There's a lot that goes into prepping your house for sale, and if you've been through it before, you may know a good agent that will have plenty of solid advice for your to-do list before your house goes on the market. Nevertheless, it always seems like there's a few topics that agents avoid for fear of upsetting their clients.
Having recently sold a house, and completed a house hunt, all while working in the interior design space, I feel uniquely qualified to point out some of the biggest mistakes I saw in homes that were listed, even by experienced agents.
Basic maintenance
Without exception, ensuring the basic maintenance on your house is done has to be a no-brainer.
To be fair, we were shopping in one of the most competitive markets in the country, so it's not like sellers have to work too hard to get the price they want. Nevertheless, I was shocked how many people overlooked the most basic of maintenance items. Dirty air conditioner returns, broken baseboards, holes in the sheetrock, leaky sinks. The list seemed never ending.
These were obvious issues in roughly half the houses we walked through. And after my wife and I left each house, I couldn't help but wonder what else was wrong. After all, if this seller couldn't spent the $5 to keep his air filters clean, I seriously doubt the rest of the AC or plumbing (or whatever) has been kept up.
I'm somewhat OCD, so I get the alternative view a little. Not everyone is a neat freak, or has a ton of money to throw at getting their house ready for sale. And I'm sure lots of people won't notice everything that I noticed. But you know who will? Home inspectors.
I think my two transaction best illustrate the point I'm making here...
Our SALE: When we sold our house, we listed slightly above market (totally different story). As I already mentioned, I'm OCD about the maintenance of our house, so everything in our home was in perfect condition. We received an offer, went under contract and had a home inspection. After the inspection, the buyer's agent stretched for a list of concessions, asking for upgrades to existing systems in the house at a cost of $1,600.
I balked. I'm sure my agent softened my actual NSFW response, but the buyer proceeded with the purchase at their original offer price. We didn't give up a penny because we knew our house was perfect.
Our PURCHASE: Essentially the tables were turned, and the house we bought was in rough shape. We went under contract, and after our inspection, our agent asked for about $2,000 in concessions. We got them all, and probably could have gotten more. Why? Because the seller knew he hadn't done his upkeep.
The point is: Either way the basic upkeep is going to get you in the sale. It's better to get out in front of it, get your house perfect, sell sooner (and for potentially more) than be behind the eight ball once you're under contract. Truth be told, I almost gave up $1,600 during the sale of our house because I was afraid to lose the buyer...
Ugly Paint Colors
I'll never forget the first time I walked into a house with "designer colors." We pulled into one of the neighborhoods we told our agent about, I walked into a nice open foyer, turned the corner into the kitchen, and... Bam! The entire wall was slathered in one of the most hideous hues of eggplant purple I had ever seen. Floor to ceiling. It was truly breathtaking.
In truth, I noticed those words in the listing our agent had sent the night before, and sort of wondered what fell into the category of "designer colors." Sounds fancy! But there it was overpowering the kitchen, sucking the cabinets (and everything else) into a deep dark abyss of plum-colored misery.
"Designer colors."
Suffice it to say, we didn't buy that house. But as the house search went on (and on, and on), it became increasingly clear that "designer colors" is a euphemism in the real estate space. I would translate it loosely as "too ugly for me to tell my client how bad it is," or "only someone you paid to decorate your home could convince you this was a good idea."
In a nutshell, ask your agent to be straight about the colors on your walls. Check out this helpful guide here to give your living room and the rest of your house a modern, appealing look, and try to keep your walls throughout your house subdued.
I actually don't remember why we didn't buy that house. But a few hundreds dollars in paint could have made a huge difference. If your listing mentions "designer colors," call your agent and buy some paint!
Ugly Furniture
This one is just like ugly colors. I know you love that vomit colored chaise lounge, but most people don't.
Ask your agent if there's any furniture you should move out to make the home more sellable. This lets your Realtor point out the ugly stuff without having to actually tell you it's ugly! Even if you move something to storage, or buy a Craig's List sofa to fill a space - the goal should be to make your home as open, neutral and appealing as possible.
These quick and painless changes will help your home sell quicker, and for potentially more, so why not get it right?
