Happy New year to all!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are now gearing up for the new work year!  I am slowly getting back into the work mode as folks begin to look at property again and sellers are getting their homes ready to go on the market.

As a realtor I have to walk a fine line of telling clients that their purple walls need to go and at the same time not insult them!    I think most folks who have watched HGTV understand that neutralizing a home’s paint/decor is important.  We tell clients we want people to see your house not your stuff!    Getting rid of a lot of personal pictures – not all – most buyers understand people live in homes; but de-cluttering and getting rid of some personal items helps open a space up and won’t distract buyers as they come through.

HOWEVER, the biggest thing you can do when you own a home is to take care of it over time!   A home that needs updating can still be a seller if it is clean and well maintained.    If buyers see a clean and well maintained home, it gives them a sense that the home has been cared for.   This gives buyers peace of mind that they will not have a need for major repairs and they can move in and renovate.   A home that is in poor condition and especially dirty will turn buyers off and send them to other listings.   So lesson one is KEEP IT CLEAN and REPAIRED!

If you can keep a home updated decor wise you will generally sell fast and for a higher price!   Some of the biggest updates that sell homes are in the kitchen and bathrooms.   Stone counters vs. laminate – whether it be granite or quartz or marble give a kitchen a huge facelift.   Stainless appliances or even newer black or white appliances add value as well.  Make sure the appliances all match.   If cabinets are worn, new stain or paint is a relatively inexpensive fix that refreshes and gives a whole new look to a kitchen.   The same holds true in bathrooms.   Cleanliness is most important here.   Mold and mildew in showers or in grout are a HUGE turn off but updating is even more helpful.   Keeping a newer adult height vanity with stone counters and neutral tiles in a shower/tub surround will appeal to most buyers and they will know that they don’t have a ton of work to do in a new home purchase.

If you want to sell your home and it does need some TLC, spending anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars can translate into a higher sale price.   It is the difference between selling at the low end of the price range or the higher end.   Most sellers are interested in paying off a mortgage and perhaps having a little bit of money left over for a down payment on another home.  So getting the best price is important.   When dealing with a paid off house or the estate of a parent,  often older folks or heirs are involved.   In these cases some minor repairs or neutralization is enough if the sale price can be lower  and not so much an issue.   But either way if a home is dirty or in poor repair, it will sit on the market and get even less than is possible if some maintenance is done.

One of the biggest issues we see as agents is PET ODORS.   If you have animals, DO NOT let them urinate on carpets or floors.   The odors are often impossible to remove and it will require ripping out flooring and sub flooring to eliminate.    Animals often destroy baseboards or walls too.   We love our animals and consider them family members but if you consider them a family member they need to be held to the same standard as their human counterparts.   Poor behavior in both animals and children is not cool.   Nothing is as big a turn off than the odor of ammonia from cat/dog urine.

At this point I have to say thank you to my dream clients who come to me to sell their homes that are fully updated and pristine!   It makes my job easy to show their beautiful homes and generally they sell quickly and with multiple offers.   But more often than not, a home comes to me with some rough spots that need to be polished but if sellers are realistic and willing,  we can smooth out those issues and turn the problem into a selling point!   And a $10,000 investment in fixes can translate into 25,000+ in sale price.   Truly!

So if you are interested in selling your home, talk to an agent (preferably me!) and let me guide you on what you need to do to get market ready!   Keep your house CLEAN and MAINTAINED.  Neutralize decor and de-clutter when getting ready to sell.   And most importantly  KEEP PET ODORS AT BAY.