Leak and damaged skirting board

[Sunnypad]

hi there
I had a leak in the bathroom - that sounds wrong! - and now there's a small area of damaged skirting board there. You can see where the wood has expanded and there's cracks etc.

I'm thinking to put the flat on the market and it's quite likely someone would redo the whole room so I wondered how to do a small fix. Can it be smoothed over with epoxy resin and then white gloss paint on top?

TIA for any thoughts.

[Gerry557]

You could put some filler and paint to hide it but if you think the bathroom needs a do over then one bit of skirting board will not be a deal breaker.

If everything is to high spec a flaw would stand out.

Dremel or multi tool cut out the damaged portion and replace.

I assume the leak is sorted

[Sunnypad]

Thanks Gerry

It’s not done to high spec, I think the bathroom is 20 years old now.

I don’t have the skills to take that bit out and replace it so I could pay for it, but it seems likely to me that whoever buys will do the place up.

The leak is fixed, yes.

[Mike4]

I agree with Gerry, leaving it untouched won't be a deal breaker. People buy flats and houses for where they are, number of bedrooms, nice 'feel' to the place etc etc, not for the condition of the skirting boards.

You could always knock £50 off the asking price to account for the dodgy skirting...

[Gerry557]

I think I would attempt to cover it up as best as you can. Even if it just takes your eye away from the problem.

Some people might not even notice then unless they look hard enough. Often it a general impression. How many people turn taps on or open and close every cupboard and drawer to check if everything is fine. Even top level surveys don't do this.

We enquired about one property and opened the sliding wordrobe to find a rack of cd's but no actual space for hanging clothes. Only because we wanted to see what shelving had been installed. Admittedly there was loads of shelving just not very wide apart from a small bit at one end not really big enough for more than a few shirts.

I've seen properties with holes in the wall, missing floorboards and no real kitchen or bathroom to speak of. They sell fine but the price is adjusted to compensate. Hopefully the estate agent will advise you what is best for your market. No point putting in a swimming pool in a 2 up 2 down.

Conversely we looked at one property with a brand new installed kitchen..... That we would have ripped out as the colour was wrong for us!

Hide it as best as you can and only get it changed if you redo the bathroom, in the scheme of things a dab of wood is nowt on a remodelling.

[Sunnypad]

thanks Gerry

I'm looking online and thinking wood filler is probably better than epoxy resin....I feel a bit bad because, yes, it would be unnoticeable to most people walking around and they might then be a bit miffed when they move in, but I go round with a sharp eye and a torch so if they don't, I guess it's on them.

[sg31]

Stick a couple of toilet rolls infront of it. Anything will do, toilet brush, bottle of something.

I've sold a lot of properties, people view a house for 15/20 minutes and decide to buy on the basis of their impressions, they don't notice the things which seem to stand out to you. Think about what you do when you are viewing. It's a quick look in the room to get an impression of size and brightness then on to the next room. You might walk round the lounge, main bed and kitchen but in a small flat maybe not even that. Then off you go with a picture in your head.
You may look at a few properties but you usually just know which one you want as soon as you view it. Then you persuade yourself you love it and must have it. It's illogical but I've seen it happen so many times. Probably the biggest financial decision you will ever make done and dusted in 20 minutes.

A long winded way of saying don't fret about the little things.

[UncleEbenezer]

For what it's worth ...

When I was house-hunting, I found it a big turnoff when a vendor had fussed over small details. Or done a place up to make it "look good" for sale (what are they trying to hide?) At worst it would put me right off: for instance, windows I couldn't live with (because they would only open at the bottom) I could replace, but that would feel like a crime of waste if they were already newly-replaced.

[Sunnypad]

Gosh, lots of thoughts.

I’d immediately wonder what was to hide. I look very thoroughly though. In fact,it’s just occurred to me, That might be an issue with covid, maybe I’ll be told I’m not allowed to open a cupboard to see a fuse box etc.

Anyway, I’ll do my best with it and hope no one notices. I’m going to try the old filler, though I expect it’s more about the application skill than the product.

[Mike88]

Gosh, lots of thoughts.

I’d immediately wonder what was to hide. I look very thoroughly though. In fact,it’s just occurred to me, That might be an issue with covid, maybe I’ll be told I’m not allowed to open a cupboard to see a fuse box etc.

Anyway, I’ll do my best with it and hope no one notices. I’m going to try the old filler, though I expect it’s more about the application skill than the product.

If you buy filler get one that is easy to rub down.

[fisher]

Get a lightweight filler like these. Easy to work in (even with your finger!), and easy to sand flat if you have to. If you apply them and rub smooth with a filling kniife (or any flat blade) you may not even need to sand them. They dry "creamy white", so you may not even need to paint it after.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense- ... lsrc=aw.ds

https://www.toolstation.com/one-strike- ... 5oQAvD_BwE