What to Fix (and What to Skip) Before You Sell Your Salt Lake City Home
TL;DR - The Short Version
You don't need to reno your home to sell it. Focus first on anything a buyer's inspector will find, because those turn into repair requests and credits later. Then handle the small things that show the home has been cared for: paint, bulbs, caulk, hardware, curb appeal, and a deep clean. Put down the remodel plans, since kitchens and bathrooms almost never pay you back and they add months to your timeline. Leave anything that works and is in decent shape, unless it makes buyers think "project." If your home is older, a pre-listing inspection can show you what's coming before a buyer does. Walk through your home like a stranger would, and you'll see what buyers see. And whether you list before the holidays or in early spring, a short, focused list gets you ready without taking over your life.
This post covers step one. If you want the full plan, get my FREE Home Seller's Blueprint. It's a multi-page, step-by-step guide that walks you through everything from what to fix, to staging without spending a fortune, to listing and negotiating your sale so you walk away with more. Once you've read it, we'll set up a follow-up conversation to build a personalized plan for your home. No pressure. No pitch.
So, you're thinking about selling, and the list of to do’s is already starting in your mind.
Paint the hallway. Replace the basement carpet. Redo the bathroom. Maybe the kitchen while you're at it. Before long, getting your home ready looks like a six-month renovation on top of the full time job you already have.
Put down the notepad for a second because I’ve got something to share with you first. You don’t need to reno your home in order to sell it. The trick is knowing what fixes will get you more money at closing and letting go of the rest.
Here’s where to focus and what to put down:
Put on your inspector hat. What they would spot first is where to start.
Start with the repairs an inspector is going to flag. Leaky faucets, water stains, windows that stick, outlets that don't work, a furnace that hasn't been serviced in a few years. When a buyer's inspector finds these, they come back to you as repair requests and credits, and that almost always costs more than fixing them now. (More on that later this month when we talk about negotiating.)
If you aren’t sure exactly what an inspector would look for, give me a call, we can do a quick walk through and I can give you the top five things that would slow your sale so you know where to start.
Then focus on the small things that show your home has been cared for
Once the inspection items are handled, these are the fixes that make buyers comfortable writing a strong offer:
Fresh paint in high-traffic areas and any rooms with bold colors
Matching light bulbs so every room is bright
New caulk and clean grout in the kitchen and bathrooms
Tightened handles and hinges, and doors that close properly
A clear, clean front entry and a trimmed yard
A deep clean, top to bottom
None of these are expensive, and most of them fit into a couple of weekends.
Put down the remodel plans
Buyers pay for condition. They don't pay much extra for your taste.
A kitchen or bathroom remodel right before you list almost always costs more than it adds to your sale price. The buyers who want a new kitchen usually want to pick it out themselves. And a remodel adds weeks or months to your timeline, which is time you could have spent on the market.
So if you've been putting off selling because you think the house needs a big project first, that may be the one thing you can take off the list.
Let go of anything that works and is in decent shape
That includes:
Flooring that's dated but not damaged
Appliances that work, even if they're older
Finishing the basement
Big landscaping projects
Anything that's just not your style anymore
The exception is anything that makes a buyer think "project." Stained ceilings, torn carpet, a room that smells like pets. Those cost you more in offers than they cost to fix, so they go back on the focus list.
Not sure what an inspector will find? A pre-listing inspection can tell you
For some homes, it's worth finding out before a buyer does. If your home is older, or you've lived there a long time and haven't looked closely at the roof or the furnace in a while, a pre-listing inspection shows you what a buyer's inspector will find. You get to decide what to fix on your own schedule, and you price the home knowing the full picture.
If your home is newer and well maintained, you can often skip it and handle the small list yourself. Inspections can cost between $500-$700, well worth every penny!
Please Note: One caveat about a pre-listing inspection is once you know about an issue, you'll need to disclose it to buyers. If that worries you, you can talk it through with me before you schedule an inspection so you know what to expect.
If you're still not sure what's on your list, walk through your home the way a buyer would
You know every corner of your home. That's exactly why it's hard to see it clearly. The crack you stopped noticing three years ago is the first thing a buyer sees. The dated light fixture you've been embarrassed about, they may not notice at all.
Try this. Walk up to your front door like you've never been there before, and ask yourself:
What's the first thing I notice when I walk in?
Does any room feel dark, cramped, or crowded?
Is there anything that looks broken, stained, or unfinished?
Does anything smell?
Can I tell what each room is for?
Here's where I invite you to take a look at what those questions have in common. None of them are about finishes or style. They're about whether the home feels cared for and easy to picture yourself in. That's what buyers are responding to, and it's almost always fixable without a contractor.
Once you have your list, here's when to get it done
If you want to list before the holidays, focus on inspection items, paint, and cleaning, and skip anything that depends on a long contractor wait. You want to be on the market by early November, before things slow down in December.
If you're planning for early spring, you have the winter on your side. Book contractors now, because good ones fill up fast in February and March. Do the indoor work over the winter, and you'll be ready to list the week the spring market opens instead of scrambling to catch it.
Either way, the list gets a lot shorter once you know what actually matters.
How I help my sellers decide what to focus on
This is the part I love. Before you spend anything, I'll walk through your home with you and tell you honestly what's worth doing and what isn't. Most of my sellers end up spending far less than they planned. I bring in staging, we do the small touch ups, and their homes still go under contract in 30 days or less.
A client I worked with selling their home came to me with a list of repairs and upgrades to sell their home. It had things like new kitchen countertops, new bathroom vanities, new carpet, paint, and changing door knobs and hinges. We decided to do a deep clean and do carpet cleaning, painting to cover up brightly colored rooms, and door knobs and hinges. This created a cohesive feel throughout the home. Their home ended up selling in under 30 days and they saved my sellers thousands of dollars for doing all those other changes.
This is the part I love. Before you spend anything, I'll walk through your home with you and tell you honestly what's worth doing and what isn't. Most of my sellers end up spending far less than they planned. I bring in staging, we do the small touch ups, and their homes still go under contract in 30 days or less.
A client I worked with selling their home came to me with a list of repairs and upgrades to sell their home. It had things like new kitchen countertops, new bathroom vanities, new carpet, paint, and changing door knobs and hinges. We decided to do a deep clean and do carpet cleaning, painting to cover up brightly colored rooms, and door knobs and hinges. This created a cohesive feel throughout the home. Their home ended up selling in under 30 days and they saved my sellers thousands of dollars for doing all those other changes.
NEED MORE HELP? >> Try the FREE Home Seller’s Blueprint
I’ve written you the roadmap you need to prep and list your home at the right time in the right way so you can close in 30 days or less.
Kevin A Petersen is an LGBTQ+ affirming real estate agent serving buyers and sellers throughout the Salt Lake City area. Schedule a no-pressure conversation about your home buying goals.
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