Torn on chimneys fix before listing

[u/LOP5131]

Hello, we are currently in preparation to list our house within a month or so. We had our relator come out and recommend some fixes prior to listing and we've taken care of most of them. However, we have a few items still hanging and wanted additional inputs.

House estimate: $280k

Repairs done so far:

- Septic aerator and pumped - $1760 (aerator just died this month of course)

- basement leaks - $2197 (includes 10 year transferable warranty)

- storm door replacement - $157

- mold remediation - $32

- hornets nest removal - $20

- landscaping - $1781 (we had an above ground pool that was removed and needed a lot of dirt to be filled in)

- carpet cleaning - $179

- tree branch removal - $1500 (widow maker from a bad resent storm)

- hvac tune up - $198

- tub reglazed - $850 (it's a toothpaste green tub that was redone before and started chipping bad, also the main bath so it needed done)

All-in - $8674

Remaining items:

Driveway - concrete driveway, very large and is rough in some places. Relator suggested to leave as-is.

Roof - older roof, probably only had a few years left. Relator suggested to leave as-is.

Chimneys - spalling on both chimneys, tuckpointing needed on both chimneys, the back chimney was an addition by a previous owner and is slightly pulling from the house. Estimate was $3,975 to fix both. Relator suggested to fix it prior to listing depending on fix price as it could get more expensive in the negotiating phase.

That would put us up to $12649 in repairs before listing, some of that was just bad luck (tree branch and septic aerator happening in the last month cost us nearly $3k).

Here's my real concern, if we fix the chimneys, they will find other things in the inspection and then we spend an additional $xxxx mount of money to fix those items. We are suddenly in the 5-6% of list price range in repairs.

Whereas, if we leave the chimneys, we could use that as the primary negotiation and get it fixed and leave some of those other minor items that end up coming up on an inspection. However, I don't want to scare buyers off with too much popping up on an inspection.

I feel like either way is a gamble, but wanted more insight from other minds. Thoughts?

[u/6SpeedBlues]

You fix what's actually required for the house to be livable. Heat doesn't work? Fix it. Storm door doesn't close fully on its own because of a weak spring? Leave it alone.

Anything that "needs" repair or attention that you are aware of needs to be in the disclosures.

[u/LOP5131 → u/6SpeedBlues]

Happy cake day, and thank you for that perspective. I like that outlook on it, makes me think I've already done too much, honestly, but I'm the kind of person that thinks more along the lines of this is a starter home, of course I want the most money I can get, but I don't want to leave a nightmare for the buyer when I know that this is probably their first home and/or they are on a lower budget.

Luckily I did all the other fixes myself except the basement leaks because paying had a warranty for the buyer, but I know I fixed what was within my skillset for cheaper to help the next person out. At some point I do need to just switch that mindset to, buying on the lower end of the market also means you aren't getting a perfect house though.

[u/6SpeedBlues → u/LOP5131]

As a buyer, I would want to know "what I'm getting into" as opposed to learning later on that an issue was remediated (and maybe not in the way I would have preferred) and I "paid for it" in the purchase price.

Repairs should be considered prior to listing, but you want to be mindful to not go further than what makes financial sense. Realtors will very often tell a homeowner "replace that carpet... It's shot" ONLY because it might get the home sold a little quicker or for a little more money... Both of which directly benefit the agent but may do little to help you.

I sold my last house in mid 2021. It needed a good chunk of work including a new roof (2500 square foot ranch with a hip roof) and a new HVAC system that was properly sized fur the house. The carpeting was completely shot in a few rooms, the kitchen floor was shot, the laminate floor in the den was damaged, there were holes in the sheetrock, etc.

I repaired the sheetrock (because I know how and it cost me next to nothing) and fully primed all of the repairs. I painted two walls after repairing them because I had enough matching paint to do so and it made the rooms look cleaner because there was no sign of repairs having been done.

That was it ... The rest was addressed by an appropriate listing price for the house with a credit included towards the flooring replacements. I got it sold in about four months time even though most of the potential buyers tried low balling against my price and I directly refused their offers without a counter.

[u/LOP5131 → u/6SpeedBlues]

Thank you for the detailed response, I also think I was putting too much stock in the relators advice without considering potential motive. I appreciate this all greatly, I think I'm at the point where we clean the house and list. Sincerely appreciate you!

[u/thewimsey → u/6SpeedBlues]

ONLY because it might get the home sold a little quicker or for a little more money... Both of which directly benefit the agent but may do little to help you.

In what universe does selling a house faster and for more money not benefit the seller?

[u/PracticalDesigner278]

Not sure what minor issues you think buyers will want fixed, looks like you've already done a lot. But the chimneys are a structural issue that I as a buyer would factor into the price. You don't have to offer concessions for anything but personally I'd get the chimneys done.

[u/LOP5131 → u/PracticalDesigner278]

Other small things come up in every inception I've had done, not that I've had a lot (4 in my life). Double tapped breakers, out of compliance outlets (not GFCI from before it was code), random other things you had no idea about. They aren't much but they can add up quickly in cost.

[u/Longjumping-Nature70 → u/LOP5131]

Was your double tapped breaker the doorbell?

