Paul Henderson
Broker/Realtor
Realty Executives Bay Group
You’re considering selling your home, so you decide it’s time to start fixing everything.
New flooring. New countertops. Fresh paint. New appliances. Landscaping.
Before you start spending thousands of dollars, there’s something you should do first:
Develop a plan.
Not every improvement will increase your home’s selling price enough to justify the expense.
The first question isn’t necessarily, “What should I renovate?”
It’s:
What are buyers looking for in my area and price range?
A $10,000 improvement doesn’t automatically add $10,000 to your home’s value.
In some situations, cleaning, decluttering, pressure washing, landscaping, and making minor repairs may provide more benefit than undertaking a major renovation immediately before selling.
Walk outside and pretend you’ve never seen your house before.
What’s the first thing you notice?
Then walk through the front door.
Does the house feel clean and inviting? Are rooms overcrowded? Are there unfinished projects you’ve stopped noticing because you’ve lived with them for years?
Buyers notice those things.
Before spending money on cosmetic upgrades, consider addressing obvious maintenance items.
Buyers may become concerned when they see several small neglected repairs because they begin wondering what larger issues haven’t been addressed.
If you’re planning to sell, you’re improving the house for the next owner — not necessarily for yourself.
That makes some expensive personal upgrades difficult to recover when you sell.
Before committing to a major renovation, it’s worth discussing whether that improvement is likely to matter to buyers in your particular market.
Once your home is ready, how it’s presented to potential buyers matters.
Pricing, photography, property descriptions, online advertising, showing preparation, and overall marketing strategy all work together.
You typically get one opportunity to introduce a new listing to the market.
Let’s make that first impression count.
If you’re thinking about selling your home in the Mobile or surrounding South Alabama area, I’d be happy to take a look at the property and discuss what I would — and wouldn’t — recommend doing before putting it on the market.
Sometimes the best improvement is the one you don’t spend money on.
Paul Henderson, Broker/Realtor®
Realty Executives Bay Group
