Condition of Home

The condition of your home is one of the most important factors in a successful sale. Your first step should be a personal assessment of your home's condition. Make a list of things you would want done or changed if you were going to purchase your property. There are two types of improvements that should be included on your list. These are cosmetic changes and physical repairs. While a home in perfect, like new condition will be easy to sell, it is not always in your best interest to perform every repair and improvement you can think of. This is especially true of major cosmetic repairs because you might not get a return of your investment when you sell your home. For example, it is wise to have your yard well groomed and in appealing appearance, but it is unwise to invest thousands in professional landscaping. Always keep the property's lawn mowed and free of leaves, and also remove anything you might have had stored on your property. As a result, your property will be more appealing to the eye and will appear larger with less space taken up by items such as a boat or an extra car. Remember, first impressions are the most important and all potential buyer's first impressions will occur when they view your home's exterior and yard. This is referred to as curb appeal. View your property from the perspective of a potential buyer's first impression. Is the yard clean? Is the exterior of the home clean? Again, it is best to focus on reasonable repairs or improvements. Many of these improvements can be done yourself or at little cost to you. Now is not the time to invest thousands on paving the driveway, but the time to prune trees, bushes, and hedges, and pick up all the leaves. Also, remember what appeals to you might not appeal to all potential buyers. A clean, well-groomed yard appeals to just about everyone and this is the first thing potential buyers will see. Now that the yard has been taken care of, perform tasks such as cleaning the exterior of the house itself. All windows should be clean as well as the gutters and siding. This all ties into the value of the first impression.

As with the exterior of your home you should also try to see the interior of your home through the perspective of potential buyers. Since people's tastes can be extremely varied, it is best to have a neutral or conservative decor. Similar to the exterior, the interior should be free of any and all clutter. This includes every room, the attic, the basement, and the closets. Potential buyers will be able to view these areas at their true potential if they are not cluttered. If you have excessive furniture, it should be removed and clear pathways should be created throughout the house. Also, now is the time to have the carpets or rugs thoroughly cleaned. You can either do this yourself or have it professionally done. Besides your home's overall cleanliness, the condition of the kitchen and master bedroom are of high importance. These areas deserve a high level of your attention in preparation to sell because of the higher level of scrutiny they will be under. Resist the temptation to completely update the kitchen. Again, tastes vary greatly and a redone kitchen might be no more appealing to a potential buyer than your last kitchen. Your real estate agent can offer sound advice on what you should and should not consider in remodeling options. As with the exterior, not all interior improvements will be returned in the resale value of your home.

After you've completed a list on your own, walk through your home with your real estate agent. Your real estate agent can explain all the improvements that will increase the speed that your property can be sold and how much your home can be sold for. Most importantly, your real estate agent can explain what improvements are most likely to show a positive financial return when you sell your home. .