PRIME SEASON
Top 7 tips
for selling your house this fall So, you thought about selling your home this summer, but with the pandemic, the heat and humidity, and “new normal” life stuff like washing your Deborah face mask by hand every day and searching the A llard Dion stores for paper towels, it just didn’t happen. Did I mention the pandemic? So now it’s cooler, and you’re still living between those same four walls. Maybe you’ve thought about downsizing to a condo or a smaller house now that those lovely grown children you love so much are the heck out of your house. Maybe you want a bigger house – with a swimming pool to float in while you watch the neighborhood fireworks next summer. Maybe you’ve decided that you’ve painted your deck and put on a new roof one too many times and you’re going to find yourself an apartment that’s someone else’s worry. Either way, if you’re selling this fall, you’ve got to get things ship-shape, and that goes beyond a few well-placed pumpkins on the front stoop. But that does look nice, so definitely do that.
1
Where to begin?
Take a good look around the house, a really good look, and see what needs fixing, cleaning-out and sprucing up. If something is messy, soiled, or looks worn, it can be seen as a red flag that the house hasn’t been kept up. You don’t want that when trying to get the best price for your house.
8
S ou th C oast P r ime T imes
We all get used to our own clutter like that pile of mail and magazines in the pretty basket that was supposed to be for fresh fruit. Clean it out. And that messy closet... guess what? Buyers will see it as smaller than it actually is. Don’t forget the kitchen counter. Stash away the crumb-filled toaster, dusty coffee mug tree, cracked sugar bowl, and folded bags of cookies and crackers.
2
Find a Ms. or Mr. Fix-It
Homeowners get used to the things that should have been fixed, but weren’t, and now are just part of the scenery. You may have stopped noticing the dent in the baseboard, the scuff marks on the linoleum, and that bit of peeling wallpaper in the dining room, but buyers will see them right away. Also, check for missing hardware on cabinets, faucets that are ancient or lost their hot water knob years ago, things like loose doorknobs, and pretty much anything being held together with duct tape. Repair and replace the items before that loose knob comes off in a potential buyers’ hand.
S ep tember /O c tober 2020
For buyers visiting your abode, those are flaws that stick out like a pimple on a fresh face. Add them all up, and you’ve got a breakout. Buyers will wonder what lurks beneath the surface that they cannot see. Sort out those minor repairs that show pride of ownership and help buyers see the beauty, not the blemishes, in your house.
3
Sort out big ticket surprises Hire a home inspector yourself. It’ll give you peace of mind to know if there are any major issues before it gets sprung on you by the buyers’ inspector and squashes or holds up your sale. If there is something big, you can either fix it or list the house accordingly and let the new owners know about the issues and handle the repairs. That said, talk to your Realtor or contractor and weigh the costs and scope of work before considering aesthetic renovations like knocking down walls to create an open design that may or may not pay you back in the end.
4
Cleanliness is next to gainfulness Clean, clean, clean. Buyers are attracted to clean homes, now more than ever. Give it a deep cleaning or pay someone to come in and do it for you
