Sellers should understand that when you list a home at a price based on comps that weren’t sold “as is,” or “fixer-uppers,” buyers expect the condition of the property to be pretty close to perfect. The home’s curb appeal should be maximized. Its interior should be clean, uncluttered, and as spacious looking as possible. Things that “aren’t quite right” need to be fixed. Plus, there are upgrades that buyers especially value today, which sellers may find worth investing in, to up the price and speed the sale. Here are some worthwhile ways to spend pre-listing dollars.
Spruce up the exterior. It’s always worth the investment to ramp up a home’s curb appeal. Sellers should freshen up the yard—rake leaves, mow grass, trim shrubs—and clear gutters, touch up peeling paint, clean and, if necessary, paint fences. It’s worth it to put money into a new mailbox, new house numbers, and fixing cracks in paths and driveways. With shorter days, sellers should make sure outside lights work, changing all bulbs in the entryway, walkway, landscape, and other decorative lights. Paint doors, polish or replace locks and doorknobs. Power wash the siding and wash windows for a striking first impression. Finally, repair broken roof shingles, gutters, and downspouts.
Rent a storage space. Decluttering a home often means removing items and furniture sellers want to keep, to make the home feel more spacious. The easiest way to deal with this is to rent a storage unit to keep these things until movers take them to the sellers’ new home. When done decluttering, have sellers clean and disinfect all rooms.
Make everything function as new. All appliances, door hinges, doorknobs, windows, and light fixtures should work without a hitch. If not, the seller should repair them.
Paint rooms that need it. Even better, paint the whole house in the same light neutral color or slight variations of it. This gives the home a feeling of continuity, removes visual choppiness from one room to the next, and improves the sense of a cohesive design.
Improve floors. Refinishing hardwood floors or even replacing wall-to-wall carpet with new flooring can be wise improvements that make an enormous impact.
Add today’s most wanted upgrades. With people spending more time working, schooling, and just living at home, buyers key in on five big upgrades: real home office space for one or two adults; classroom space; a good internet connection; a functional kitchen as the center of home activity; and inviting outdoor spaces, such as a deck, patio, or screened porch.
Pay for a pre-listing inspection. Having sellers pay for a quality inspection up front has always been a good idea to avoid an incompetent inspection that could sabotage a sale. Today, a pre-listing inspection makes even more sense, as it lets sellers control who comes into the home and assures buyers of a home’s condition without having to set foot in it.
