Tips
for Sellers
Your House - To Fix or Not To Fix When Readying it For Sale?
That is the question all homeowners should ask themselves when they consider
selling their home.
The first item on the fix-it list: clear the clutter! If
your closets, attic, basement, garage, and other storage
areas appear neat, half-full and organized, your house will
seem to have more storage space. To accomplish the clutter
- clearing task, empty the house, hold a garage sale, and
use the profits to help offset the next set of fix-it priorities.
Check your house for "curb appeal". The exterior
is the first impression a prospective buyer has of your home.
Make it as inviting as you can. Think of it as outside decorating.
Clean (or paint, if necessary) the exterior, re-sod brown
spots and crab grass, mow the lawn, pull weeds, remove dead
trees or plants, and trim the shrubs.
Flowers give warmth and personality to a home. Plant them
tastefully in pots or beds at the entrance, on decks and
around patios. If it isn't flower season, at least clean
the beds, remove the dead leaves, and cover the ground with
fresh wood chips or other clean looking mulch.
If you have a limited budget, make the most of it. Put the
money where it is most obviously needed and the return the
greatest and most visible.
Fix Little Things
Take care of the little obvious things: fix leaking faucets,
stop running toilets, replace broken windows, kill pet or
mildew odors, repair holes in screens, remove mildew from
tile, and re-caulk around bathtubs and sinks. Walk around;
look at your house with a prospective buyer's eyes. Small
things tell buyers whether or not a house has been maintained.
Paint it!
A coat of light-colored, neutral paint--white or off-white--will
make your home's interior look crisper, cleaner, and also
larger. Many buyers may not be able to imagine their sofa
in your décor. White interiors work for the greatest
number of people without their having to redecorate immediately.
If you just moved, would you want to redo every room?
Your Carpeting
If the carpet is in reasonable condition, have it shampooed.
If it is worn, threadbare or a non-neutral color, consider
replacing it with beige or gray. You do not need to purchase
the best quality money can buy. Lifetime wear is not required.
You want it to look great now. Neutral walls and carpet do
not offend anyone. Almost all furnishings look good with
them. Rental property managers know this and have been doing
it for years.
Professional Inspection
Consider having your house inspected by a qualified inspector.
Safety- and health-related items, such as radon and electrical
problems could kill a sale if not properly attended to. It
is much better to fix these items on your own time schedule
and financial terms than hurriedly during a contract negotiation.
Roof leaks, even if inactive, are also deal breakers.
What else do you fix amongst the inspector's flagged items?
Unless you can realistically get money back, fix only the
problems with major systems. You want to keep your home's
selling price as low as possible to increase the pool of
buyers.
Do not undertake any major remodeling in preparation for
sale. It places more limitations on the size of your buyer
pool. Tastes vary, and some people will dislike the results
of your efforts. You will have to raise your selling price
to reflect your fix-up investment, thereby pricing your home
out of the range of other potential buyers.
A neutral color scheme in a house that sparkles brings you
the highest return in the shortest time.
