Small repairs worth doing

The short answer

Viewers and surveyors count defects, and each visible fault suggests others that are hidden. A short snagging round — dripping taps, sticking doors and windows, cracked panes, blown bulbs, loose handles, silicone, cracked tiles, damaged sockets — takes a day or two and removes the impression of a property that has not been looked after.

What the work involves

A written snag list built room by room, then a single tradesperson's visit or a weekend of straightforward DIY to work through it.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

Electrical alterations and gas work must be done by registered trades. Nothing in a routine snag list needs consent, but listed properties need care with original features.

What commonly goes wrong

Leaving five small faults visible because none of them individually seems worth calling anyone out for.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• One handyperson visit covering the whole list costs far less than several separate call-outs.
• Silicone, bulbs, handles and washers are inexpensive materials with a disproportionate effect.
• Anything electrical or gas-related needs a registered trade and should be priced accordingly.

What to do, in order

1. 1Walk each room with a notepad and write down every fault, however small.
2. 2Include the outside: gate, path, gutter, external light, bin store.
3. 3Group the list by trade before booking anyone.
4. 4Fix everything on the list before the Home Report survey.
5. 5Keep receipts for anything a buyer might ask about.

Local detail for the Lothians

• Sash and case windows that stick or have failed cords are the most common small repair in Edinburgh's pre-1919 stock and are usually repairable rather than needing replacement.
• Tenement flat doors, letter plates and stair lighting are frequently on the list and the stair items are shared.
• Original cast iron and timber features should be repaired rather than replaced where possible.

When you need a professional

A joiner for sash windows and doors; a registered electrician for anything electrical; a plumber for taps and seals.

Common questions

Do small repairs affect the sale price?

Indirectly but reliably. Visible faults suggest hidden ones, and buyers price that uncertainty into their offer.

What should be fixed first?

Anything visible at a viewing or in a photograph, then anything a surveyor would note as a defect.

Related pages

• Decorating before selling

  Where fresh paint pays for itself, and where it does not.

• Preparing for the Home Report

  What the surveyor looks at, and the work worth doing before they visit.

• Windows before selling

  Repair, draughtproof or replace — and what conservation rules allow.