House defects – what should you look out for before selling your property?

When looking for House defects to start with the first and most important thing for you to do is go out to the front of your property. Seriously, go outside and stand on the road and stare at your facade.

You need to visualise that you’re a potential buyer looking at your place for the first time and searching for house defects. If you find scrutinising difficult involve your friends and family. Get them to stand out the front with you. What do you see?

Unless you regularly undertake property maintenance, the answer may surprise you. Has the paint faded or is it peeling? Or, are there cobwebs lining your fence? Are there more weeds than grass? Have the plants and trees grown so much over the years that you cannot even see your facade? What about the fence? How well maintained is it? Do a few pickets need replacing or could it do with a fresh coat of paint? Any such external house defects have to be put on a ‘to be fixed’ list. The same scrutinising has to be repeated with the interior of your property by walking through every part of the house in systematic fashion, and again, this applies to the back yard.

Don’t overlook or pretend that the minor problems are unimportant. These are the things buyers do see especially upon reinspecting your home for a second and third time deciding whether your home is potentially their home. When potential buyers observe small house defects such as hairline cracks in the paintwork, they tend to assume there are much larger, possibly structural faults are at hand. Overwhelmingly the majority of people vastly overdramatise what it will take them in money, effort and personal inconvenience to fix these house defects. Not to mention it’s their largest ticket item they’re about to invest in. From this they then reduce the amount accordingly they are prepared to pay for your home.

If you are part of a body corporate such as a block of units it will be harder to make significant changes with house defects. However you can try and persuade the management committee to fix minor house defects such as peeling paint and garden maintenance. Remember, it’s in the interest of all owners that you achieve the best possible price as this enhances the value of their own properties. At the very least you can tidy up the common areas by sweeping, weeding and collecting loose papers and rubbish.

Vendor Marketing – Melbourne’s most qualified vendor advocates, specialises in both property marketing and real estate agent selection for property sellers within Melbourne, therefore we are able to assist you with house defects as part of preparing a home for sale.