In some markets homes are still selling like hotcakes (whatever that means), but in many markets it has slowed. Homes are staying on the market longer and full price offers are no longer the norm.
I have been helping home owners sell their homes for a couple years now, call me a “Pre-listing improvement specialist,” and yes, I just came up with that. By request, I come into your home and compile a list of improvements that will help you sell your home faster and/or at a higher price. This is not an exact science, and it’s not without risk, but over time I have had success with generating a sale after we come in and work our magic.
We often live in our homes and over time overlook the little imperfections. We learn to live with it, not because we aren’t responsible homeowners but because we have lives and sometimes those little things take a backseat to, you know, LIFE. And I include myself in this category. If I had to walk through my own home as the aforementioned “specialist,” I would have a laundry list of things that need to get done.
But when you are selling a home, details matter. So does paint choices, dated lighting, deferred maintenance, and a host of things that new homebuyers look for. You need to get an unbiased opinion of how your home will look to potential buyers, and then not get too upset when they say that the hot pink you decided would be a great accent wall may not appeal to many people.
I recently updated a home and here are the before and after results:
These changes made the world of difference and a lot of it was just paint. That is not to say that a paint job will cure all evils, you need to prioritize your updates within your budget and decide what will get you the best ROI. We touched every room with paint and new lighting but the bulk of the budget was in the kitchen. In this case, we replaced a couple of appliances, removed hanging kitchen cabinets and replaced the backsplash, which brought a ton of light into the space, and light equals money!
I specialize in determining what improvements will get you the best return and then executing them. Like I said, this is not an exact science but I do have a proven record and a great realtor to work with. Margaret Bartlett is an authority on selling homes and with her expertise we have transformed a few unselling (not unsellable) homes into desirable properties that appeal to a wide market.
And remember it’s not that your home isn’t perfect for you, it’s just that when you sell, you have to appeal to as many buyers as possible, so let go and live your best life in your new digs. You’ll be happy you did.
And for the record, right after we completed this project they got an offer. Happy clients!
