What To Do, Or Not Do,
That Is The Question…
One of the most frustrating aspects of a home sale is deciding what to do (if anything) to prepare.
If there is one thing I specialize in, one thing that separates me from all the other agents, and one thing that gets my clients the most money, it’s this process…
What Are The Best Upgrades When Fixing Up Your House For Sale?
This will be a long email but if you ever wanted to know if there is a secret sauce that gets some home sellers loads of cash and others wishing they had some, there is and it has to do with how you make people feel.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou
This quote is about how you treat people but it very much applies when selling your house.
Here is the thing people miss – The average American sells 2 houses in their lifetime and maybe you watched a few TV shows or watched their sister-in-law sell their house and now you feel like “Hey this is easy, I can do this! It will be fun” Not so fast…
The thing is, buyers are looking for different things in different price ranges, the buyer is likely in a different age bracket, and buyers prioritize different aspects of a house vs a homeowner and especially you as a home seller.
Sellers say things like:
#1. “People need to understand, my house has great bones!” This is someone who is often defensive about their house’s lack of upgrades.
#2. “I don’t need to sell my house!!!” Okay but you called me over here to help you sell it lol. Again this is a person who is perhaps defensive about feeling pressured to take less money or make repairs/upgrades that they don’t want to do. My process will help ease the anxiety of not knowing your cost/profit ratio and upfront equity.
#3. “I am NOT going to spend a bunch of money on cosmetic crap only to have the buyer rip it all out!” First of all that won’t happen, unless your selling +800k most buyers do not walk into a home with the intention of removing all the flooring, paint, kitchen, bathrooms etc. Buyers move in tired and broke, the last thing they want to do is fix up a house while they are living in it…
You are likely moving somewhere right? You don’t want to fix up your house to sell but do how do you feel having to fix it up your new home before you move in?
Especially if you are not from the area and don’t know anyone who can do the work. Many homebuyers in MD are out of state Govt or Military who are moving here from far away.
#4. “I fixed the roof and replaced the furnace, the buyer can do all that painting and frufru stuff to their taste.” Having a new roof/HVAC/hot water heater/insulation/windows is nice but compared to a new kitchen, paint, and all the light fixtures and faucets replaced …think about how does your house make them feel when they walkthrough!
How a buyer feels in your house will determine how much money they offer and that’s the bottom line__________ like it or not
So let’s look at a few before and after photos of our listings we have sold. As you look closely, imagine this is your new home and how you would feel if you were standing in each room during your first time seeing your new home.
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At the end of the day, this all comes down to as my previous client recently put it “the juice just has to be worth the squeeze.” I couldn’t agree more!
So without making this into a novel, let’s quickly summarize what I will do that will solve this conundrum. First, we need to have a long talk about your goals, budget, timeline, questions, and expectations.
Assuming I answered all your questions and you feel like the process I layout is the best to get your home sold for the most money, we sign an agreement that allows me to advise you on all the ways we can get you the most money.
btw you can watch a summary of our entire process here — https://youtu.be/UuwEUvE074I
Next I will send over my home staging consultant who will go through every room with you and show you how to rearrange, de-clutter, and stage your house. She will help you decide colors, what to pack, and what things you could and should do in order to get it in tip top shape for the likely home buyers in your market. Faucets, light fixtures, flooring types, landscaping ideas and whether or not the coffee table makes the room look too small.
Let’s face it I can get you 89% of the way there but I feel its better to hire a professional to tell you the 11% of stuff that I don’t know.
psst also here is a little secret – I don’t have to be the one who tells you that your curtains are ugly haha!!! Just kidding I have no idea what curtains are supposed to look like.
Next, we sit down and match up your budget and timeline with what items are going to get you the most juice for the least squeeze ; ) I have lots of contractors who will do the work at a small fraction of what most contractors charge and can get it done quickly.
After the house is ready, we give it a once over and review any last-minute items that need addressing, then …it’s SHOWTIME BABY!!!!
PS I would love the opportunity to help a friend, family or co-worker of yours. I promise to take excellent care of them! Just shoot me their number 443-624-9398 and I will reach out and make sure to let them know you send me.
PSS If you are considering a move in the next 18 months, the best time is now to get a free evaluation on what you can start working on to get your house ready. Just hit reply and I will reach out asap. I will also let you know how much money you are likely to walk away with!
