If you’re considering selling your home as a senior citizen, you might want to make some repairs first. DIY home repairs can be done to help you save money when selling your home. Let’s look at some of the top home repairs you can take care of yourself.
15 DIY Home Repairs Seniors Should Consider
1. Toilet Replacement
For most seniors, replacing a toilet is a pretty easy DIY home repair. Removing an old one, repairing a leak, or replacing the toilet isn’t all that difficult. If you have a little home repair knowledge, you can probably handle this type of DIY home repair.
2. Fixing Loud Cabinet Doors
Fixing cabinet doors might not seem essential, but it’s not hard to do. Loud cabinet doors can be an annoyance a potential buyer notices when going through your home.
All you have to do is use peel-and-stick door and drawer bumpers to take away the noise. These bumpers are cheap and easy to apply to your cabinets and drawers.
3. Painting
Painting is one of the most common DIY home repairs you can do before selling your home. While it will certainly take up some of your energy, most seniors can handle painting independently. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way to making your home look more presentable to buyers.
4. Landscaping
Maybe you love gardening or planting flowers around your property. If so, landscaping is a project you can take on yourself. With good landscaping, you can gain curb appeal, which can make a big difference when you sell your home.
While this isn’t actually a DIY home repair, it’s a good idea. Keeping the lawn mowed, planting flowers, and sprucing up the exterior of your home can go a long way.
5. Paint or Replace the Front Door
Another way to gain curb appeal is to spruce up the front door. If it’s in need of replacement, you might be able to handle this home repair yourself. However, a fresh coat of paint can go a long way if the door doesn’t need to be replaced.
6. Replacing Cabinet Knobs and Drawer Pulls
You don’t have to remodel your entire kitchen to make your home more attractive. But, in some cases, updating the cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can go a long way. This is one of the most uncomplicated DIY home repairs on the list.
Handles and knobs only require a screwdriver and a little effort to replace them. It’s a very cheap and easy way to spruce up your kitchen or bathroom.
7. Replace or Repair a Faucet
If you have some knowledge of home repairs, you can likely replace or repair a faucet. Many guides can help you with this type of DIY home repair. For handy homeowners, this won’t be a difficult repair to make.
8. Oil the Doors Hinges
Another DIY home repair that might seem small but can make a difference is oiling the door hinges. Oiling can help ensure you don’t have any squeaky doors that will distract potential buyers. A little spray oil can go a long way.
9. Declutter Your Home
While it’s another item on the list that isn’t truly a DIY home repair, decluttering goes a long way when selling your home. This can mean getting the personal items out or even removing unnecessary furniture.
You want to go through your home and declutter as best as you can. With a decluttered home, you will get better listing pictures, and your home will even look larger.
10. Replace Light Fixtures
As long as you have some knowledge of how to replace light fixtures, you can take on this project yourself. However, if you’ve never done this before or have no knowledge of the electrical system of lighting, this might be one to hire a professional for.
Adding new lights or replacing old lights can help make smaller rooms feel larger. New lighting can also help improve the look of your decor, and it’s a relatively inexpensive way to upgrade your home.
11. Deep Clean Your Carpets and Floors
Taking care of some of the cleaning yourself can go a long way. If you have carpets, rent a carpet cleaner and do the work yourself. A deep clean can make carpets feel newer and fresher.
You can also buff or refinish hardwood floors yourself. However, if you have flooring repairs or you need the flooring replaced, it’s best to hire a professional.
12. Deal with Clogged Drains
While it might not seem like a huge deal, it’s wise to fix clogged drains before listing your home for sale. For the cost of a drain solution or a drain snake, you can unclog any drain in your home. It’s not necessary to hire a professional plumber for most clogged drains.
Taking care of this DIY home repair will save you money. In addition, it’s a great way to ensure potential buyers don’t find an issue when they test out a faucet or the shower in your home.
13. Recaulk Your Shower
Most handy seniors will be able to handle recaulking a shower. If you have dirty or worn-out caulking, this is an easy DIY home repair you can take care of. It can cost less than $30 to recaulk your shower.
14. Replace your Mailbox
If you have an older mailbox that doesn’t look so great, you want to replace it. The mailbox can help make a better first impression. Choose something basic that looks good in front of your home.
15. Replace Your House Number
Another way to gain better curb appeal is simply replacing your house number. Maybe your number has worn out or doesn’t look so great. This is a simple way to add curb appeal and make your home look a little better from the outside.
There are many DIY home repairs you can take on as a senior. If you have the knowledge and the ability, taking care of some of the necessary home repairs before you list your home for sale can help save you money. However, you will likely want to hire a professional with some projects.
