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Some things to keep in
mind when putting your home on the market.
QUESTIONS:
What are the two most important rooms in your house (from a
buyer's point of view)?
Should you spend a lot of money on remodeling before putting your
home on the market?
The answers are given later.
As a seller, what you want to do is put yourself in the shoes of a
potential buyer. It's important for you to see your house through
the eyes of someone looking at it for the first time. The best way
to do that is ask a friend or neighbor to come over and take a
look at your home as if they were in the market. Many times, they
will be able to suggest improvements that you would miss.
A good first impression is important. A house's "curb appeal" is
how it looks to someone driving up to it for the first time.
That's why it's a important to have the landscaping and outside of
the home in good condition. Clear up the clutter in front of the
house. Make sure your lawn is mowed and the bushes are trimmed. If
a buyer's first impression is favorable, they will want to look
further. If their first impression is not so favorable, this will
influence how they see everything else about your home.
What can you do to make your house as desirable as possible? First
we'll start with the simple things:
- As stated, keep the lawn mowed and the yard free of clutter.
- Keep the walkways and steps free of ice, snow, toys and leaves.
- Turn your porch lights on when showing your home in the
evenings.
- Try to avoid having strong odors in your house - fresh baked
cookies however, would be great!
- Do not smoke - if possible try to do your smoking outside during
the entire time that your home is on the market. You could
actually loose a sale to non-smoking buyers.
- Keep the drapes and blinds open. Let as much light into the
rooms as possible.
- Have flowers and greenery throughout the house.
- Keep the temperature at a comfortable setting.
- Have the fireplace on if it's a cold day.
- Turn the television off and have soft music playing.
- If possible, keep the kids and pets outside.
- Clean your bathrooms and kitchen. Don't leave dirty dishes
around.
- Keep your closets free of clutter.
- Clean those easy-to-forget rooms like the garage, attic,
basement, workarea.
- No dirty windows or mirrors.
- The floors should be scrubbed and the carpets vacuumed.
- And finally, don't interfere with the real estate agent showing
your home. They know what to point out to the buyers.
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE THE APPEAL OF YOUR HOME:
- If it is needed, paint both the inside and outside of the house.
It's best to use neutral colors. Fill the holes and cracks on the
walls and
ceilings.
- Replace your old wallpaper if it is in bad shape. Otherwise,
just make sure the walls are clean.
- Remove the stains in the sinks and the tubs.
- Replace the tile in your bath and kitchen if needed. However,
most of the time, a good mildew remover and some grout will take
care of unsightly tile.
- Have your carpet cleaned.
- Go around the house and tighten or replace missing door and
cabinet handles.
- If doors are hard to open and shut or they squeak, lubricate
them. (Soap can actually work as a lubricant on drawers and
doors.)
- This is the time to have those cracked windows fixed. You can
have the glass replaced at your local hardware store or glass
shop. It's not as expensive as replacing the entire window.
- Also, fix those leaky faucets and make sure the drains in your
tub and sinks are not clogged.
- If your hot water heater or furnace need replacing, do it. Add
the cost into the price of your home. New buyers don't want the
hassle right after moving in. This would also give them the option
of financing the added cost - something they couldn't do after the
sale.
- Make the necessary repairs to your roof if it leaks. If there
are water marks on walls or ceiling, cover them with a coat of
paint after you
make the repairs. NOTE: You must tell the buyers about material
defects on a property that would not be apparent during a routine
investigation.
- Check the fence on your property. Repair and paint it if
necessary.
- How about those cracks in your driveway? If it's blacktop, have
it resealed.
NOW FOR THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS:
What are the two most important rooms to a buyer? Number 1 is the
kitchen and number 2 is the bathroom(s). This is why it's
important to have both of these rooms in top condition. Make sure
your stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and garbage disposal are in
good working order. Replace the floor and the tile on the walls -
or at least make sure they look new. If your cabinets are in bad
shape, get them fixed. Replacing them may or may not be cost
effective. (See the answer to the next question.)
For the bathroom: replace the shower curtain, clean the tile
around the tub (grout if necessary), make sure there are no odors.
Keep clean towels hanging.
Should you remodel? For the most part, major remodeling will not
be cost effective. In other words, you will probably not make back
all of the money you put into it. The exception may be kitchen
remodeling (in the $3,000 to $8,000 range). Here you may actually,
see a 'profit' for your efforts.
The next closest would be a bath addition ($10,000 to $12,000) and
major kitchen remodeling ($15,000 to $20,000). Studies have shown
that these two may not have a pay back of 100%, but they could be
close. Of course, the more you spend, the least likely you'll be
to make it up in price. This is especially true if these
additional costs put your house way above the average price in
your area. However, if selling your house fast is very important,
any remodeling will help. Home buyers would rather see the home
improvements than be told how much potential the home has.
Other remodeling efforts that will probably not bring you a return
on your investment: bath remodeling, family room addition, master
bedroom suite, attic bedroom, a new deck, replacing your windows,
replacing your siding, and adding a sun room. If you want to do
these things, make sure you're going to be in your home long
enough to enjoy them. Otherwise, leave them for the next owner.
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