Should I remodel my home before I put it up for sale? So many people ask this question. They look at their home and wonder what should they do vs what do they need to do before putting their home up for sale. Buyers will notice the clutter, they will notice the peeling paint and they will notice the "broken" items in or around your home. The first impression is critical and can make or break your deal. Most of the people who view your home will see it online first. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. Consider your online home tour today's version of an open house.
- Curb Appeal~ take the time to make the first impression your best impression when selling your home.
In all my years of real estate sales the most important thing is clean and clutter free. You can have an outdated home that is squeaky clean and clutter free and the buyers are often mentally able to get past it. With this being said, they will get past it enough to write an offer but they still might knock the price down because it needs to be "updated." Items like purple or green carpet, wallpaper, and old appliances can cause a buyer to discount their offer if the home was built after the 70's. Anything before that time frame and they might consider it part of the era/time period and not mind that it is dated. Its tricky, I would need to see your home to know for sure but until then here is a small list of ideas that can add resale value to your home.
- Update the flooring, remove the shag carpet. Buyers will thank you for it.
The most popular places for remodeling, kitchens and bathrooms but what if you drive up to a home and your first impression is to keep driving because the curb appeal is horrible. Curb appeal. Take a picture of the front of your home and the landscaping. Wait a few days and pull it up on your computer to view it. You might be surprised at what you see. Do you see weeds? Dead plants? A lawn that needs edging/mowed? How about the front door step area? Does it need swept? Does the paint need touched up? Do you need to get rid of all the clutter? Other areas to look at: your vinyl siding and windows. Clean your windows and the exterior of your home. The buyer will be standing at your doorway looking around while the Realtor gets the key out of the keybox and works on letting them into your home. They have a lot of time to sit and look around and take in everything they see... the good the bad and the ugly.
I recently read that a deck addition is good option. This is not a cheap option but if your deck is currently falling down repairs will help buyers love your home. Items like a new deck or a fence are big ticket items in a buyers mind and will often detour them from your home. They become paralyzed with the thought of how much money it will cost them. Its always a good idea to stain/paint and repair your deck. The same rules apply with a deck as the front entry of your home. It must be clean and clutter free. People want to envision room for gatherings, relaxing after a long day at work and bar-b-ques.
- Repair/Stain your deck before you put your home up for sale....
Kitchens: this is an area that people will instantly love your kitchens layout or dislike it. Do you have a enough cabinet space, are your cabinets in need of repairs, are you missing handles or even door panels. Take the time to empty your cabinets and showcase how much room you do have. (same with pantry) If your cabinets are in need of a deep cleaning, take the time to do this. (inside and out) Stain/paint or have your cabinets resurfaced vs replacing the whole cabinet unit. Appliances are a big item for buyers too. New appliances, counter-tops and flooring always help a kitchen shine. Be careful of your budget and only take care of what you can afford to take care of. 
- Clean Clutter Free Kitchens. Cabinets, pantries and counter-tops free from clutter.
Bathroom: The right touches can help a bathroom look spacious even if they are really small. Buyers will be looking at the light fixtures, wall colors, faucet and vanities. Even if you can not afford to update your bathroom take the time do declutter and scrub your bathrooms until they shine.
- Updated lights, fixtures and vanities. Key items to improving your homes value.
Bedrooms/Offices/Dens: Rooms are not always used as they were originally intended. For example, my office is actually one of our bedrooms. If we were to put our house on the market, I would need to stage my office back to a bedroom so buyers see it for its intended purpose. If you have questions, please ask for help... this can make a huge difference when buyers see your home.
Lastly.... Paint, Wallpaper and Carpets. Nothing makes people run faster than a room of wallpaper... bad paint and shag carpet. For example, the current home we own was on the market for a long time. The market was hot and the home should have sold quickly. Fortunately for us, the home had pink walls, wallpaper all over the kitchen and dining room, outdated appliances and pink everywhere you looked. The home did not show well and was just sitting stagnant. We knew to look past all of these hurdles and were able to get an amazing deal.
- Outdated carpet, furnishings along with a lot of personal items caused buyers to pass on this home *picture is not the home we purchased our home had a pink theme not blue*
Sellers remember the home you want to sell is now a house. It's time to detach and take some time to update, clean and declutter. If you truly want to sell your home for the most amount of money possible, follow the steps above and you will notice a big difference. Time to get some boxes and take the personal pictures down.
It's time to sell your home!
call/text or email me. 801-580-5624 kim@resultsrealestateutah.com
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