Neglecting Repairs and Maintenance

Absolutely, even small repairs can tank a sale faster than you think. You might walk past that cracked light switch cover or squeaky door hinge every day without a second thought, but buyers notice everything. Most younger buyers today didn’t grow up fixing things like previous generations—they don’t have tools in the garage and many don’t even own a drill. When they see multiple little fixes around the house, they don’t think “I’ll take care of that,” they think “How much is this all going to cost me?” Even if it’s just a $5 part and five minutes of work, buyers assume it’s a $200 electrician visit or $500 handyman bill, and they mentally subtract that from their offer. Many buyers are already stretching to cover their down payment and closing costs, so they don’t have the cash or skills to take on repairs right after closing—they want move-in ready. The real danger is that if buyers see small things wrong, they start wondering about the big stuff, thinking “If this seller didn’t fix the obvious things, what else didn’t they take care of?” This plants doubt, and doubt kills offers. Take care of everything, especially the little stuff—replace cracked outlet covers, fix running toilets, tighten loose doorknobs, get HVAC serviced and save the receipt. These simple fixes build buyer confidence and help you hold firm on your price.