Some people think you don't have to do anything to sell a short sale, much less to sell a fixer upper. I believe that every home deserves a chance to shine and show off its best characteristics. It doesn't matter if it's a short sale or a regular home in which the seller has equity. Because a buyer doesn't really care. A buyer is not buying the previous mortgage. The buyer is purchasing a home. The condition of that home's existing financing is not really important.
As a Sacramento short sale agent, I try to make suggestions to my sellers of ways they can improve the way their home appears. Even fixer uppers. I have a fixer listing in a beautiful neighborhood of well manicured lawns, and it needs a lot of work. It needs work because there are no updates and the home has not been maintained. It's a grandma's house.
I'm not one of those agents who believes 100% in remodeling a home. My husband would disagree with that assessment because he knows I have a passion for home improvement projects. But not every home needs to be remodeled and, in fact, removing some of its original characteristics can permanently damage a home by altering its architectural style.
However, one thing a seller can do without much trouble is remove old carpeting, especially if the floors are hardwood underneath. People are reluctant to do it because they think the floors will need too much work. But that's not always true. On the plus side, it shows the true condition of the wood floors, so buyers are somewhat relieved. They don't have to guess.
I asked sellers to tear up carpeting from a home in Sacramento. I explained how to dispose of it, and that they should remove the tack strips along the perimeter too. But they did not need to refinish the floors.
What a difference. I just saw photos this morning, and the floors are random plank, in beautiful gleaming condition. Not to mention, grandma was a smoker, so the carpeting smelled like cigarettes, most likely. Getting rid of it should greatly improve the scent of that home.
Bad odors and old carpeting do not sell a home, and a short sale home's price could suffer because of it. That's because a BPO agent will not discount the home's price for that condition. But a buyer might not buy it at all. Don't be afraid to tear out the carpeting before selling a home.
Check out these before and after photos of the living room, by Elizabeth Weintraub:
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