You should upgrade your HVAC system before selling? Or shouldn't you? There is no doubt it is a sellers market. With inventory being low and buyers fighting over homes, you may think it is not worth the additional costs to upgrade your aging HVAC system. However, the opposite is true!
We heard a funny yet accurate analogy of the current home market. "Home buying today is similar to the toilet paper shortage of 2020. No supply, but everyone wants it!" There is no better time to make your home the MOST appealing so you can take top dollar for your sale. Since you will most likely have multiple people competing for your home, as been the trend, you will have the ability to price your home to your benefit. Rightfully so, your premium price needs to have backing even with the current sellers market.
Can you Really Ask For More Money if you Upgrade Your HVAC System?
Short answer.. YES! Long answer…. any upgrade to the most expensive mechanical components in the home add value. Especially in todays market. Even with the aggressive climate, potential buyers are still being smart. Is the value matching the price? Asking premium dollar for a home, and having an old and aging HVAC system, is a cost that the buyer will be accounting for. How does that usually translate? In a lower offer or an ask for replacement. Add on the potential negative report from the inspector, and you can expect each and every buyer to negotiate your price down.
The great thing about you putting your home in the best light, you can ask top dollar and control the negotiating process. If there is no need for a new HVAC system, roof, electrical panel, water heater etc… you can stick to the top of the spectrum and control how much you spend on replacing these key elements! The buyer has no room to negate your home! New is new. When you upgrade your HVAC system, regardless of efficiency, it is still a new system with a transferrable warranty. Benefit for all! Your house looks waaaaaaay more appealing. Your buyers will be forced to compete up in price and not down by negotiating your asking price. You are now in the best possible scenario.
Smell is Something You Should Consider
When potential buyers are walking through your home, smell is something that can make them turn on their heels and walk right out of your home. Mold, mildew, wet dog smell, cat litter, and food odors can definitely cause a potential buyer to turn their nose up at your home. Even in a sellers market, your goal is to have potential buyers coming into your home and paying you top dollar. Not questioning if that mildew smell means problems or leaks in the home.
A quick and highly effective solution is to upgrade your HVAC system and/or placing an air purifier on your ducts. For a low cost, these air purifiers will take all the smells out of your air and leave your home smelling fresh and so clean! Our favorite product is the i-wave air purifier that is guaranteed to remove all negative stink and even viruses, mold, pet dander etc.. Especially for "older" homes that may have original carpets, paints and a lot of drapery which hold on to odors, bettering your air quality is crucial!
"If it Ain't Broke, Don't Replace it!"- You Don't think you need to Upgrade Your HVAC
We hear this all the time from customers trying to sell their home. We provide them with maintenance and a service records for listing the home. The idea is that the 15 year old system is still working. From the buyers eyes, they see an old and rusty system that has no more potential than an upcoming breakdown. They will be concerned about this. What we do find is our customers come back and ask for a quote to replace the system as asked by their contracted buyers.
Let's look at it this way: If you were buying a car and were comparing apples to apples between a few, would you take a second look at a rusted 15 year old vehicle or prefer a newer car with a transferable warranty? You'd be willing to pay a little more for peace of mind and that in hand warranty I'm sure! Same applies to buying a home. When you upgrade your HVAC system, your home just looks more appealing.
I'm not Replacing My HVAC - Why Should I Still get an Estimate?
Because it's FREE! The experts at Guardian not only offer you Free In Home estimates, but a 5 star rated installation process that leaves you and your potential buyers worry free! Even if you're just curious about our pricing , have one of our System Design Experts out to your home to review what you have and give you a guaranteed estimate. First this allows you to see if upgrading your HVAC system is in your budget pre listing. Secondly, it also will help you in the negotiating process in the event your buyers do bring up that old HVAC system of yours. They will most certainly come to you with the highest replacement costs. Be prepared with an in hand estimate so you know the costs in advance! Knowledge is power and a free in home estimate puts you "in the know."
Schedule your estimate today! Call or Text 770-727-1888 to talk with one of our experts or schedule online here.
