Is a little elbow grease needed? Selling an "as-is" home may turn off buyers, according to a recent survey of real estate professionals.

The study comes from Coldwell Banker. The company found that 87 percent of first-time buyers don't want to buy a home that requires them to do a lot of work; instead they want "move-in" ready.

The hard part for sellers is comprehending the idea that they are going to fix up a home only to sell it and move out of it. There's no doubt about it, however, a fixed-up home sells faster and agents say it sells for more money.

According to an article in RISMedia, when contractor work totaled nearly $40,000, those repairs added more than $100,000 to the asking price! Of course, not all homes will require that amount of money and repairs. The point is putting a little effort, money, repairs, and tender loving care into it. This could go a long way at the time of the sale.

Repairing things like leaky pipes, broken windows, worn ceilings, as well as replacing old roofs and driveways can go a long way to help increase the listing price. Ripping up carpet and painting the inside and/or outside of the home can also increase buyer appeal.

Real estate experts say the renovations don't need to be things like re-doing a kitchen or bath, unless it's tremendously outdated. The risk there is that sellers can put more into the renovation than they'll get out of it at the time of sale. Also, remodels to these areas of the home are quite personal and based heavily on personal taste.

However, fixing up problem areas of a home is a different story. Buyers, especially first-timers, don't want the aches–headache and pocketbook–of having to deal with getting the home ready before they move in. Often, first-time buyers have very little extra cash to spend on repairs. They may be coming from a nice, new apartment or home that they were renting. When they see a house for sale that requires lots of repairs to make it livable and comfortable, it's a turn off.

What about clutter? Buyers often see clutter as a bigger issue than just a bunch of stuff strewn about the home. It can make them think that the home is more of a "project" house than it really is. Save yourself any issues and pack up your personal stuff.

Sometimes packing up stuff means storing big items that are cluttering the house. Borrow a friend's garage or rent a storage unit if your next home isn't ready. Unstuffing overly-furnished rooms can really open up the floor plan, allowing buyers to get a good idea of the size of the room.

Not preparing a home for sale can mean having to accept the very unwanted fact of listing it for a lower price.

Published: May 13, 2011

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Phoebe Chongchua is an award-winning journalist, an author, customer service trainer/speaker, and founder of Setting the Service Standard, a customer service training and consulting program offered by Live Fit Enterprises (LFE) based in San Diego, California. She is the publisher of Live Fit Magazine, an online publication that features information on real estate/finance, physical fitness, travel, and philanthropy. Her company, LFE, specializes in media services including marketing, PR, writing, commercials, corporate videos, customer service training, and keynotes & seminars. Visit her magazine website: www.LiveFitMagazine.com. Phoebe's articles, feature stories, and columns appear in various publications including The Coast News, Del Mar Village Voice, Rancho Santa Fe Review, and Today's Local News in San Diego, as well as numerous Internet sites. She holds a California real estate license. Phoebe worked for KGTV/10News in San Diego as a Newscaster, Reporter and Community Affairs Specialist for more than a decade. Phoebe's writing is also featured in Donald Trump's book: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buying Foreclosures. She is the author of If the Trash Stinks, TAKE IT OUT! 14 Worriless Principles for Your Success. Contact Phoebe at (858) 259-3646 or . Visit PhoebeChongchua.com for more information.