Confronting the site of a large crack streaking down your driveway is terrifying for most homeowners preparing to sell their houses. There are common repair items throughout the house, such as scuffed paint or broken HVAC system, that realtors and stagers advise home sellers to fix. Taking on the major renovation of replacing a damaged driveway before selling a home adds stress and money to the home sale process.
To avoid the hassle of taking on this massive repair, here are four reasons not to replace a cracked driveway before selling your house on the market.
Should You Fix a Cracked Driveway Before Selling a House
1. Time it Takes to Replace a Cracked Driveway
Typically, the two most important factors to a homeowner preparing to sell a house are time and money. If your property is older or outdated, you’ll likely be advised to repair certain items. Presale repairs to a home automatically tack on more time to the sale process.
Not every seller has extra months to wait as their home gets renovated before putting it on the market. Relocating for a job or military deployment forces some homeowners to sell extremely fast. Trying to replace a cracked driveway before selling a house with only add to that.
Replacing an entire concrete driveway before putting a home on the market can turn into a massive job. Depending on the severity and positioning of the driveway crack, homeowners may have to remove part of their garage. This is one of the worst-case scenarios. While it doesn’t happen with every driveway crack fix, it is possible.
2. Replacing a Concrete Driveway is Expensive
The cost of replacing a concrete driveway is expensive. Concrete costs $137 per cubic yard. For homeowners that plan to replace the entire driveway, this cost will add up.
Besides the material cost of concrete to replace your driveway, here are other costs associated with the repair to consider:
- Labor
- Grading
- Subbase
- Forms and finishing
- Reinforcement
Each driveway replacement renovation is different from the next. It can feel like you’re opening Pandora’s Box. Instead, avoid the hassle of the job and sell your house with a cracked driveway.
For homeowners that have the upfront money to pay for fixing a crack in their driveway, you’ll likely see some of that money come back to you from the sale of your property. Improved curb appeal can increase your property’s resale value. Fixing small cracks in your concrete driveway will add to that. Consider the extent of the entire driveway replacement vs fixing small cracks to determine the best course of action.
3. Unknown Buyer Preferences
Not every homeowner prefers concrete in their driveway. Certain homebuyers prefer to replace the driveway themselves because they have a particular vision for it.
Assortments of pavers, large stones, rocks, and turf can be used to create different driveway designs. Why waste your time and money on a driveway that is going to get replaced anyway? It’s tough knowing the exact preferences and styles that homebuyers are looking for in a property.
For homeowners that do replace their cracked driveway before selling a house, aim for a neutral style. Lacking the ability to customize a property is what drives homebuyers to new construction properties. While driveways are not always customizable, purchasing a new construction home grants more personalization to the buyer.
4. Selling As-Is or Seller Concessions
As long as you disclose known defects about your home, you can sell it as-is. A cracked driveway won’t prevent you from attempting to sell your house. However, it could scare off certain homebuyers.
Use your best judgment and speak to a real estate professional about the idea of selling your house with a cracked driveway in its current condition. For less severe concrete cracks, it may not be a huge deal. It will likely appear on the home inspection report performed by the buyer. The cracked driveway can become a sticking point of negotiation between both parties.
Instead of trying to replace a cracked driveway before selling your house, you can find the right buyer to take on the property. Homeowners can list their homes on the market and sell them ‘as-is’. Certain homebuyers, including investors and flippers, still show interest in damaged properties. Professional companies that buy houses are usually more flexible when it comes to driveway cracks. Avoid the tiresome process of fixing your driveway before selling your home and connect with the right buyer for the job.