Upon deciding to list their home, many of our clients want to know what they need to fix before listing. While we’d love to give them an easy answer, it truly is dependent upon the market and your home.
In our current fast-paced market, with little inventory, there are so many things we used to advise fixing before listing that are no longer necessary. With that being said, there are a few things that are absolutely necessary to complete before you list that will provide an excellent return on your investment:
- Remove wallpaper
- Declutter
- Fresh paint
- Carpet
- Light fixtures
- Appliances
In this current market, you will see a return of $1.50—$2.00 for each dollar invested.
Projects such as roof, windows, siding, and mechanical fall under the expected category. People expect you are taking care of your house and these components should always be in good, working order. We advise our clients—buyers and sellers alike—that these items should have at least half of their “shelf-life” left. If not, they do need to be addressed, but you may not see the return, dollar-for-dollar, as you would with other repairs and upgrades.
While this list is a good start, it truly depends upon the house. The first thing we do before listing is a thorough walk through, top to bottom. We make a list of the top three things that need to be done and this is truly different for each home. If you’re considering listing your home in the next year—or more—and would like some guidance on what to complete now, we would be happy to talk with you further.
If you’re looking to move in, move up, or scale back, we’d love to meet with you and talk you through the process. Contact us http://www.wightmanbrock.com/contact/ to set up a meeting today.