Selling Your Home: Which Repairs Create Positive Returns?

Most people looking to sell live in homes that are a little dated. Trends come and go, and over time, we all do the best we can to keep our homes exactly how we want them. It’s tough to compete against the brand new, never lived in, built to sell houses; the only downside to those is that they’re priced much higher than homes that have been previously lived in. So, if a cost-conscious and trendy couple or family is looking to buy, there’s a small market available to them.

Nowadays, there’s a full-fledged portion of the workforce dedicated to improving your home and essentially redesigning it to make it as desirable as possible to the demanding market. These people are called stagers, and if you’ve read my blog before, you may have seen THIS ONE in which I talked about the benefits of having someone professionally stage your home. I always suggest going with a staging professional, but if there are some home repairs you know you need to do before putting it on the market, there are some that generate more of a return.

Changing your flooring might be expensive, but that’s a huge decision maker for buyers. Flooring trends have changed somewhat randomly over the years (remember the 70’s shag carpeting?), but one timeless style that remains constant is hardwood. Installing hardwood post-carpeting can be really expensive, so investing in a classic beige or sand colored carpet in replacement of wilder colors is a huge benefit; not only does it open up the space of a room, but when a buyer hears ‘brand new carpeting,’ they feel positive. Obviously trends change from market to market, and since we live in the southwest, saltillo tile is widely popular and a big benefit to buyers if they’re looking to purchase a southwestern home. If you, the seller, have tile, it’s imperative to replaced cracked or chipped tiles and clean or replace the grout. Replacing tile completely can be extremely costly, so focus on the specifics that need alterations.

Painting ceilings and walls is something any home staging professional will suggest, usually in creams or nudes in order to start with a blank canvas and brighten up a room. Wallpaper is generally a no-no in selling a home; it’s not that people don’t like wallpaper, it’s that they don’t like your wallpaper, since tastes in such designs tend to be very specific. That rain forest themed room you loved so much might seem quirky and fun to you, but to a buyer that’s a lot of primer, paint, and money they don’t really want to spend. In terms of ceilings, older ‘popcorn’ ceilings (the ones that sparkle) usually have asbestos, and most buyers are aware of that. They really need to be replaced, regardless of the cost.

Those are the two big things I address with sellers of older homes. Smaller things like re-finishing cabinets (much cheaper than replacing), and clean and sparkling sinks and faucets are much easier to take care of. Buyers really don’t want a leaky faucet or stained sinks, and usually those can be fixed with the turn of a wrench and heavy duty bleach. If not, look into buying at warehouse or sample sales at designer department stores; the name is impressive, especially if you know you secretly spent a fourth of the cost as usual.

Outdoors, there are simple things anyone can do to create a pleasant ambiance. Planting flowers, sealing cracks in cement, replacing doorknobs and locks, and painting fences can all be done for under $60 dollars and in less than a day. Curb appeal is the first of the first impressions.

Overall, the two big home repairs that generate a return are the floors and walls/ceilings. Fixing these gives a professional home stager a great canvas to start with to get your home ready to sell. Or, if you prefer to do it yourself, you can find some easy preparing to sell tips by CLICKING HERE.

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Evelyn Bruder: CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces Cyberstar

The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team http://www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

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