Selling Your Newport Beach Home | Part 1 | Deferred Maintenance

Are you considering selling your Newport Beach home. This is part 1 in a series to provide information to you in the home selling process and preparing your home to sell, and the necessary steps that need to be taken when selling your home.

Does your home have deferred maintenance? You are planning on selling your Newport Beach home, and don't want to invest the extra money to repair items on the home that need attention. You might want to think again!

Keep in mind that most (if not all) buyers will perform a home inspection and when they do, any deferred maintenance will show up. The inspector will document about all the systems of the home including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, kitchen appliances, etc. If you know that there is are items which need to be addressed such as a plumbing leak - I HIGHLY recommend that this be addressed. A concern would be if a buyer wants to purchase the property and they start to see "things" that need to be addressed, and the buyer will wonder - if that needs to be addressed, then what else needs to be addressed.

My recommendations would be:

1. Have the HVAC inspected and ensure it is working properly.
2. Make sure there are not additional visitors in the property (i.e. rodents) because that will not only be documented by the home inspector, but also by the termite company which is another inspection which is typical and customary in California.
3. Are there plumbing issues? If there are leaks, then repair them right away, water can be very damaging to a property.
4. How is the roof? Does it leak? Are there water stains on the ceiling? These are things that a buyer may see, or if not a home inspector will, and may recommend an additional roof inspection.
5. Do you have a pool or a spa? Is it serviced on a regular basis?
6. Do the windows open and close smoothly?
7. Is there a fireplace? Has the chimney been swept lately?
8. Is there a fountain or water feature outside? Does it operate properly or is it filled with green moss?

If you are selling your home, repair the basics. If there are issues with systems and you trying to save money, then think again. Your potential buyer will see these items if they are savvy, and will ask their agent to negotiate in their behalf because of the deferred maintenance. And, it will come up on the home inspection, and the buyer may ask for it to be repaired, or they might be scared away. Do you want to take that chance?

This is part 1 in a series of Selling Your Home.

Originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com