Sprucing up house before sale

**creditcardfree** · 10-24-2016, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by moneybags View Post

We are probably putting our house up for sale. We had a realtor come through and we got a bunch of suggestions on things to touch up - painting, new light fixtures, etc. Since I am a frugal person, I haven't really invested in things like new light fixtures for the house. Anyone have any experience with this? I'm torn between sell as is or invest in a few improvements, but I only want to spend money if it will make a difference.

It will sell faster if it is more updated. Yes, change at least some of the main fixtures. I've installed them myself. (Turn off the power at the electrical box if you do it yourself). I've sold and bought three homes...fixtures and paint are good and inexpensive upgrades. Flooring is much more expensive. And remember everything is negotiable!

**kork13** · 10-24-2016, 07:10 PM

Agreed.

- Biggest tip: CLEAN & DE-CLUTTER!!
- De-personalize. Remove family photos & personal touches. You want buyers to imagine themselves in your home... not your
- Paint is a great inexpensive improvement, especially if you do the work yourselves. Same with repainting kitchen/bathroom cabinets. Fresh, clean colors make a great impression.
- Replacing lighting fixtures, doorknobs, and cabinet hardware can be good as well, if what you have is old/worn.
- In a darker hallway or smaller room, hang a large mirror -- it makes the space seem brighter & more open.
- Rearrange (or remove, or even sell) furniture to make the rooms seem more open.

On the exterior:
- A couple flats of flowers and fresh mulch will do wonders for the appearance.
- Trim any trees/bushes and ensure the lawn stays well-mowed.
- Power wash the driveway, sidewalks, patio, and any other concrete areas.
- Painting the exterior can radically change/update a home's appearance, though it tends to be more expensive.

Overall, you want to present the image of your home having plenty of space in a well cared for and nicely updated home.

This site has alot of other very good tips.

**bjl584** · 10-25-2016, 03:35 AM

Clean up any junk and clutter.

Focus on the outside. Curb appeal goes a long way. Trimmed trees and shrubs, some nice landscape beds, no junk in the yard.

Inside, maybe a few quick easy fixes. Make sure no lights are burned out. Fix anything broke, like a leaking faucet. A quick coat of paint works wonders.

**97guns** · 10-25-2016, 06:29 AM

New carpeting makes a good impression even if it's the cheapest stuff you can get, when I turn a new tenant over I usually put in carpet and paint the inside

**disneysteve** · 10-25-2016, 06:42 AM

Originally posted by 97guns View Post

New carpeting makes a good impression even if it's the cheapest stuff you can get, when I turn a new tenant over I usually put in carpet and paint the inside

I think this is reasonable but I struggle with a lot of the other suggestions. Why should I go do a bunch of things that I haven't done for the 20+ years we've lived in the house. Powerwash the sidewalks? Replace the light fixtures? If the new owner wants that stuff done, let him do it. I'd rather sell the house pretty much as is even if I get a little less for it as a result.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-25-2016, 06:49 AM

Carpeting is one of those improvements that is a matter of taste. If you are going to add it, you need to make sure it is neutral. Also, if you have hardwood underneath, the buyers might just plan to rip up the carpeting and refinish the wood.

If the carpeting is not in bad shape, I would put the money elsewhere.

If it is in bad shape, an alternative to you replacing it is adding a carpet/flooring allowance to your real estate listing. Having that in there can also become a bargaining chip for you when an offer is received below asking.

You can respond to their offer saying you accept their offer but without the allowance.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-25-2016, 06:57 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I think this is reasonable but I struggle with a lot of the other suggestions. Why should I go do a bunch of things that I haven't done for the 20+ years we've lived in the house. Powerwash the sidewalks? Replace the light fixtures? If the new owner wants that stuff done, let him do it. I'd rather sell the house pretty much as is even if I get a little less for it as a result.

For the most part I agree with this, and when I sold my first house that is pretty much the approach my realtor recommended.

If it is broken and inexpensive, fix it.

**disneysteve** · 10-25-2016, 07:05 AM

Originally posted by DaveInPgh View Post

Carpeting is one of those improvements that is a matter of taste.

If it is broken and inexpensive, fix it.

Exactly. If something is broken, repair it, or let potential buyers know about it.

As for carpet, paint, and other decorative things, I think that's where people get into trouble, especially when they go all neutral. If I looked at a house and it was all white walls and beige carpets, I wouldn't be attracted to that at all because I'd know the first thing we'd want to do is rip out the carpets (even if they were brand new) and paint the walls (even if they were freshly painted) so that we could put in things we actually liked.

