Sell Your House or Fix It Up?
Plenty of people face this challenging question: is it time to sell our older home and buy a newer one, or should we invest in the repairs needed to fix up what we have? There are certainly pros and cons either way. If you’re faced with this decision, consider the following questions and thoughts.
In today’s market, could you realistically receive a high enough sale price on your home as-is to put towards purchasing a new home? Do you have the skills necessary to make the upgrades/repairs yourself or would you need to call (and pay) professional remodelers? Typically, if repairs/remodeling ends up costing more than it adds to the realistic market value of a house, it may not be worth it. Getting a reliable value assessment of your existing home can help you make a more informed decision.
Are you emotionally prepared to buy a new home as opposed to staying in your existing one? Let’s face it – moving is a hassle (and involves its own set of expenses such as hiring movers). Many people (quite naturally) develop close emotional ties with their existing home. Do these connections outweigh the cost (emotionally and fiscally) of leaving for a new home?
Are you prepared (financially and emotionally) to invest enough in your existing home to be happy there? Many people find the expense of fixing up their existing home less than buying a comparable newer one. Fixing up an existing home also has other advantages, including keeping your family in a familiar neighborhood, schools and surrounding retail outlets such as grocery stores and credit unions.
What are your long-term plans? For example, if you live in a smaller two-bedroom home and plan to have children in the future, fixing it up might be cost and hassle prohibitive, making buying a newer (and larger home) the more attractive option.
These are just a few questions and thoughts to help in your decision. As always, your team at Kelly Community is here to help you in any way possible.
Visit the mortgage loan page on our website to see what we can do for you.
