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Thinking About Doing A Little Fixing-Up Before Listing Your Home?

By Don Rogers

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield

April 25, 2009 03:23 PM

Just about all sellers before listing their O Fallon MO home think about doing some fixing up. They think Front Door about doing everything from doing some painting to finishing the lower level to installing vinyl siding. But is it always necessary to do a lot of fixin' up before listing your home for sale? So whether you are a For Sale By Owner or you are listing your home with REALTOR® here are some simple guidelines to follow if you are thinking about doing some home improvements:

Cost doesn't equal value. If you finished off your basement six months ago for twelve thousand dollars, said improvement doesn't necessarily add twelve thousand dollars of value in the eyes of the buyer.
Put your money where buyers will see it. Examples of good returns might be a fresh coat of paint, sprucing up your front door and entry way. Or, you may want to do repairs in the kitchen and master bedroom. Don't expect to get as good of a return on insulation or new wiring.
Don't over improve! The addition of a fifth bedroom to a house in a subdivision of 3 - 4 bedroom homes may not give you the return you would like. Use typical improvements for your area as a guiding light.
Most quality home improvements cause a property to sell quicker but not necessarily for more money. A timely sale will lessen the carrying costs and stress. Don't underestimate the overall value of "smart" improvements.

Flower Pots in the Window If you are thinking about placing your home on the market soon then now would be the time to contact a REALTOR® that know the local market. They will be able to give insight into what your home may need done to give you a good return on your investment.

Remember if you are looking for an agent in O'Fallon Missouri or anywhere in the St Charles County Missouri area to list and sell your home give Don Rogers a call at 314-954-6775 or send me an email at Don@DRogersHomes.com and we can begin the home selling process. There are a lot of real estate agents the St Charles County area but none better to give you the proper information and help to get your home SOLD.

Search for homes on the market in our area by visiting my new website! Click the link below and register to get full access to unlimited listings!

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Ryan Shaughnessy

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com - Saint Louis, MO

Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Don - Good evening sir... Very good advise - It is the "shiny penny" that sells in this market and it starts with great curb appeal.

Apr 25, 2009 03:27 PM

Debe Maxwell, CRS

Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC

The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Hi Don! You are dong a fabulous job of getting the lists out there for your consumer! I love this list and I do think that it could be so much longer but, you've done a great job of giving your sellers a clear, concise list to get the job DONE!

Apr 25, 2009 06:20 PM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Good morning Ryan,

The seller does not always need to spend a ton of money when getting their home ready to list but, they do need to have it "READY" when it is placed on the market.

Apr 26, 2009 12:13 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Good morning Ms. Debe,

You are so right, the list could be much longer or maybe even in 2 or 3 parts to cover all the areas. I am trying to keep it as simple as possible and maybe they will call me for some advice.

Thank you ma'am for the kind words.

Apr 26, 2009 12:16 AM

Terry & Bonnie Westbrook

Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI

Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

Explaing this to sellers is sometime hard for them to accept that the improvements they paid for are not going to increase the sales price.

Apr 26, 2009 12:35 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

So Very true Terry,

I find at times they think that for every dollar that they put into a home it will return them two or three.

Apr 26, 2009 01:09 AM

Dan and Amy Schuman

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services - Solon, OH

Luxury Home Specialists

Don, you have provided some great information. Since a buyer forms a first impression when walking up to the home, sprucing up the front door area is critical and I'm glad you bought it up because it is often overlooked by sellers.

Apr 26, 2009 04:24 AM

Toula Rosebrock

Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ

Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

ToulaRosebrock,com

Hi Don:

Great tips!

I'm always asked that question, what should I do before we list...

Make smart improvements, you are absolutely right!

Apr 26, 2009 05:45 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Good afternoon Dan & Amy,

Thank you for stopping in and commenting. It is important for the seller to be ready when the sign goes into the yard or they could have a long climb to having it sold.

Apr 26, 2009 08:31 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Toula,

I think this is one of the leading questions that sellers are asking, even more so in today's market.

Apr 26, 2009 08:32 AM

Gail MacMillan

Titusville, FL

Hi Don...another good lesson in your series, especially getting the consumer to understand they won't necessarily get back the money they spend getting the house ready. The reward is getting the house sold quickly so they can move on.......

Apr 26, 2009 09:34 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Gail,

You make a very good point. The whole purpose of listing the home is to get it sold as quickly as possible so all parties, buyer & seller, can get on with their lives in their new home.

Apr 27, 2009 12:32 AM

Ann Allen Hoover

RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL

CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

A couple of friends of mine bought a gorgeous home and made it even more so by adding about $100,000 in improvements. They are now trying to sell by owner, and have added that to the price of the house. They are beginning to see that nobody is willing to pay that much. I don't know what they will do.....but they are getting to that frustrated stage and can't understand.

Apr 27, 2009 06:46 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Ann,

Unfortunately the sellers may either have to live in the home for longer than they would like or come to the closing table withmoney in hand.

I have been told by some sellers that they were doing it for themselves then a year later they have to sell because of a job transfer and they can't get half of what they put into the home back.

Apr 27, 2009 07:24 AM

Patricia Kennedy

RLAH@properties - Washington, DC

Home in the Capital

Don, I think it's really important for people to get some professional advice before doing pre-sale improvements!

Apr 27, 2009 08:36 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Absolutely Pat,

They have a tendency to go way overboard in an effort to get more for the home and will end up losing more in the end.

Apr 27, 2009 09:36 AM

Jim Frimmer

HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA

Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

I tell my Clients who are buying new appliances that they don't have to buy the best. After all, every new refrigerator regardless of brand or cost has the same one-year warranty. Same with ranges, hoods, microwaves, etc.

Apr 28, 2009 01:37 PM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Jim,

That is an interesting way to look at it. Sellers do have to look at where they will get the biggest return tho and it is not always in the finished lower level or the in-ground pool.

Apr 28, 2009 01:49 PM

SHARON CHARBONEAU

UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES - Sechelt, BC

Great list Don and you have created good dialogue. I agree with Patricia who recommends sellers getting professional advice before doing any pre-sale home improvements.

Personally, one valuable source we used was our realtor, who sold us our home originally and knew the area well. After we completed some renovations, he confirmed for us that we had done enough and anymore could not be reflected in the selling price. We accepted his advice. We actually did this the next time we sold as well.

When we put our homes up for sale, we staged them beautifully - clean, no clutter, no drips or breaks or chips, fresh smelling and welcoming - and ensured the photos used on their websites and the MLS reflected the best points of our charming homes. In both cases, contrary to what their fellow realtors thought, our homes sold quickly and for top $$.

Home stagers can offer services to the homeowners that both the realtor and the homeowner will benefit from in time on market and selling price.

Check out www.realestatestagingassociation.com for a valuable study on staged vs unstaged homes.

Here's to home sellers realizing a return on their investment with the professional assistance of realtors and home stagers.

Apr 29, 2009 09:21 AM

Don Rogers

Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield - O'Fallon, MO

Realtor, Broker, CDPE, GRI, OnullFallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Pat,

Thank you ma'am for stopping in. It is very important for home sellers to get the advice of those that are familiar with the local market before listing their home and a home stager is another important part of the puzzle.

Apr 29, 2009 10:14 AM

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