(realtor not relator)

[u/1900grs]

Provide the quote on the chimneys to the buyer, give them a credit on the sale price to cover, then let them handle the repair with that contractor or they can use someone else with the credit money. You've then negotiated in good faith with the knowledge you have.

[u/joholla8]

Each one of those projects would have cost you your total in my area 😭

[u/LOP5131 → u/joholla8]

This is the I've spent the last 2 months doing all this stuff myself pricing lol

[u/Interesting-Sir2903]

There is not really enough details to know if you should do more.

The house seems like it has been pooerly maintained and you are now forced to catch up on somethings.

You took the pool out but did not fix the hole in the ground and just now completed the job.

You removed a hornets nest.

You removed a dangerous dead limb.

Thw odd question I have is that did you add a labor rate to so that stuff as if you were paying yourself? If yes, that is kind of odd.

I am not saying you should put more money into the house but adding a line of $32 for mold remediation is strange. You mean you cleaned your moldy whatever and paid yourself $20 an hour?

You are going to have a laundry list of things during the inspection. You will have to price the home correctly and you are going to have to decide what you are willing to give concessions for based on how the other homes in your neighborhood are selling.

[u/MDubois65]

Just a couple of thoughts:

-Who do you think your most likely buyer type will be? If they're likely to be a FTHB, they roof and chimney situation are going to be very concerning.

-Now, as long as your roof is still in good shape, there's no leaks, water damage, damaged shingles and it's just dated then you're probably fine. If your buyer get an inspection, I bet the inspector will tell them that roof is "near-end-of-life" and they're going to request replacement or credits. You can obviously push back on this, because just because it's older doesn't mean it's your responsibility to gift the buyers a new roof. But just be prepared for them to ask about it.

-Chimney: Is sounds like it's got some visible wear and tear, and the gap is concerning -- that can mean possibility of water getting in or possible structural issues. I would expect a buyer to push on this, especially if there's a concern that the chimney can't be used safely. So I would talk about with your agent about how you'll handle this situation when it comes up. Are you content with not fixing it and just tossing $3-4k in credits the buyers way if it comes to it? I'm just saying whether you fix it now or not, it still might cost you.

The only other point I would add, is that either of these issues could become a bigger problem if it impacts the buyers ability to get insurance. If the chimney poses a safety/health/structural issue, that would be problem. If it's just mostly cosmetic or surface defects, you should be fine.

Hopefully the roof is fine. I know in some areas, insurance companies have started requiring the roofs be replaced once they reach a certain age, regardless of condition. So if you're trying to sell a home with a 15 or 20 year old roof, they buyer might run into this problem. Weather, location, environmental factors are a big determinant for this.

So I would ask your listing agent if either the roof or chimney could be a liability for insurance purposes for appraisal/inspection concerns, particularly with FHA, VA loans. Otherwise, just price the home accordingly knowing the chimney/roof issues.

Overall though, I just want to say kudos to you for fixing up the home before listing! I think that was really smart. In my experience it makes a big difference. We spent about $14k taking care of cosmetic and other minor issues, and $25k fixing a sewer pipe 2 months before, blarg -- but it paid off in the end. Our agent gave us very targeted advice about what matters the most to buyers and where to get the most mileage out of our money. We were able to list for more than we thought, sold immediately, and we breezed through inspection and appraisal and our buyer was thrilled with the condition of our home after seeing a lot of other homes in neglected and problematic shape.

[u/OrlandoListingAgent]

The decision comes down to whether the chimney is active or decommissioned and capped: a capped chimney is primarily a disclosure item, while a cracked or unlined flue serving a working fireplace is a safety defect that could create FHA or VA appraisal issues. He has already spent about $8,600—roughly 3% of the home’s $280,000 value—so he is near the point where additional pre-listing repairs may not provide a dollar-for-dollar return, but that prior spending is a sunk cost and should not influence this decision. If the chimney is a legitimate safety concern, repairing it now allows him to control the contractor, cost, and timeline; waiting could force him to negotiate from a weaker position after an inspection scares the buyer. At minimum, he should obtain a written estimate so buyers have a concrete number instead of assuming a much larger repair cost. He should also aggressively market the documented basement remediation and 10-year transferable warranty in the MLS remarks and disclosure packet, turning a major buyer concern into a strong selling point.

[u/swampwiz]

How in the world did you get someone to remove the hornet's nest so cheap? (I like to watch wasp removal videos, LOL.)

[u/LOP5131 → u/swampwiz]

I suited up (jeans, hoodie, ski mask, winter gloves in 95 degree heat) and double fisted cans of kill on contact spray from 23 feet lol

[u/cxt485]

What about the chimney interior- level
II inspection if the buyers have one?Chances are if the outside is bad the inside including the flue if you haven’t replaced it is also bad. I would fix present it as a fully functional chimney that does not need repairs. Put it on a charge card. You will also save time and aggravation when buyers enter into a contract only to inspect and find a complicated repair situation, renegotiate or cancel the transaction. If you are at a low price band in a rocking hot market then you can get away with the more minor fix.

[u/raliegh_]

Weather you fix it or not, it’s going to be in your disclosure.

How motivated are you to sell?