Should You Repair or Replace Your HVAC System Before Selling?

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You’ve decided it is time for a change and are selling your home. To sell your house quickly and increase its value,it’s always recommended to make home repairs prior to listing. Your home’s HVAC system plays an important role as the system takes care of the entire home and can contribute to a buyer’s perception of what it’s like to live there. The question is, do you replace or repair your HVAC system before selling your home?  Keep reading for the pros and cons.

Your options are to take on this project before listing your home or wait until you have a buyer and have completed the home inspection. It is a reasonable request for a buyer to ask the seller to repair the HVAC system if the problem is significant enough to impact the use of the house in a negative way. They can also decide to provide a lower offer to factor in having to repair or replace the system themselves. Most people don’t want to make a major investment knowing they’ll have to put in even more money and work into major components of the house, especially non-cosmetic ones, such as a HVAC replacement.

Some of the factors potential home buyers are considering are, does the system make excessive and odd noises when it is running? They will be paying attention to the comfort level of each room as they walk through the home.They also want to check the age of the system. Most systems have a lifespan of 15 years depending on maintenance. Factoring in the age of the system should help you decide whether to repair or replace. Buyers will also be checking the energy label and they will ask about past maintenance and repairs done to the system. It can be a tremendous advantage as the seller to show off the low utility bill history because of a high-efficiency system. Also, if you have recently had an HVAC replacement, provide copies of the paperwork – it can go a long way in assuring prospects that yours is a well-cared for home.

Take a step back from the situation and look at your home as if you were the potential buyer.  Listen to the system to see if any sounds stand out that you might have gotten accustomed to as the white noise of your home. These could be indicators of a needed HVAC replacement or repair. Next, think back to the age of your system – it is easy to forget that they don’t last forever and is something that needs to be maintained and replaced. When was the last time you had it inspected or tuned up? Based on the age, could it have a more desirable energy label and do you feel a difference from room to room in your home?Take your anticipated listing price into account – buyers looking at million-dollar homes likely have different expectations that someone looking for a fixer-upper. Taking this step back and looking at it from an outsider’s perspective will give you a better understanding of your decision process.

If your system is more than eight years old and seems to consistently need repairs lately that are getting more and more costly it is probably time for an HVAC replacement, whereas if it is a newer system you can simply have it repaired. There is also a chance that the system itself isn’t the problem but the ductwork that needs repairs. Having an HVAC tech come and look at it will give you a better understanding of what should be repaired and what absolutely needs to be replaced.

For more advice on HVAC replacement or repair concerns for your Greater Cincinnati real estate, please contact Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing to speak with our licensed experts at (513) 268-8400

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