What a difference a good coat of paint along with a thorough cleaning makes. A few weeks ago on the day before my vacation, a prospective seller called to list their home. Now my suitcases were not packed and it was getting late in the day. I mentioned to the sellers that I was leaving for vacation; they needed me to come as soon as possible for they were moving out of town in a few days. I did a detailed market analysis and prepared a marketing plan that I burned to a CD for easy computer viewing. I rushed from my open house to meet with these sellers; they liked my presentation and signed on the dotted line.
Before the house was ready for market a substantial amount of prep work needed to be completed. I was not sure what the carpets looked like because there were boxes from the floor to ceiling with only a small walking path thru each room. What I could see of the walls they needed to be painted. The seller did not have time to clean, their new jobs started midweek. The sellers asked me to contact a service to clean the carpets and thoroughly clean the home. The exterior trim needed to be painted along with most of the interior walls. Before I left for vacation I was lucky to touch base with a cleaning service, painters and landscapers to cut the grass and trim the bushes. The agent that was covering for me while I was on vacation let the carpet cleaners into the home; she sent me an e-mail of concern the carpets were quite dirty and the walls needed to be painted.
Now this home has great amenities, cathedral ceilings, solid panel doors, a den and a loft, a nice floor plan. The lot is huge with an in-ground pool and play area. A very nice home which truly needed cosmetic work; if this prep work was not completed before the home was listed on the market the seller may never get their home sold in our current market. If they were lucky enough to receive an offer it would be drastically under market value for buyers always think that painting and cleaning costs 2 times more than it actually does. If the home is not in top condition today's buyers will not be impressed. It took a few weeks to get the home ready for the market. The carpet cleaned up beautifully. Oh what a difference a fresh coat of paint made. The exterior and interior front door was painted which makes a great first impression. The whole house now just sparkles along with a fresh clean smell. Many of the neighbors have commented how the curb appeal has improved. The bushes were trimmed; fall mums were planted and the flower beds were re-mulched.
The sellers have now turned their home into a very inviting listing at a small investment that most likely will produce a more profitable sale.There are buyers in the Central Ohio market but they are very choosey; they are looking for a home in great condition that is priced right. If a home is going to sell quickly in our current market the house must be in the best possible condition priced at what a buyer is willing to pay. Buyers are always looking for the newest and best listings to purchase. If the home does not sell within the first 30 days the home could be on the market for well over 180 days. The seller's minimal monetary investment increases the value of their home plus it made it more saleable. All the prep work can be done by the seller if professional services are not within the seller's budget. As the old saying goes no pain no gain; in today's market elbow grease could produce an offer with better terms than a home that has sat on the market for a long period of time.
I invited the agent that let the cleaning service into the house while I was on vacation to see the improvements that have been made. I wanted to take a photo of her facial expression; she made the comment that the house looks wonderful and was ready for today's real estate market.
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