We are still in a seller’s market. But not every home sells within a few days. Some sit on the market for weeks, even months.
I recommend a few simple upgrades to all my sellers before we list their house. They are very affordable, but have a major impact on the appearance of your home. You can easily complete them by yourself or hire a contractor.
You will get more than your money’s worth when it comes to purchase offers.
3 Simple Upgrades
1. Light Fixtures and Hardware
Replacing 20 year old, builder’s edition lights with modern style light fixtures, and original, brass door handles and kitchen hardware with brushed nickel is really easy to do. It will cost you less than $1,000 for the whole house. It makes your house look fresh and new without spending a lot of money.
Most importantly, it is immediately visible to potential buyers.
2. Kitchen Appliances
“The kitchen sells the house.” This is totally true. Any upgrade you can do in the kitchen will make your house more attractive. The easiest one is new, stainless steel appliances. Everyone entering your home will notice your new, shiny fridge (and overlook other possible shortcomings.)
3. Fresh, Neutral Paint
I strongly recommend repainting any room with dark or strong colors. You definitely must remove wall-paper. Even decorative wall paper borders must go. Using a light sand tone or light gray will make your house appear bright and clean.
What Buyers Expect
In addition to the 3 upgrades I mentioned above, today’s buyers expect new carpets or hardwood flooring. Any floor stains and visibly used areas of the carpet are off-putting to buyers.
Starting in the low $200K price range buyers also expect granite or quartz counter tops in the kitchen.
Success Story
My recent listing at 3086 Landen Farm Dr E was in excellent condition when we put it on the market in November (it had quartz counters and many top quality builder upgrades). Here’s a picture of the kitchen …
After feedback from numerous showings my clients decided to have all dark rooms repainted and new stainless steel appliances installed. These simple upgrades made the kitchen look fresh and new:
We received a full price offer within a few days of relisting the property.
Here’s a 3D scan of the property before it was repainted.
This is how it looked afterwards.
Can you see the difference?
Call or text me at 614-975-9650 for tips on which improvements would get you the most payback when you list your home!