Home Sellers Always Have Options

Home sellers in a real estate market with few homes for sale always have options. That’s particularly true when we are deciding HOW to sell your home. Your motivation for selling is the most important consideration.

Do you want to sell quickly? For highest price? Without a lot of hassle?

The condition of your home is an important driver for list price and determines how the property competes in its market category. Typically, better condition commands a higher price but that’s not the whole story. I like to map out three “how” to list options based on current market data, comparable home conditions and time/budget constraints:

Clear, clean and place the lockbox on the door.

Paint, carpet and make repairs.

Create a like-new product.

The first option gets the home on the market quickly with the lowest investment. Some sellers don’t want to or can’t invest in a home they are selling. Some need to sell as quickly as possible. In these cases, clearing out and cleaning up is all we do before the lockbox goes on the door.

New paint and carpet, and maybe refinished hardwood flooring are often well worth the investment in time and money. Making obvious repairs and installing LED bulbs makes a difference. LED bulbs brighten every room and make the photos pop, which is important for capturing the attention of buyers searching online.

Then there’s the hard surface counter – the must-have feature at almost every price point, it seems. Here’s where you consider whether the cost of refreshing will boost net profit from the sale. A great agent will know how to help you balance the investment vs. anticipated return on that investment.

Creating a like-new resale home requires resources, time and a willingness to deal with a home in transformation. This is far easier if you can move out prior to transforming and selling. Many agents prefer to sell a furnished home but I think it’s often easier for buyers to imagine moving into the home if they don’t have to see someone else’s furnishings in place. Especially when those furnishings don’t jibe with the buyers’ aesthetic…

Sometimes your home is so special you simply get it on the market. Let’s say you have a 1920s ranch with everything original and features like glass doorknobs and a hidden pull-down ironing board. It’s the REAL retro and it probably sits among peers that have renovated and updated at least twice since 1940. The buyers will very likely renovate and it’s hard to guess what they will keep and what they will change.

This is a perfect candidate for clearing out and letting the new owners decide for themselves on new counters, new tile or a wholly new kitchen format. In this case, don’t touch a thing. Sell the bones of the home, the location, the potential and the flat-out awesomeness of the original 1920s features.

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