Minor improvements can go long way when selling home
As the old adage goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” This rings especially true for people who have a home to sell.
This is why real estate professionals often recommend that homeowners make certain minor improvements before putting their homes on the market.
This can be particularly important for home sellers who are relocating, since they typically need to move a bit more quickly than someone who is moving in-town.
So, when making home improvements, it’s important to know where to spend and where to save.
Julie Brann, a Realtor with Bernstein Realty, said that the first two things that she notices when meeting with a homeowner about listing their property is the interior paint color, and whether the home looks cluttered.
“At the moment, neutral colors are preferred, so I always suggest going with a ‘greige.’ And, if there are too many items in the home, I tell the seller that you can’t see the decor for the clutter. So, I always suggest a minimalist approach, because the less stuff, the better the home is going to look,” Brann said.
She added that both of these issues can be easily remedied without a significant time investment or cost to the homeowner.
So, when meeting with sellers, Brann tries to help them see the property from the standpoint of potential buyers, who tend to have high expectations when looking at properties in today’s market.
In many cases, Brann said that buyers often compare resale properties to newconstruction properties in a given area or neighborhood. For that reason, she said that sellers should change out light fixtures and replace any hardware that might make their homes look dated.
“Doing small things like replacing mirrors in the bathroom, especially in the powder room and in the master bath, can make a huge difference,” Brann said, “While these things still cost money, they aren’t horribly expensive and they help give the home a little bit more of a current look.”
When it comes to the outside of the property, she said that making small enhancements is equally important.
“Buyers don’t want to see any deferred maintenance, so I recommend refreshing the flowerbeds, weeding, trimming, and adding a splash of color by the front door. Then, they should paint or varnish the front door, and paint the trim around it to make it look fresh, because that’s literally the first thing people see,” said Brann.
She also recommends putting out a new doormat, which can help the front porch look more welcoming.
“You want the home to look attractive, but you also want people to know how well you have taken care of your home, and it shows with these little details,” Brann said.
Ed Wolff, president of
Beth Wolff Realtors Real Living, echoed Brann’s emphasis on curb appeal, stating that it should be the starting point for sellers who want to make small improvements.
“Then, starting from the entryway, sellers need to make sure that there aren’t any major paint blemishes or issues that would be immediately identifiable by a buyer as a sign of previous water penetration or damage. This is something that would be an immediate turn off to a buyer,” said Wolff.
When it comes to interior paint, he said that the seller’s money is usually better spent on painting the walls as opposed to painting the inside of closets and cabinets.
As for the floors, if they are damaged due to normal wear and tear or even from a pet, Wolff said that it is often better to offer a flooring
allowance to the buyer instead of replacing it.
“There are so many different flooring options today, and no matter what the seller might pick, the buyer is likely going to want something different,” Wolff said. “Replacing the flooring is also difficult while the homeowner is still living in the property. So, with the allowance, the buyer can choose any level of flooring they want and utilize the allowance to offset their cost.”
Wolff added that it’s also important for sellers to pay attention to the lighting that they have in the home, and to replace light bulbs in rooms where the lighting is inconsistent.
Lastly, Wolff stressed that all of this can be done fairly quickly, which is often a major consideration for relocation sellers.
“We can usually get a painter into the home and have these other improvements done within a week to a week and a half of meeting with the client. That’s not an inordinate amount of time, and I think that weighing what will bring value versus what will decrease market time is really important,” said Wolff.