Media is full of news ....whether you are in great Northern Virginia Real Estate market where we have seen a positive growth or other part of the country where you are seeing negative growth of housing market. However from a Realtor® view there are things that you can control and be the home that get's a SOLD.
1. Simple home maintenance: Just like oil change in your home, if you don't change filters, fix that rotten exterior trim or avoid the leak you had for years it will reduce the value on your home. Walk room by room and make a to do list to take of the items that are long over looked.
2. Update your home: Do you still wear your 80s clothes? Then why have that 80s carpet/appliances in your home. Budget and plan to update in your home. I tell my clients ..update while you can enjoy rather than update for someone else.
3. Odor: Have pet or cooking odor...moment buyer walks in the home it reacts to the smell and creates a negative attitude about the home and its condition. But please don't over do with fragrances!
4. Overly personalized home: Take down artifacts or your family pictures depersonalize your home. Keep you home simple and clean where buyers can imagine themselves in the home. Please after your take down the art or pictures please fix nail holes.
5. Curb Appeal: Pick up kids bike, balls form the yard....add some punch of color with flowers and please start working on your grass to keep it green. Lack of curb appeals will devalue before even the buyers walk inside your home.
This is a great list! I showed a home yesterday in which they had not done some of those nice finishing touches. For example the white paint was dinged and peeling off in a few places on their cabinets. We then began to look for flaws such as this after we saw those. The biggest one was in the upstairs laundry room, there had clearly been a leak in the washer. No tray underneath and no flooring, just a damaged kind of moldy sub floor showing. I was very surprised a seller and/or seller's agent would overlook these details. The buyer liked the house but the lack of upkeep gave her pause.
Carol, I agree with market being so volatile that simple things get separate one seller home to another.
Ritu, you have created a GREAT list, and so true! Had to laugh at #2, I had a listing appointment a few months ago at a condo that had orange shag carpet --- SO 80's!
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