Recent surveys have shown that over 30 percent of homeowners want to put their homes on the market in the next year! That's a lot of homes! You might want to call me and beat the rush!
To get your home ready for sale, here are the facts! I have seen lots of homes sell and lots of homes sit!. There are things about the condition of your home you can fix to put your home in the "sell" category vs. the "sit" category. Nowadays we have to do things today that we have NEVER had to do before just to get a buyer to come to the table with an offer!
Kitchens and Baths. Whatever you can do to rehab and update in the kitchen or in the bathroom will be worth it in getting you a better price for the house. New counter tops, cabinets, fixtures, and appliances all help. Buyers are demanding granite or other custom tops for counters and cherry or maple cabinets. If this sounds like big bucks, you may be right, but often there are less expensive routes, especially if you do the work yourself. Call me with some great sources to help you with the costs!
Flooring. Remember that in selling your house, your competition is new construction. Buyers today like hardwood, ceramic tile, new carpet. If you can't afford new, clean the floors well and remove stains.
Walls. Lose the wallpaper. "But," you often say to me," my wallpaper is special." Nothing personal, but it is not. Today's buyers do not like wallpaper. No buts!
Paint should be neutrals, in one shade throughout the house if possible. Lighter browns, tans, and every other color in the “Rainbow of Beige” are ok. White is out.
Décor/Staging. A common myth is that a house must be decorated to sell. In real estate, what we are aiming for is to provide a wonderful background canvas on which the buyer can paint his own picture. We want the buyers to come to your home and excitedly see themselves living there. Even that very special, exotic rare item that you picked up on your recent trip to Kiribati is probably best packed up for your next house. If it is smaller than a football, put it away! No little knick knacks out! Leave only enough in each room to suggest the function of the room. Take out mixed messages—for example don't put exercise equipment AND a bed in the same room. Graceful, elegant, current, and simple.
Clean, clean, clean. We want your home to be picture-perfect, magazine photo-shoot clean when the buyer walks through the door. Nothing on the counter tops except perhaps a cookbook, open to a favorite colorful recipe, with a few ingredients that go in it like olive oil and balsamic, just to suggest the idea of cooking. Closets should not appear overcrowded. Make sure your home smells clean, not covered-up. Buyers will remember an unpleasant odor and forget the 100 great things about your house. Remember, declutter, declutter, declutter! Pick up, pack up, throw away or sell!
Repair. Fix leaky faucets. Repair cracks in the driveway or sidewalks. Make sure doors open and shut and don't stick, and that locks work. Fix electrical problems. You will probably have to do all these things anyway after an inspection, and you might as well get it done now! I have sources if you need references for a great handyman or electrician.
Bling-bling. New handles and hinges for your cabinets, new doorknobs, and new light fixtures, inside and out, can make a huge difference!
Thanks to Portia who I work with! For many of these ideas!
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