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What to fix up to sell your house

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  craig11152 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Everyone knows that selling your home is a pain but mostly because you have to put so much time into getting it fixed up before it goes on the market. And the worst part is that you end up putting all that work into your home and then just giving it away to someone who doesn’t appreciate it anyway. Here are some tips to keep in mind when fixing up your house before a move. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but some things will certainly make a difference.

Nothing that couldn’t be torn out


The whole point of remodeling before a sale it to give your home a greater appeal to the buyer and earn some extra money in the process. That means it is a huge waste of money to put in anything that might not be appealing to everyone or would be sad for you to see torn out. Most people who walk through your home will appreciate feeling like it is cleaned up or that new stuff has been put in it, but they are also spending a lot of time figuring out how to update it and change it to what they like. Of course, it is worth it to remodel some things because many buyers won’t even look if they don’t feel like the home is new or has new features, but you want to be careful putting in things that may be controversial or are too expensive, according to Sippican Week. You certainly won’t get your money back out of most of it.

New carpets/flooring

If your carpets are in relatively new condition and are neutral colors, don’t waste your money replacing them. Most people are willing to replace flooring because everyone has different tastes in what they want. If there are ugly colors or things such as chipped tile, you’ll certainly want to get it replaced with more neutral options.

Bathrooms and kitchens

Most people say you don’t sell your home, you sell your kitchen and bathrooms. For some reason, that is where most people put a lot of their wow factor in deciding whether or not to buy a home, even if it isn’t the space they spend most of their time. So, it is worth it to make sure both areas are really clean. Even if the areas are outdated a little bit, you are okay just to keep it clean. However, a 1970s home may need a remodel in order to sell. Just be careful because, again, a lot of owners may end up tearing out your changes anyway, so don’t be too worried about being cheap. The whole purpose is to make it look good and show off bones of the house, not to give them everything they want.

Fixtures

A lot of people will spend money on fixtures in their home to update them to current trends. This will cost you more money than you think, so don’t jump right in if you don’t have a couple of thousand to play with. However, it will usually help sell your home if people are high-end and want high-end fixtures. Just a quick update isn’t that hard and will usually bring you more value.



Source: sippican.villagesoup.com/p/should-i-remodel-to-sell-my-home/1347554
 
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#3 ·
My theory is that curb appeal is dead. Everybody is onternet, so you have to go for internet appeal.

Put some effort into getting good photos. Use professional lighting and a quality camera. Stage the room to tell a story. Awesome Tip: For small rooms where you can't step back far enough to take a good photo, use the panorama feature. It captures everything and makes the rooms look huge.

Powerwash everything. Who wants to buy a house with dirty old concrete and green crap growing on the siding?

Fertilizer is cheap. If your lawn has been neglected, put down some quick release nitrogen. It will turn green in a matter of days. Cut a nice sharp edge on the lawn along driveway and sidewalks. Use a weedwhacker or get a manual edger for $20.

Spray extended control weed killer on cracks and crevices.

Sealing the driveway is pretty cheap and covers up a lot.

Mulch is cheap and can cover up all kinds of sins in your yard. Many towns/counties offer mulch for free.

Plant some flowers.

Remove storm doors if they look crappy. Paint the front door.

Hideous bathroom? Reglaze the tub. Paint the vanity. I've heard it's even possible to paint tile if you go about it the right way.

Restore kitchen cabinets with Restor-A-Finish. It works miracles. Paint also works for cabinets. If you're handy, kitchen countertops are not rocket science. Two pieces of plywood with a sheet of Formica glued on top and around the edge and you have a brand new kitchen countertop. Use a trim router to make it flush.

Kitchens and bathrooms are important, but they are expensive to fix and subject to taste. Instead, put money into the living room. People will see that first. Do a nice paint job with an accent wall. Stick up some crown molding. Put your good stuff there. Give it a wow factor.
 
#7 ·
Was there a question in this thread?

I never could understand why people do all these 'improvements' to their house to just sell it. Why not do it while you're living in it so you can enjoy it?

Chances any, any money spent on improvement just for re-sale will not pay for themselves....with the exception being paint and yard.

In the past 5 years, every house that sold on our block or adjacent block was highly modified by the buyers before even moving in.

More new home owners are wanting to modify the house to their liking. Hence, all the work you did gets torn out.

In talking to one of my real estate friends....the price difference between a fixer upper and a move in ready house is usually less than the cost of a full kitchen remodel.
 
#9 ·
A key factor is what sort of market your in at the moment. A buyers market you need to do more a sellers market less. Right now in my area we are in a sellers market especially houses below $225,000. If you have a house for sale less than 200,000 and there are no glaring major faults (basement walls collapsing) you don't have to do anything but let the bidding war begin. :eek:
 
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