Shelter is a basic human need. In modern times the most common form of shelter that humans aspire is their own home at a good locality and with good amenities available. Repairs are one of the most important part of sustaining a quality living with the best possible outcomes. Your Home needs repair at certain times on certain areas with a certain quality to ensure your prosperous living.
A house consists of different roofing systems that protect us from thunder, rain storm, excess of heat etc. It has locks or doors that give security to the inhabitants. Moreover, it also provides a sense of security from unwanted invasion. A House can be a source of happiness, comfort and complete relaxation.
With the passage of time, priorities, thinking patterns, behaviour, social structure and even ways of living have changed. This change can be attributed to a variety of reasons. This has also compelled house structures to change and repairs methodology to change.
During the era of 1940s rooms were smaller and separate from one another, having one bathroom, one kitchen, and a large (open) living area. Afterwards in the 1950s, homes were typically built with two to three bedrooms, a small living area, and a kitchen. Houses that were built in the 1980s, were structurally sound with good ventilation, air windows, subfloors and open living area.
As modernization brings technological advancement (and many other social changes), so people shifted from traditional way of living to modern ways of living. Today, the architects are working in a dozen of different styles. Now, they are building structures of highly conceptual and expressive styles. Because of this abrupt shift, buyers are demanding for more attractive, graceful, and eye-catchy building structures.
From a commercial point of view, old houses can be remodeled and sold with good profit margins. For example, if floor is in a poor condition, it is generally a good idea to replace the floor covering before selling the house.
Selling a house in a bad condition versus selling a house in a good condition are two very different propositions requiring very different types of efforts. Generally speaking, until and unless the house is brand new, work is often needed to get a good return, so, let’s talk about the types of works that the houses may require that can improve their commercial value;
Bad Layout:
It’s no secret that developers, architects, and builders have favored open-plan layouts in the past one or two decades. There were often 1-2 big bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, rest of the area was open. That was the time, when whole family (4-5 members) preferred to live in the same room or even siblings shared the same bedroom. However, with the passage of time, ther has been a shift in the layout of the houses.
This has majorly been dictated by changes in lifestyle and requirements. So, if your children are old enough and you also have another bedroom, shift them in separate rooms. In case you are living in an old designed house, you need work to make it according to your modern time. Old layouts can be changed by re-arranging walls, which is a popular way of changing internal layout of a house. One may put a new wall up to make two rooms out of one.
House with hidden infrastructure in poor condition:
Hidden infrastructure may include by water pipes, Electric wires, gas pipes, roof leaks and air leak etc. Bad condition of hidden infrastructure will cause serious problems for new-home buyers. It will also make it difficult for you to sell the unit. In this situation – buyers hesitate to buy and live in that house. So, repair is needed for such houses. Following are the ways to repair poor infrastructure;
- In the case of water leaks, you can use a compound stick available at most hardware stores. Simply rub the stick over the hole to stop the leak. The compound stick can even stop small leaks while the water is still running in the pipe. You can also apply epoxy paste only to dry pipes, and the water must be turned off.
- Electrical wire issues can happen, if wiring is inappropriate and wires are not up to code. You can fix the electric wires, to make it easy to sell your house. For that purpose, unplug the electrical wire from the electrical outlet. Locate all the areas on the electrical cord with exposed wires. And then wrap all the exposed wires with electrical tape until the wires are safely covered.
- Specialty plumbers can fix the leakage of natural gas lines. Usually, a natural gas plumber will have a license that states he or she is allowed to work on and install natural gas lines. Hire a plumber, and fix gas leakage in pipes.
- Check for roof damage above water marks on the ceiling. Inspect your roof for widespread wear and tear. Straighten the curled shingles. Replace broken or missing shingles. For worse condition of roof, you may also go for full replacement.
- Air leaks – where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring comes through walls, floors, and ceilings. You can check this leakage by an easy way, on a cold day with the heat on inside your home, place your hand around the edges of all exterior doors, windows, and bathroom and kitchen air vents and fans. If you feel cold air on your hand, then you have an air leak.
Structure Issue
Here are some indicators to identify structure issue in your home. If you notice gaps (where your walls and floors meet), cracks in walls, Uneven/bouncy floors, and sticking windows or doors, there are serious structural issues and repairs are bound to be done.
When you have suspected structural problems, you must inform any company, who can investigate further. When structural damage has occurred always try to retain the integrity of the structure through careful repairs rather than rebuilding. For example; if walls have cracked and repairs are necessary, traditional lime mortars, renders and plasters should be used.
Foundation problems:
There may be foundation issues, as cracked or sinking, which can lead to flooded basements spaces. It can sometimes be hard to sell a house with a problematic foundation in the traditional market. Therefore, you must hire experts to fix them all.
Worse condition of windows and doors:
Windows and doors might be in the worse condition and may need a serious inspection. There may be leakage, stick, don’t open, or are broken. If the window frames are broken/decaying then you need to replace them. Keep the fact in your mind, the cost of replacing windows or frames is too high, and the payoff is not large enough so repairs play their part. However, in the case of smaller window up-gradation can help increase a home’s energy efficiency, and therefore its value. So, you must consider such things in anticipation.
To crack a good deal with customers, and to get a valuable amount on the sale of your home, these techniques will be helpful. Best Wishes!
