Listing Your Home.
If you decide to list your home, the first thing you should do is get rid of the clutter. What clutter? For starters, all of the clutter you have yet to use whether you bought it, or someone gave it to you as a gift. Buyers do not like cluttery homes! One of my brothers has a wonderful idea! If you purchased the item, or if someone gave it to you as a gift, get rid of it after 2 years if you find you no longer need it, or no longer have a use for it. He doesn't keep it any longer because he just doesn't want to take up space in his home. I should take his advice! I seem to be more like the rest of my family when it comes to keeping things longer than 2 years because I am a pack rat, but I digress (I still have stuff from the time I was single)! My wife, and I are not listing our home, just yet!
The second thing one should do is paint the interior of the home. A nice neutral color should be the ideal. I know you're saying to yourself, "These are my wife's/husband's favorite colors"! Sure, but are they the Buyer's favorite colors? Most Buyers will paint the walls their favorite colors as soon as they move in anyway, so make it as neutral as possible. As soon as my wife and I moved into our condo, we painted! I have been in several homes, and I hear clients say they dislike the paint color. When talking to the Seller, I hear the complete opposite. Sometimes, the Seller can't remember what it was like to be the Buyer.
Third, make the bathroom(s), and kitchen remodel as tasteful as possible without breaking your budget. If you want the Twenty Thousand Dollar, modern bathroom, and Thirty Thousand Dollar modern kitchen, make sure you understand you may not recoup 100% of those costs. It may make a difference for the Buyer, but don't expect the Buyer to like your taste in decoration! An intelligent Buyer will know if you listed your home based on all of the remodeling you completed because other homes in the area may have similar square footage with a newer kitchen and newer bath(s), but those homes may be listed at Twenty Five to Thirty Thousand Dollars less than your home! If you have little time to update the kitchen, and bath(s), be willing to give back to the Buyer, a credit at the time of close for the cost of the remodel(s). I recommend at least Three estimates of remodeling costs if you are willing to give the credit.
Fourth, make sure the basement (if you have a basement) has no water leaking through the walls, the walls are not bowing into the basement, or there are major cracks in the basement walls. These are structural problems that needs serious attention! It will cost several Thousand Dollars to repair, but worth every penny to make sure the basement doesn't cave in, or seriously flood when there is heavy rain. If you have a finished basement, make sure the Buyer has access to the walls to see if there is any major problems with those walls.
If you have several major remodel jods you need to do, and you are seriously considering listing your home in the next few months, do small remodel/repair jobs around the house to prepare it for listing. Don't be surprised if you get a "Remedy to Repair" from the Buyer's if you're home is not up to their expectations! Buyers can be VERY picky!
If there are other things you think should be on this list, feel free to add to the list! All are welcome to voice their opinion!
The second thing one should do is paint the interior of the home. A nice neutral color should be the ideal. I know you're saying to yourself, "These are my wife's/husband's favorite colors"! Sure, but are they the Buyer's favorite colors? Most Buyers will paint the walls their favorite colors as soon as they move in anyway, so make it as neutral as possible. As soon as my wife and I moved into our condo, we painted! I have been in several homes, and I hear clients say they dislike the paint color. When talking to the Seller, I hear the complete opposite. Sometimes, the Seller can't remember what it was like to be the Buyer.
Third, make the bathroom(s), and kitchen remodel as tasteful as possible without breaking your budget. If you want the Twenty Thousand Dollar, modern bathroom, and Thirty Thousand Dollar modern kitchen, make sure you understand you may not recoup 100% of those costs. It may make a difference for the Buyer, but don't expect the Buyer to like your taste in decoration! An intelligent Buyer will know if you listed your home based on all of the remodeling you completed because other homes in the area may have similar square footage with a newer kitchen and newer bath(s), but those homes may be listed at Twenty Five to Thirty Thousand Dollars less than your home! If you have little time to update the kitchen, and bath(s), be willing to give back to the Buyer, a credit at the time of close for the cost of the remodel(s). I recommend at least Three estimates of remodeling costs if you are willing to give the credit.
Fourth, make sure the basement (if you have a basement) has no water leaking through the walls, the walls are not bowing into the basement, or there are major cracks in the basement walls. These are structural problems that needs serious attention! It will cost several Thousand Dollars to repair, but worth every penny to make sure the basement doesn't cave in, or seriously flood when there is heavy rain. If you have a finished basement, make sure the Buyer has access to the walls to see if there is any major problems with those walls.
If you have several major remodel jods you need to do, and you are seriously considering listing your home in the next few months, do small remodel/repair jobs around the house to prepare it for listing. Don't be surprised if you get a "Remedy to Repair" from the Buyer's if you're home is not up to their expectations! Buyers can be VERY picky!
If there are other things you think should be on this list, feel free to add to the list! All are welcome to voice their opinion!
posted by Doug at 9:37 PM
2 comments
