When it comes to selling a house or condo, there are many little things (that often don’t cost much money) a seller can do to add value.
Figuring out what your priorities should be is pretty easy, you just need to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Ask yourself: What would I notice if I toured this home as a buyer. What positive things would I notice? What negative things would I notice?
Most of us can quickly identify the main points if we really just think about it. The problem is that you have lived in your home so long with the running toilet, crooked cabinet door, or pet scratches on the door that they don’t even bother you anymore. Not only does it not bother you, you might not even notice those things! Of course, a buyer will. They will notice every little thing that is wrong with your property… Why?
Buyers in today’s market have LOTS of options. They will notice every little thing that your property lacks. Buyers in today’s market know that they can find a property that is move in ready (if that is what they want) where they might only have to do a little painting. Cash is also tight for a lot of buyers today. They might not want to buy a property that needs some work as they would have to use their cold hard cash to make the improvements. If they buy a property that has everything they need, they might pay more on the asking price, but they will have basically “financed in” some of those improvements. That means less cash out of pocket for them, and less time and energy to make those repairs and improvements.
So if you are a seller in today’s market, do yourself a favor: Grab a notepad and a pen and go outside. When you get outside, try and really imagine that you are a buyer coming to see your property. You are excited to see a new listing that you might want to actually make an offer on. Now go through your property and look everything with your new set of eyes. Rather than be oblivious to the crooked cabinet door, and the running toilet, make notes of these things and anything else you notice. Now make your Home Depot list. Running toilets and crooked cabinet doors can often be fixed with parts that cost less than $20 and take 30 minutes or less of your time. Not only will they improve the appearance of your home, but the will also give a buyer the impression that your home is well maintained.
For 10 do-it-yourself projects you can get to work on this weekend, check out this article from Yahoo Homes by CLICKING HERE.
For more information about Norwalk real estate, or to ask Todd any questions, check out www.NorwalkRealEstateTodd.com!
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