others. You also need to work on the house's smell and ensure it doesn't smell musty or moldy. There are many ways in which you can do this; for example, you can use citrus fruits, bake bread or use pine and cedar trees.
Ensure That All the Appliances and Systems Are Efficient
One of the things that people fear most about old houses is that their appliances and systems aren't efficient or are malfunctioning. For example, potential buyers may fear that the house's electrical system isn't up to code or that the heating and air conditioning unit isn't energy efficient enough. Make sure your house has no such concerns before putting it on the market. You don't want to risk your potential buyers viewing your house and confirming their fears by finding out that, say, the toilet is leaking.
Have It Professionally Inspected and Appraised
A good way to reassure your potential buyers of the integrity of your house is to have it professionally inspected and appraised. Such an inspection and appraisal is more trustworthy because it is from a third party who has nothing to gain by being dishonest. It would reassure your potential buyers better than, say, an appraisal from your real estate agent.
Buy a Home Warranty
Lastly, you can also make your old property more salable by buying a home warranty for it. This will help because, despite your best attempts at making your old house look new and functional, some people will always have reservations about such properties. Giving them a home warranty reassures them that they won't lose money even if something breaks down in the house after purchase.
This is one of the cases in which you shouldn't sell a house without a real estate agent. The agent will help you market the house without ceding too much ground on the selling price.