Selling an older home in Plano? What to fix and what to leave alone

• The goal isn't a like-new house. It's removing what scares a buyer or a lender.
• First priorities: roof, foundation, leaks, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, water heater and smoke detectors.
• What pays off most is usually inexpensive: a deep clean, less stuff, neutral paint where it's scuffed, a tidy yard and bulbs that work.
• A dated kitchen or bath usually isn't remodeled to sell. It's shown clean, disclosed and reflected in the price.
• In Texas, the seller of a previously occupied home gives a Seller's Disclosure Notice about its condition. Fixing doesn't replace disclosing.

Ask three questions about each item:

1. Could it stall the buyer's loan? The appraiser and some loan programs look at safety and whether the home functions. A leaking roof, an electrical hazard or something unsafe can hold up the loan. That gets fixed, or negotiated, up front.
2. Will it scare the buyer in the inspection? Small things look huge in an inspection report: a drip, a missing outlet cover, a water stain with no explanation. Many are quick fixes.
3. Will the buyer pay for it in the price? A big remodel rarely comes back in full at sale. Plenty of buyers would rather choose their own finishes.

If the answer to all three is no, leave it. Here's what that means for you: less spending, less time and less stress before the sign goes up.

These are the items that typically get looked at first in older homes in Plano and across Dallas-Fort Worth:

• The roof. Leaks, loose shingles or hail damage. If there's damage, talk to your insurer before you decide.
• The foundation. North Texas soil moves with drought and rain. Cracks in walls, doors that won't latch or uneven floors get evaluated by a specialist.
• Water and drainage. Leaks under sinks, the water heater, ceiling stains.
• Electrical. Dead outlets, missing covers, a panel an inspector will flag.
• Heating and air. It runs, it cools, and it has recent service.
• Safety. Smoke detectors, railings, garage doors that reverse.

If the home has older repairs or additions, check whether they were permitted. The City of Plano issues residential permits, including additions and alterations, and its Building Inspections office can tell you what records you can look up.

Before any contractor, there's the work that costs more effort than money, and it's often what buyers remember from a showing.

• A deep clean, including windows, baseboards, vents and the oven.
• Less stuff. Clear counters, closets about half full, fewer pieces of furniture. Rooms look bigger and buyers can picture their own things.
• Light. Every bulb working, blinds open, warm and consistent bulbs.
• Fresh paint only where it's worn, in light neutral colors.
• The front of the house. Trimmed yard, swept walkway, a clean door and house numbers you can read from the street.

None of this changes the age of the home. It changes how cared-for it feels, and that matters to a buyer deciding in a few minutes.

• Dated kitchens and baths. Clean, well lit and with nothing broken, they show well. Buyers see the potential.
• Floors in good shape that aren't on trend. Clean them and leave them.
• Original windows that work. Clean them and make sure they open and close.
• Remodels "to raise the price." Many buyers would rather pay less and choose for themselves than pay for a remodel they didn't pick. Most of the sellers Veronica Yeary works with around Dallas-Fort Worth sell as is, at a price that reflects it.

To see how selling as is fits with buying your next home, read can I sell my home as is and buy another.

Fixing and disclosing are two different things.

• The Seller's Disclosure Notice. Texas Property Code requires the seller of a previously occupied single-family home to provide this notice about the home's condition. TREC publishes the form. You fill it in honestly with what you know.
• Lead-based paint. If the home was built before 1978, federal law requires a separate lead-based paint disclosure. TREC publishes the addendum.
• Past repairs. If you fixed something significant, keep the invoices and warranties. They give buyers peace of mind.

Clear disclosure doesn't scare serious buyers. What scares them is finding something in the inspection that nobody mentioned.

And if you don't know something, say you don't know. The notice asks what you know, not for you to guess. If you're unsure how to answer a question on the form, we talk it through before you sign, and if needed, an attorney confirms.

1. Remodeling the kitchen to sell. It costs money, takes time, and the buyer often didn't want it that way.
2. Fixing what shows instead of what works. Fresh paint over an unresolved water stain is worse than leaving the stain and explaining it.
3. Skipping an inspection before you list. Without one, you learn everything from the buyer's inspector, with the clock running. More in inspect before you list and kill the second negotiation.
4. Leaving something off the disclosure. Beyond the legal risk, it breaks trust in the negotiation.
5. Spending before you know your number. Before you fix anything, get your home's real value and what you'd walk away with. Then you know how much it makes sense to invest.

Picture a couple in Plano with a home from the 1980s. The kitchen is original, so is the primary bath, and a hallway door no longer latches. Their first idea is a kitchen remodel.

First, they get an inspection and pin down the real value with their agent. The inspection flags the door, a small leak and an ungrounded outlet. A specialist evaluates the foundation. They fix the leak and the electrical, repaint the scuffed walls, deep clean and clear out half their things. The kitchen stays as is, clean and bright, and the price reflects it. Everything they know goes on the Seller's Disclosure Notice.

This is an example to explain the process, not a real client or a promised result.

• Your home's real value as is, based on real nearby sales. Request it here: your home's value, no commitment.
• A pre-listing inspection, so you know what's there.
• Invoices and warranties for what you've already fixed.
• Permits for past additions or changes, through the City of Plano.
• The year the home was built, to know whether the lead-based paint disclosure applies.
• Your bottom line: what you'd walk away with, so you know how much to invest.

If you're curious about the area, here's the Plano page, and for the bigger picture on older houses, old home: hidden gem or money pit.

What should I fix before selling an older home?

What could stall a buyer's loan or scare them in the inspection: roof, foundation, leaks, electrical, HVAC and safety items. Then a deep clean, less clutter and paint where it's worn.

Do I need to remodel the kitchen to sell?

Usually not. A dated kitchen that's clean and has nothing broken shows well and is reflected in the price. Many buyers would rather choose their own finishes.

Can I sell my house as is in Texas?

Yes, it's common. You still give the Seller's Disclosure Notice with what you know about the home, and the price reflects its condition.

What do I have to disclose to a buyer in Texas?

The seller of a previously occupied single-family home provides a Seller's Disclosure Notice about its condition. If the home was built before 1978, a federal lead-based paint disclosure is also required. TREC publishes both forms.

Is a pre-listing inspection worth it?

Often, yes. It tells you what's there before the buyer finds it, lets you decide calmly what to fix, and avoids a second negotiation with the clock running.

Your home has some years on it, and it also has history and value. The next step is knowing what it's worth today, as is, so you can decide with real numbers what to fix and what to leave.

Here's what happens next: you request your home's real value, we go over it together, and out of that comes the short list of what's worth doing.

Get your home's real value, no commitment: veronicayeary.com/home-value

Call or text 469-441-8890 · veronica@veronicayeary.com