According to a recent article in the International Business Times, value is the key driver for today’s home buyers. While there are investors and flippers who are laser-focused on getting a house at the lowest possible price, most buyers are willing to pay more for one that's move-in ready.
Here are six factors that let buyers know your home is a great value:
Cleanliness: It looks like the maid just left. This goes for the exterior too; the outside looks just as good as the inside. The listing photographs look fabulous, and during showings, the home is similarly free of clutter, stains, scuffs, smudges, dust, dirt, fingerprints, and odors.
Maintenance: Everything is in good repair and good working order. This means no squeaks, leaks, sticky doors or locks, duct tape, missing pieces, dings, cracks, holes, or scratches, indoors or out.
Updated Style: Furnishings, fixtures, finishes, flooring, and colors are current. Very little, if anything, can be clearly associated with a specific decade (e.g., dark wood paneling, shag carpet, shiny brass fixtures, heavy window treatments, etc.).
Spaciousness: The furnishings are proportional in size and number, and look appropriate in each room. Each room has a sense of balance, and there is plenty of room for one’s eyes to rest (i.e., there isn’t something occupying every surface). People can move through the rooms with ease, architectural features are unobstructed, and doors and windows can be opened and closed freely.
Neutral Decor: The colors and styles throughout are flexible enough to accommodate a variety of decorating styles and tastes. There are no clues to the owners’ personal interests or preferences, making it easy for buyers to imagine themselves living in the house.
List Price: It’s in the middle to lower range compared to other homes for sale on the street and in the neighborhood.
So if your home is on the market or soon will be, aim to make it the best value on the block. That's what buyers want!
Happily Better After works with homeowners and realtors selling properties valued between $150K and $750K who struggle with attracting offers after 30 days or more on the market (mainly due to the home’s appearance), and are anxious to get their homes sold. We offer a variety of effective staging options that most homeowners can easily afford. By working with us, sellers are quickly freed from the financial burden of sustaining their current property so they can move on to their next home.
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