Preparing Your Home For Sale
The smart plan when preparing your home for sale is to service, repair, or replace items which have questionable service life. When a home is under contract a buyer will hire a home inspector to determine the condition of a home. Especially the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. These need to be in proper working order as they are bank required repairs and will need to be in proper working order before a loan is approved for the purchase of a home. Addressing these repairs and/or replacements gives listings great selling points.
Many buyers will walk away from buying homes which appear to need heavy maintenance or have aging systems. The expenses which occur when buying a home causes many potential home buyers to become low on funds. The worry of replacing big ticket items like a roof, water heater, windows, air conditioning and heating systems, etc. can cause homes to be passed over until the price is lowered to attract both investors and home buyers who have a cash reserve available to make necessary repairs or renovations. These buyers will always offer significantly less than your home is worth. These offers will be insulting. If you find this hard to believe, call the numbers affiliated with investment companies which advertise “We buy your home for cash.”
If you’re selling a home the smart move when preparing your home for sale is to update all systems which will stop a loan from being funded. Upgrade or replace these bank required repairs as a selling feature to attract more buyers. If you’re required to do it during the contract process, spending your money to help make your home attractive to a wider range of buyers will always help boost your bottom line while successfully selling your home. The Washington, D. C. Metropolitan Region does not afford new home owners the necessary time to take on home improvement projects. Our clients almost always want a home ready for occupancy without time consuming home projects. If your home offers few worries for the next owner, it will sell before other homes in the same price range.
It goes without saying, carpet and paint go a long way when it comes to getting the most return for preparing to sell your home. Buyers are instantly turned off by dirty and worn out walls and carpet. Theses simple upgrades set the stage for great pictures and video tours. If your home was built 15-20 years ago, it’s probably in need of modern electrical and plumbing fixtures in order to compete with other homes for sale in your neighborhood. The preparation doesn’t stop yet to get top dollar for your home. Pressure washing exterior walls (especially vinyl siding) and decking sounds like a small detail you can overlook. But the exterior of your home will spring to life when its properly cleaned with freshly painted door and window trim, and stained decking with a new layer of weather proofing.
If your home was built 25-30 years ago we have some bad news when it comes to getting the most money on the sale of your home. It’s time for kitchen and bathroom remodeling. Cheap builders grade cabinets and counters shouldn’t be part of these renovation projects. The expectation of today’s buyers is to find a home with sturdy level 2/3 cabinets and countertops made from quartz, polished granite, marble, travertine, and concrete. Close inspections of the condition, design, and quality of cabinets and countertops are always part of the inspection process of every home our clients may potentially purchase, regardless of the price range during searches.
Pictures tell the story of your home. After spending money to attract buyers to your home and away from your competition, it would be a waste of time not to take advantage of our listing services. We hire professional photographers using fusion photography for the highest quality photographs and videos to showcase your home. This is the only way to highlight your home above many available homes for sale in the same price range. Residential real estate listings are distributed through hundreds of internet outlets used by potential home buyers trying to narrow down homes to visit and consider purchasing. The pictures we use do a great job helping us to get the most money for your home. If you don’t use us to sell your home, your real estate agent of choice should be using professionals to market your home.
Feel free to contact us without obligation when preparing your home for sale. We will conduct a walk-through inspection and give you our thoughts of necessary improvements to sell your home for the most money while competing with other nearby homes for sale.
