Should you replace your fence before selling your house?

Is your rotted fence hurting your property value? Could you be losing interested customers due to the appearance of your yard? Here are a few pros and cons of replacing your fence before selling your house:

Location of Disrepairs

Considering curb appeal is the first step towards your decision regarding fence repair before selling your house. Curb appeal is how attractive your house looks to potential buyers from the outside going in. If your fence on the front side of the property is in better condition than the side or rear, then you may only need partial repairs instead of replacing the entire fence. If there are no signs of damage but the fence looks worn, spending a couple of hours staining and repainting may be all you need. 

Valuation of Your Fence’s Current Condition

The next factor to consider when deciding to replace your fence before selling is evaluating the condition of the fence. For wood fencing, note all potential repair spots, use the information to decide between spot repairs and overall fence replacement. Using the “30% Rule” would be best to make the decision. If more than 30% of your fence needs repairs, the best choice would be to replace the entire fence. If less than 30% of your fence needs repairs, spot repairs would be the best option. You should also think about rotting and pests. If any spots contain rotting wood or have pests like carpenter ants or termites, then replacing the entire fence would be a good decision as well. 

For metal fencing, check for rust spots. You can use the 30% Rule for this as well, but there is another option to consider. If you have a good amount of small rusting, you can clean the areas and apply a neutralizer to repair those areas. If you have areas of larger rust, then the best decision would be to replace the entire fence.

For vinyl fencing, using the 30% Rule would be most useful. Assess the condition and determine the amount of disrepair. For light to medium wear, you can wash and repaint. For medium to heavy wear, replacing the fence would be the best option. 

Ask for Advice

The last thing you can do before selling your home is asking the advice of others regarding your fence. There are two approaches to this factor: reaching an agreement with the buyer in terms of credit or asking your real estate agent. If you have an interested buyer, talk with them to see if they will agree to a fence credit. You won’t get asking price with this method because the amount of the fence will be subtracted from listing price. But, this gives you the relief of hiring and paying for the repairs yourself. 

If you prefer to keep the buyer out of the process, ask your real estate agent. They can help you determine the additional value of your home if you replaced the fence. From there you can determine if the value of your home after renovations exceeds the cost of repairs. 

Conclusion

The best way to determine what to do with your fence before selling your home is to perform a good amount of research. Look into the state of your fence and determine with your budget and other factors the best option for you. Ask for advice to determine if repairing or replacing your fence will be beneficial once sold. Utilizing these sources can help you determine the best decision for your situation.