Verify that your home’s mechanical systems are functioning properly and all needed home repairs and updates have been completed.

Sellers will save a sale and a lot of money by preinspecting their home's systems.

What is the Boy Scout motto? Be prepared! Let's "be prepared" when it comes to home repairs.

One of the REALTOR's major concerns when trying to get a home purchase from the offer stage to closing comes when the inspector's report contains several pages of deferred maintenance items and major home repairs. You will see your formerly upbeat and enthusiastic buyer become a nervous wreck and sometimes even get angry at the thought that the seller is deceiving them. The more needed home repairs on the inspector's list, the more likely for the buyer to second quess their decision to buy the property.

Why do sellers allow this to happen? Many times their REALTORs don't advise them to do an inspection prior to putting their house on the market and fix the repair problems on the inspector's list. Other sellers don't want to spend the money to inspect their house prior to listing it for sale, thinking that the buyer should pay for the inspection and then negotiate with the seller to have the repairs completed.

This is the wrong attitude and approach when you want to sell for top dollar and keep your buyers excited about their purchase all of the way through to the closing. Spend the little extra time and money that it takes to make those needed repairs and deferred maintenance items so they don't show up on the buyer's inspection list. For those unanticipated problems, get a seller's residential warranty.

For approximately $50 payable at closing, seller's can sign up for a home warranty during the listing period. I have seen this warranty save sellers over $3,000 in HVAC system repairs.

Most buyers want a new home builder's model and mature trees!

See if this makes sense to you; it doesn't make sense to me. For example, you want to sell your home for top dollar but you think that the buyer will understand that you just haven't had time to fix the air conditioner that blows warm air, a leaky faucet in the master bathroom, a hole in the living room carpet, etc. With so many homes to chose from, buyers want to purchase a home that is move-in ready...they don't want to do any fix-up or repair work prior to move-in!

Buyers continue to say, "I am willing to pay a fair price for a home that is in good condition." Gone are the days when buyers were willing to accept a "carpet or decorating allowance." In short, they want the home that they are buying to look like a new builder's model with rooms freshly painted a neutral color, new neutral carpet, and an updated look throughout the house.

We see the results of sellers who are not willing to spend that little extra money to make their houses look appealing. These are the houses that sit on the market for months costing their owners more in mortgage payments, taxes and insurance than the new paint and carpet. Another incorrect asumption is that you can lower the price to cover the cost of updates, repairs and deferred maintenance.

Today's home buyers have very busy lives and will rarely spend the time and money to buy a home that needs work. Most of the new home buyers spent all of their available cash to purchase the home, pay the closing costs, and pay to move into their new home. Most of the time, there is not much money left over to pay for repairs and updates. The exceptions are the buyers who want a unique look for their new home and the few buyers who are willing to invest sweat equity in exchange for a lower price.