During the course of a home inspection, damaged or deteriorated items are often observed.  The greater the deficiency, the more likely it is the buyer will ask the seller to incur the cost for the remedy of the condition.  Of course, all sales transactions are not the same. Often, due to the details of the sale, the buyer proceeds with the purchase knowing he or she will be the ones paying for the remedy; therefore, the information in this article can beneficial to both the buyers and sellers.  Realtors can also use this information when advising their clients on how to deal with these issues.

First, let's address this topic as if you were the seller; as if any significant deficiency will be your responsibility to resolve.  What is the most economical way for you to deal with deteriorated or damaged home components?  First, you should assess the home as if you were the buyer.  This should be done before you put your home on the market. What would you find unacceptable if you were purchasing your home at this time?  It is important to view your home objectively, without all the fond memories you may have acquired throughout the years.  Once you have listed the potential items that are likely to either turn away potential buyers or require you to fix the problem, you have to ask yourself one question, "If you were the buyer, would you want that item repaired or replaced?"  Statistics show that most homebuyers prefer to have significantly deficient items replaced and not repaired.  It is important to know this, because in most cases, repairing an item is much less expensive than replacing it.  Therefore, if something can be adequately repaired, and it is done before the home goes on the market, it is unlikely to become an issue to prospective buyers. Now, you have saved the difference between repair and replacement costs.  There is now one more question that needs to be asked once you find something that is damaged.  Is it beyond repair or not? Of course some things are beyond repair and trying to fix them could cost you more money in the long run rather than buying new. 

There are certain home repairs, which appear so bad, it would make one dismiss the idea of repair. However, there are products on the market today that claim to do amazing things and in this article we are going to illustrate a couple of them.  As a policy, we do not endorse any specific products nor can we judge an individual’s skill in performing any of these repairs.  Therefore, look at this article as an introduction to other possibilities of addressing home deficiencies. Then, do additional research into the best products to use and their methods of application to determine if they are the best solution for you.

“Liquid Wood" is a product that is on the market today, which is applied to rotted or damaged wood; it penetrates the wood to reinforces and harden the rotted wood.  After which, "Wood Epoxy" can be added to fill in rotted out areas (see photos below).

Who would have considered that the window components in theses photos could be restored to useable condition?  The same products can be applied for decayed decorative trim and even support columns rotted out at the base.

In addition there are concrete restoration materials for items like steps and walk repair as well as foundation cracks.

Perspective buyers may drive right by a home with steps in the condition of the first photo, thinking it may reflect the condition of the rest of the home's components; however if they saw steps like in the last photo, it could change their entire perspective.  There are things to consider.  Some of these restorations may take skill that is beyond some homeowners.

Steal restoration products can be handy for repairing rusted support columns in basements and crawl spaces, step rails and fences.

So, keep in mind, there may be alternative solutions to resolving deficiencies in the home without the cost associated with buying new, and if this is done before the home is on the market or before a home inspection, they may never be an issue.  What about the buyer's point of view?  We will not address the issue of whether a buyer who finds a deficiency should ask for replacement or settle for repair.  Realtors or Lawyers can better answer this advice.  The benefit of the buyer knowing the option of repair vs. replacement comes in most handy when they knowingly and willingly purchases a home with deficiencies, having the plan of dealing with the issues themselves.  If you were a purchaser, you may feel better about accepting a home with similar deficiencies as seen in the photos above if you knew the less expensive options available to repair them rather than the greater cost of replacement.

The information contained on this page is not exhaustive and is meant to be only an overview.  For complete documentation on this subject please contact local or State heath officials.