Selling your home in the Austin Texas area can be an overwhelming and burdensome venture for many homeowners. Expenses can pile up as the homeowner frantically tries to update their house to gain maximum profit.
However, homeowners can easily fall into the trap of doing too much and do not take the time to think if the improvements will actually add real value to their property.
Where does the homeowner draw the line? When selling a home, it’s not the costs that you know about that can bring down your bottom line but the ones you just never thought of or forgot.
Lucky for you that we are providing this article about costs which are associated with selling your house. Read on to find out which expenses you may have overlooked and how you can avoid them in the end.
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To Repair, Or Not To Repair, That is the Question!
Kitchen and bathrooms are the areas of a home where remodels done correctly can add value. But the average homeowner doesn’t have the time nor the money to make professional updates in these areas.
Larger and more in-depth repairs normally require a professional to complete and should not be done by “your sister’s boyfriend who took one year of electrical engineering at the local community college.”
Nothing against local community colleges but in the best interest of you and any potential buyer, you would want to contract with a licensed company or individual to make those types of repairs. This way you ensure that they are done correctly and by your local city code.
The downside to this is that you are going to have to pay for the services of this pro. Licensed electricians average between $50 – $100 per hour in Austin, Texas. The average rate for a plumber is $45 – $150 per hour. The costs can add up quickly!
Home buyers can get turned off on a house where the simplest of repairs are needed.
Prior to placing your home on the market, you should address these types of issues:
- Replace outdated, worn or stained carpet and tile
- Replace old window coverings with new ones
- Replace those outdated ceiling fans and light fixtures
- Patch the cracks and holes in walls/ceilings
- Change out those leaky faucets
- Service the HVAC system
- Repair or replace broken appliances
- Paint the exterior of your home
Normally you won’t even know about them until you get that dreaded inspection report during what some call “Hell Week” which is better known as the option period of the sales contract.
- Be prepared to make these types of repairs if you already hadn’t done them:
- Replace roof shingles, paper as well as any rotted decking
- Replace broken or cracked window glass
- Fix electrical code violations
- Foundation issues
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Bring Out Your Inner Picasso
You meet with your realtor to list the home and really want to have that open house quickly but then your agent suggests that you really need to brighten up the walls. Sure, a coat of a neutral tone color can definitely add to the appeal and give your home a fresh vibe. But are you going to do it yourself or hire a professional?
Quality paint doesn’t come cheap by the gallon and do you really have the time to DIY? Hiring a painting contractor could add another couple thousand or so to your expenses.
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Have You Seen “The Lawnmower Man”?
Curb appeal is what makes potential home buyers in the Austin area want to come and look inside. If your house doesn’t project a good appearance when they first drive up, you risk giving them a wrong first impression even if the interior of your home is immaculate!
This is the one area that many homeowners in Austin fail to address or underestimate when considering the costs involved in selling their home.
A well-manicured lawn adds instant value and gives a great first impression to home buyers in Austin. You definitely can tackle this yourself if you’re willing to invest your time but be prepared to make the purchases of the flowers, wood chips, mulch, grass seed, edger, lawnmower, and other items to give your home that “Hollywood Curb Appeal”.
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Show Me The Money
Real Estate commissions are part of the cost of selling your house in Austin. Although there is no actual set rate for this fee (that would be illegal), the average is 6% of the sales price of your home. Guess who pays that fee? Yes, you the homeowner.
The average sales price for a home in the Austin, Tx area according to a news report from KXAN is nearly $400,000. For simplicity sake, let’s use $400,00 as our example. $400,000 x 6% = $24,000 for the fees of using a real estate agent.
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Exit Stage Left
What once was the trendy thing to do, the uptick in millennial home buyers has now made “home staging” a highly profitable business. It’s become an important part of selling your home and definitely helps to sell your house faster in Austin.
Staging is a great way to make your home standout online. This is critical due to the nearly 90% of potential home buyers begin their quest for a home on the web. But it does come at a cost. The national average is around $1,800 which adds even more to the expense of selling your home.
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Smile You’re on Candid Camera
After you have done all those repairs, staging your home…it’s time to take some photos to put on your local MLS.
The era of newspaper ads is over and the reality of life is now that most things channel through the internet. If you don’t have pictures or have low-quality ones then prospective home buyers could be apprehensive in looking any further at your home.
Of course, you don’t want to use just any ole photos or even the ones taken by your beloved iPhone. You need professional photos like the ones provided by Twist Tours of Austin.
The cost of these services can range anywhere from $150 – $275 plus but are necessary for the marketing of your house.
Are You Selling Your House in Austin?
Remember that you can avoid all these expenses by selling to a local Austin home buyer like us. We buy homes in “as-is” condition all over the Austin area and you never pay for any repairs. Zit Buys Homes LLC even pays all the closing costs! Working with us is quick, easy and hassle-free. You close on your timeline, not ours. Let us know if we can help you out!
Selling a home in the Austin area? Give our office a call at 512.825.2525 or send us a message or fill out the form below to find out how we can help you!
