When the time has arrived that you have made your decision to sell your home then you will want to begin to physically prepare your home for sale. As you tour your home from the exterior to interior and visit each room you will have to think about what needs to be done to it before you put it on the market. Every home is going to have some items to do like repairing anything that impairs the operation of the home such as a leaky faucet, loose door knob or the like. However, in some cases just focusing on its cleanliness and staging can be better than making any significant costly improvements. Here are some top things to factor in when you prepare to sell your home.
Return on Investment (ROI)
This is a simple cost/benefit question to establish if it makes sense to even put that much money into the home or not. For example if you put a lot of money into the kitchen remodel would you necessarily realize it in the sale price? Or can you do a few more cost effective items like making sure all of the paint and tile is in perfect condition while you consider updating all of the hardware for newer modern pieces.
Living Through a Renovation
Continuing on the ROI test is whether or not you have the actual time, patience or ability to live through a renovation. Key rooms of the home that generally call for significant updates would be your bathrooms and kitchen. You will have to evaluate if you are willing to or even have the ability to live through the disruption of your home that a remodel will impose for you and your family. These types of projects can sometimes mean you will have to live elsewhere during the construction process.
Design
Even going with neutral choices you may not pick the design, materials or even the function that your buyer may want to have. You might be better off with focusing on cleanliness, staging or more cost effective updates like fresh paint of a neutral palette.
Curb Appeal
All of the energy that you put into the inside of your home is going to be fruitless if the outside is overlooked. The front of your home is the first and last thing all buyers who come to tour it will see. Your landscaping and the home’s condition need to be in tip top shape. If you decide to make more enhancements then consider purchasing some patio furniture as staging that you can take with you to your new property.
Timing
If you are questioning if you should take on a small renovation project the factor of timing comes into play. If you are doing it on your own or if you are on a contractor’s schedule then you will need to add in the time it will take to see if that works with your moving plans. If you have already found a new home to purchase then you may be on a tighter schedule.
In the end there are many things to think about for your specific home and personal situation. However, never underestimate the power of having your home in excellent, clean condition combined with the right amount of staging for a successful sale.
