Over our 34 years in the fence installation and staining business, we’ve had the opportunity to help homeowners develop win-win home selling strategies for their fences.

The rule of thumb for determining whether to replace or repair is to look at the overall fence area, and if more than 30% needs to be repaired, it will be more cost-effective to replace the fence. If you are reading your house to sell and your fence required repairs, we can help with that.

But, what happens if your fence needs more than 30% repaired? Then what do you do about replacing it and getting it on the market?

Homeowners facing this decision often will call us and ask us to install the least expensive fence possible to make the fence look good to prospective buyers.

While we will oblige you if this is your decision; however, we would suggest another option for you to consider. The idea to offer a credit as part of the house sale toward a new fence. For you, as the seller, there is a bigger gain to be had by you by going this route. By considering what is best for selling your home for top dollar and what would be best for the new homeowner, you can use this credit as a selling strategy. You can turn this into something the buyer gets in the sale that they won’t get with other homeowners. This is something tangible that your real estate agent can help the home buyer see as valuable. Imagine a brand new fence with your particular choices, your choice of stain color and if you are planning on enclosing the yard, then you can easily make that choice when the new fence is installed. A conversation like this makes the fence that doesn’t look good sound like a benefit they are buying with the house!

The cost to you is exactly the same. The cost of the less expensive fence is the cost of the credit you offer. The difference for the buyer is they get a choice to add to that credit to upgrade, if they choose. True, you will be long gone by the time the fence ages five years, but the new homeowner will care if they are still living there or are readying the house to sell again. Once faced with the choice, the home buyer can still choose for you to install a less expensive fence, or take the credit. It’s a win-win, either way.

The average house value in the Park Cities, North Dallas and Southern Collin County areas where we serve customers is on the rise, and a less expensive, quick fence solution simply will not attract well-qualified buyers like it used to. Today, buyers are savvier and more forward-thinking, so with this in mind, we’ve helped our customers develop this win-win solution of offering the new home buyer a credit toward a new fence.

When considering whether your fence needs to be replaced or it can be repaired is if the fence needs more than 30% repaired, it will be more advantageous and cost-effective to replace the fence. When readying a house to sell, we can repair your fence, and, if the fence is in need of replacement, you can derive the following benefits of offering a new fence allowance.  For this reason, we suggest that the current homeowner offer a credit to the new homeowner for the fence.

This benefits you in three important ways:

  1. You avoid out-of-pocket fees prior to the sale of your house. By offering a credit instead of installing the new fence prior to placing your house on the market, you can free up funds to use somewhere else.
  2. This gives you negotiating room. If the buyer wants a new, inexpensive fence prior to the buy, it’s easy enough to install one. Some buyers don’t want the hassle of doing work after they move in. If your buyer would prefer to install a longer-lasting fence with more decorative choices or even a different design, then they get the choice and they have funds from the credit you offer earmarked for this once they get moved in and settled. Some buyers want to put their mark on a house, and a new fence can often dramatically affect the outdoor aesthetic. The fence credit is simply the amount you would have paid for the less expensive fence, and it is deducted from the sale price of your home.
  3. You free up time on your to-do list for readying your home to sell. You often can avoid having the fence installed prior to the sale of the home.

Whether you need fence repairs or new fence installation to sell your Park Cities, North Dallas, or Southern Collin County home, Brown’s Fence & Repair is here to help you! Give us a call today at 972-495-5412 and we will be happy to help you determine a solution that works best for you.