When your home is on the market, it needs to stand out from the crowd. And certain features like beautifully appointed open kitchens or impeccable hardwood floors are great at drawing eyeballs for listings. But what if you can’t afford to renovate—even if certain things have fallen into a state of serious disrepair?
Some sellers may choose to offer an allowance, or discount, on their home to entice buyers. In this situation, the seller would agree to take the financial hit on repairing anything that the buyer sees as an issue. The allowance would be written into the buyer’s offer, and the buyer would have to check with the lender for details that pertain to this type of clause. (Some lenders may have a problem with it.)
Benefits of offering an allowance
If you cannot afford to make necessary repairs to your property, offering a home improvement allowance is certainly a viable option.
Robert Rahmanian, principal and co-founder of REAL New York, says this might be a good strategy if you’re having trouble selling your house or when a buyer brings up the need for updates.
“The allowance amount very much depends on the kind of updates that need to be conducted,” he says. The allowance may be determined based on the total price of the necessary updates.
According to Martin Eiden, a broker at Compass in New York, the first step is to get written estimates from contractors to do the work, and then offer an allowance for the estimated amount.
“I would present it like this: ‘We were considering updating the kitchen and baths but didn’t want to choose a color the end buyer may not want, so these are the estimates, and the buyer can choose the final colors and finishes,’” he says.