A fine Art

Preparing Your Home for Sale In Santa Barbara

by KalIa J. rorK

They spent nearly $23,000 in repairs and upgrades and the whole process took about a month. They sold that condo the first weekend it was listed for $75,000 higher than another nearby condo – with more upgrades and the exact same floor plan—sold for just a couple months before. I use a condo sale as an example here because of the ability to compare exact floor plans, but these same principles apply to houses and estates, too.

The first step, before you lift a paintbrush or even a cleaning rag, is to invite your real estate agent to the property. Not only will an experienced Realtor tell you which repairs and upgrades will bring you the most bang for your buck in your neighborhood and price range, she will likely have a list of reputable vendors that can do the job well and timely.

Repairs and upgrades first

Whether you’re painting the whole house or just the trim, patching plaster where it’s cracked at the corners of your windows, or replacing outdated fixtures, do these first. Workers create dust and dirt, and there is no point in cleaning before they’re done. When buyers see one thing that needs to be repaired (a toilet that runs, for example, or a missing wand on a shutter), they subconsciously think that the owner didn’t maintain the home, and they wonder what else might be broken.

Decluttering

While the workers are busy repairing and upgrading, start decluttering, inside and out. You’re