Repair the Roof to Sell

When it comes to renovating a house to sell house fast Houston, Texas, most homeowners look at the inside and determine a fresh coat of paint will make a huge impact on the ability to sell the property. A homeowner may pick up some hanging plants at the local hardware store or plant flowers in select spots to catch the eye of a prospective buyer. But from the roadside, the roof is the first thing that a potential buyer notices.

A roof that is streaked with dark colors from weathering or missing shingles will draw a negative opinion from a prospective buyer. Why? Its common knowledge that a new roof costs 12 to 20K depending on the size of the house and the type of shingles used. Banks typically require 20% of the cost of the house as a down payment to secure a mortgage. The cost of a new roof is in that 20% ballpark for most homes. Which would you rather choose, a new roof or a lower mortgage payment?

A buyer will also look at the ceiling in the home for any noticeable water stains that may reveal leaks in the roof. The roof may have been patched but if water damage is still evident, it will detract a buyer from purchasing the home.

Every buyer should hire a licensed inspector to go through the home with a fine tooth comb for any potential problems that will be an issue after the purchase. If there is roof damage or water damage this will certainly be noted on the report given to the potential buyer. The cost to repair the damage will do one of 2 things. One, the buyer will offer much less than the asking price that you need to sell it in order to recoup the price of the needed repairs. Second, they will walk away from the sale all together.

If the cost of repairs is greater than you are prepared to invest or there is just no way possible you can afford to do any of the needed repairs then you may want to consider sell your home fast, Houston TX. There are home buying companies that will purchase the house in the as is condition allowing you to walk away right then and there from the burdens of repair. A steep mortgage payment that has you trapped, does not afford you any additional cash at the end of the month after all the bills are paid. You will never break the cycle. So, consider an offer to walk away and start anew.

Why I Love Cash Home Buyers!

I used to be one of those proud homeowners who were so sure that their house will sell on its own whenever they decide to put it on the market. The quality of construction, design elements and maintenance of my house gave me the confidence that people would be just dying to get their hands on my property and make it their own.

However, I was in for a rude shock when I actually had to list my house for sale. For some reason unknown to even my real estate agent, the house just would not sell. We had several couples view the property, and many inquires online.  We even had potential buyers go so far as to discuss a sale price, but somehow no one ever finalized the sale!

I was at my wits’ end as I had already purchased another property for our family, and the burden of paying two mortgages was burning a huge hole in my budget. My finances were totally awry and I had to do something fast.

This was when I decided to approach some cash buyers to sell house cash Houston, Texas. Things started looking up immediately, as the cash home buying company, MoneyBug were more than willing to take the house off my hands. They quickly bought my property as-is and paid cash in full. What failed to materialize in almost a year was complete within a week of contacting MoneyBug and I had no closing costs!

Staging Your Home on a Tight Budget

Everyone around me is telling me to hire a professional house stager so that when potential buyers tour the home  it will attract buyers and help in selling the house quickly. But finances are tight right now, and I really cannot spare the cash to paint the house or spruce it up with repairs.

•    A few pointers.

•     Buyers want to walk in and see that the home is free from dirt, dust clutter and garbage.  Illuminate all unnecessary items in each room.  Make sure that the space looks open and  has a clear travel pattern in the room.  Arrange the furniture in a way that  will invite an individual to sit down and stay for a while.

•    Remove storage boxes or clutter from under the bed.  Clean out the closets.  Arrange the clothing by length, only leaving items that are current and necessary.  It is best to store out of season and unused items in a storage unit or attack.  If a closet is well organized and uncluttered it gives the appearance of lots of useable space and that is a key factor with buyers. 

•     Clear all counter spaces. It is  unnecessary to have every appliance out on display.  What you think is a necessary item, is a distraction to a buyer.  Apply the "clean and spacious" rule to every room and every visible and invisible space.

•    Remove all personal items, such as family pictures or collectibles. A buyer wants to be able to envision the space with their own personal items in it.    Even my son’s toys and his collection of magnets adorning the fridge were not spared.

•    Choose updated and appealing colors in the bedrooms.  Make sure the bed spreads and window treatments are clean and wrinkle free.  Fluffy pillows and fresh clean linens always attract approval.

•    Try adding a fresh bowl of fruit on the kitchen table or a vase of pleasant smelling flowers on the dining room table.

•    Don't forget to add curb appeal to the yard. Keep the lawn mowed, trim the bushes, plant appealing flower beds and add a few decorative yard items, such as a  fire pit a nice grill, or a fresh white trellis.  

•    A fresh batch of cookies cooling on a rack or a homemade apple pie add just the right touch.

Another option to avoid costly real estate agent fees and repair costs is to sell house cash Houston, Texas to a professional cash home buyer. They will buy your house for cash immediately, irrespective of its condition or reason for sale.

The Headaches of Selling my House on My Own!

When I was initially planning to sell my house in Houston, Texas, the thought of selling my house on my own crossed my mind. This prospect seemed more and more attractive as I could avoid dealing with  real estate agents who pressure you,  as well as save the huge commissions that they charge for their services.

So, I put a for sale sign in the yard, posted it on several internet sites and also placed several house for sale by owner signs around the neighborhood.   But once I started scouring around for potential buyers, I quickly realized my efforts were fruitless. How should I get the word out that my house is for sale? Just erecting a ‘For Sale’ sign in my yard was not helping much. Even advertizing on the internet did not garner much of a response.

When people finally started popping up to have a look at my property, I felt burdened down by fixing appointments and personally showing each person around the house. Negotiation skills did not come easily to me and alas, I was not able to assess the buyers’ interests properly.

Finally, I realized that I  needed to sell house fast in Houston, TX and I turned to a cash home buyer called MoneyBug. To my utter surprise, the MoneyBug representative was willing to pay instant cash for my house even though it was in a state of disrepair. They closed the deal in a week and footed the closing costs too. What’s more, MoneyBug did not charge me a penny for the deal and I was actually able to save on the commission as well!

Inherited Part of a House and Don’t Know What to do with it!

My grandfather passed away recently and left the family home to my brother, two cousins and myself together. We were proud to be joint owners of our legacy as all of us cherished beautiful memories of our growing up days there. But it was not practicable for any of us to actually go and live in the Houston countryside as our work lives had us settled in Austin, Missouri, Santa Fe and Atlanta. Maintaining the place as a holiday home also did not appear feasible.

We scoured other options like renting out the place but it seemed fraught with problems about necessary renovations, maintenance and upkeep responsibilities, property taxes and so on.

So it was with a heavy heart that we finally decided that the only practical route was to sell house fast Houston, Texas. But our beloved home had actually fallen in quite a state of disrepair as granddad had not been fit enough to maintain it properly. The main door was rusty, the yard was overgrown, paint was peeling everywhere and the roof needed immediate overhaul. But unfortunately none of us can spare the time and expense to make it beautifully inhabitable again.

This was when we approached a professional cash home buyer called MoneyBug. My online request on the company website earned me a quick callback from a sales representative who assured me that they would buy the house as-is and I can sell house fast Houston, Texas in just a week.

As I lived nearby, I drove down with him to show the property and the representative gave me a cash offer after analyzing the house there and then. The sale was closed immediately and we could share the sale proceeds soon enough!