Should You Repair or Replace When Preparing to Sell: Part I

When getting your house ready to show, you may not know how to handle fixing certain issues. If you have something like a faulty dishwasher or a drafty door, should you repair or outright replace these components? Which is more cost-effective?

 

Here are some guidelines to help you decide whether you should have something fixed or replaced completely.

 

Appliances

 

If you are having problems with a refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer or anything similar, look up its “symptoms” online. Many of these issues can be handled yourself or repaired quickly and cheaply.

 

If the issue seems complex or mysterious, you can always replace the appliance with something newer. The latest appliances are all more efficient, use less energy, have more features and cost less to maintain than older ones. You are better off in terms of added value and overall cost to simply recycle or donate any appliances made eight years ago or longer, especially if they are having problems.

 

Drafty Doors or Windows

 

A door or window letting in lots of air can be problematic. As long as the frame or component itself is not warped, you should be able to fix it.

 

Smaller drafts can usually be taken care of with some weather stripping. There are also doorjamb kits with sweeps that reduce the amount of air flowing underneath. Both of these solutions are relatively cheap.

 

If the unit is having trouble fitting in its frame, you may still want to try making some adjustments. Doors can be rehung and windows reset in about an hour’s time. Older doors and windows should especially be held on to. Old-growth timbers will last longer and require less maintenance than newer components.

 

If the door itself is completely out of line or the window frame is rotting away, you may wish to take the plunge and have them replaced. Be sure to use insulated models that can handle the temperature differences during the winter.

 

Toilet Wasting Water

 

Leaky toilets are a problem, but there is usually no reason to replace the whole fixture. Unless the toilet itself is cracked or you simply do not like its appearance, it can be easily fixed.

 

The hardware that flushes the toilet is usually the culprit when it comes to leaks. These kits can be purchased fairly cheaply. They can be installed in minutes with minimal tools.

 

An older water-thirty toilet can be converted to a low-flow version as well. These conversion kits cost far less than an entirely new toilet.

 

With this advice, you will hopefully have a better idea of what needs to be fixed and what needs to be gotten rid of before selling your home. We will be covering even more solutions in part II.

 

To get even more sound advice for selling your UBC real estate property, you should take a look at our seller's page. We can tell you the worthwhile investments to make that add value to your home.