Selling an Older House
About an hour. You get a fix-or-leave list and a price range. No obligation to list with me.
Before we talk about price, I walk your house the way a buyer's inspector will. Then you get a short, honest list: fix these, leave these, and what each one is likely to do to your price.
Why start there
Most of what scares buyers in an older house is predictable. Water in the basement, an old electrical panel, a roof near the end, a porch that's tired. Some of it is worth fixing before you list. A lot of it isn't. The expensive mistake is guessing wrong in either direction: spending $30,000 on a kitchen a buyer was going to redo anyway, or skipping a $600 repair that costs you $6,000 in a negotiation.
I've been working on houses like yours since 1992. That's the part I bring.
What I look at
- Roof, gutters, and box gutters
- Basement water, foundation, and grading
- Electrical panel and any knob and tube wiring
- Plumbing, including old galvanized lines
- Furnace, water heater, and their ages
- Windows, porches, and exterior wood
- The small stuff a buyer notices in the first five minutes
How it works
- Text me your address and roughly when you're thinking about selling.
- I come by and walk the house with you. It usually takes about an hour.
- You get the list: fix, leave, and a realistic price range for the house as it is and after the fixes.
- You decide what to do. There's no obligation to list with me.
If something needs fixing
I'll point you to people I trust. I also own Reclaim, a small home repair business that does exterior carpentry like porches, trim, and rot. If Reclaim could do a repair, I'll tell you that it's my company, and you're never expected to use it.
Questions people ask
What should I fix before selling an older house?
Usually the things a buyer's inspector will flag that cost more in a negotiation than the repair itself: water in the basement, an old electrical panel, a roof near the end, a tired porch. Big cosmetic projects, like a new kitchen a buyer may redo anyway, often aren't worth it. A walkthrough sorts out which is which for your house.
How much does the walkthrough cost?
It's free. It takes about an hour, and there's no obligation to list with me.
What do I get from the walkthrough?
A short list of what to fix and what to leave, and a realistic price range for the house as it is and after the fixes.
Where do you work?
Cleveland's west side and inner-ring suburbs, plus Lorain and Medina counties. I live in Lakewood.
Who will I be working with?
Michael Plant, a Realtor with Red 1 Realty, who has worked on houses since 1992.
Can you do the repairs too?
Some exterior carpentry, through Reclaim Home Repair, which is my company. You're never expected to use it, and I'll name other contractors.