When we bought our house, it had old carpets and we knew we needed to replace them. We were fine with that. The seller didn't waste money and the price accounted for it.

**bigdaddybus** · 10-25-2016, 07:23 AM

For a quick sale at a fair price I suggest:
Make sure the house is clean (who wants to by a house from a slob, what else didn't the seller do?)
everything works (Geez, the seller is to lazy to fix a leaky basement, broken light/garage door, what else didn't the seller do to upkeep the house?)
Clutter free (hard for a buyer to imagine living in a home if they can stop staring at all the sellers stuff, use storage unit if needed)
no trace of pets (If someone walks in the house and can tell you have a dog/cat the price goes down)
no holes/patchwork. (makes buyer think your lazy if you don't patch and paint holes, what else didn't you do?)

If you aren't willing to prep and stage your home, you are likely not going to get as much money for the home.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-25-2016, 07:42 AM

Originally posted by bigdaddybus View Post

no trace of pets (If someone walks in the house and can tell you have a dog/cat the price goes down)

This is a tough one for some because they don't even know their house has pet odors. Just like my mother doesn't realize her house smells like an ashtray.

In these cases, you need a realtor that isn't worried about hurting the sellers' feelings. And lighting a few scented candles isn't going to do the trick. Walking into a house with candles lit always made me more alert wondering what they were trying to hide/mask.

**disneysteve** · 10-25-2016, 08:00 AM

Originally posted by DaveInPgh View Post

This is a tough one for some because they don't even know their house has pet odors. Just like my mother doesn't realize her house smells like an ashtray.

In these cases, you need a realtor that isn't worried about hurting the sellers' feelings. And lighting a few scented candles isn't going to do the trick. Walking into a house with candles lit always made me more alert wondering what they were trying to hide/mask.

I agree 100%. You can not remove evidence of pets. You can not remove evidence of a smoker. You just can't.

**DaveInPgh** · 10-25-2016, 08:34 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I agree 100%. You can not remove evidence of pets. You can not remove evidence of a smoker. You just can't.

Steve, if there is a will there is a way

But seriously, severe pet or cigarette odor definitely requires promotional remediation. They would be able to determine what can be repaired vs replaced.

I also think the frequency of smoking and types of pets/breeds are a factor.

**tripods68** · 10-25-2016, 08:41 AM

Originally posted by moneybags View Post

We are probably putting our house up for sale. We had a realtor come through and we got a bunch of suggestions on things to touch up - painting, new light fixtures, etc. Since I am a frugal person, I haven't really invested in things like new light fixtures for the house. Anyone have any experience with this? I'm torn between sell as is or invest in a few improvements, but I only want to spend money if it will make a difference.

We just went through this process ourselves. As JLUKE already mentioned, beside the home improvement that we did, we knew in advance how much we can sell our in house without doing the improvement VERSUS with home improvement. Our goal was to be on top of the market. We are in the hot market therefore, to add more money to our pocket, we needed a major upgrade in our kitchen and flooring. That's what we did. Of course one size don't fits all.
Be aware, not all home improvements pun out the way most people plan. You also need to determine if you are willing to spend more money knowing you can recoup most if not all of it, in the back end--meaning can I sell at highest market if I spend this much $$. A lot of that is a crap shoot. But that's the risk in real estate. There is no guarantee you can recoup your investment. One thing we knew we had from the beginning, we had a plan, budget, and target date to finish it all. The biggest consideration, you must have the cash already. Meaning you don't borrow, or use any credit card major for any home improvements.

Set a budget (Stick to it).
Repainted inside, fixed and repaired damaged wall.
Replaced our flooring (brand new laminate) and new 6 inch base board throughout the house.
New kitchen (granite countertops, faucets, and backsplash kitchen)
New dishwasher

In all, if you spent cheap--it wont sell at the price you are asking for, but if you are looking to get top $$ at the higher market value, you'll have to spend little bit more.

Again, I'm in Northern California. So location, locations is a major factor in doing any kind of home improvement.

**FLA** · 10-25-2016, 10:25 AM

I sold my townhouse and wasn't getting any good offers. I had every room painted in what I thought were pretty neutral colors. The realtor said to leave two rooms alone, they were fine, but to repaint the entire house white. I thought it looked horrible but it sold to the next person who came through. Paint's cheap.

then ruthlessly de-clutter and take out any furniture that looks crowded in the room. I was also told to take down my art, I have pretty eclectic taste

Sprucing up house before sale