Selling a house is no easy feat in the current economic climate and an increasing number of home owners are finding they need to make costly repairs before they can gain interest from potential buyers, adding an average of £2,800 to the cost of moving.
New research from national home improvement experts Job Worth Doing revealed that 70 per cent of home owners could not sell their home without making some major repairs to the property, with many saying they are jobs that have mounted up over time.
The task that topped the list was repainting the inside and outside of the house, with 90 per cent of those who have recently sold their house saying this was their main priority.
Filling and plastering cracks in walls was the second most frequent job carried out before moving, followed by renewing rotting windows and doors as the third.
Fitting a new kitchen and trimming hedges were also main priorities.
Job Worth Doing trades professional Garry Welsby commented: “We get so many stressed home owners calling us who have been told by their estate agent that they need to make a huge list of repairs before they can sell the house at the value they want. Many people don’t have the time or the skills to carry out the jobs which is where we come in.”
“The best way to keep on top of things is to make a list of jobs every three months and get someone in to do it. That way it isn’t so much of a shock to the finances having to do it all at once and speeds the process up if you want to sell your home,” he says.
Edward Church from National Estate Agent Strutt & Parker said: “I advise prospective sellers that in order to get the best possible price for their house it needs to be presented in the best possible way. This could just mean investing in a bit of elbow grease in the bathrooms and ensuring sparkling windows but often it entails a bit more like a lick of paint and fixing the odd jobs that you no longer even notice, like the temperamental ill-fitting light switch or wobbly bannister. For more weary homes or those requiring significant modernisation, you may need to make more substantial changes such as new doors and windows or even putting in a new kitchen or bathroom. The changes will be reflected in the valuation of the property and may help to clinch a sale as potential buyers can be put off by a home in need of repairs.”