On the face of it, if you're selling a home why on earth would you want to carry out last minute home improvements that you'll never get full value out of?
Of course there is no cookie cutter answer here.
Much depends on the current condition of the home. Those sellers with highly presentable homes that can be said to be virtually "move in ready" arguably only need to do some tidying and touching up to put themselves in a great place to achieve top dollar on the sale.
Things get more complicated, however, if the home is in need of more extensive renovations. At that point, a decision to carry out a lot of work should be seen as an investment in getting the best possible return and making the property competitive with similar homes in the area.
You do, however, need to maintain a sense of proportion to the renovations. The most important thing is to make the home look clean, fresh and inviting, especially in key buyer trigger areas like kitchens and bathrooms. A lot can be done to make this happen inexpensively and, if you're able to do this work yourself, then costs aren't such a key consideration.
In many instances, some areas of the home are extremely presentable, while others may have fallen into a bit of disrepair as they are no longer used. What you need to avoid is injecting the thought in buyers' minds that making these areas good will be a costly process. A good example might be a deck that you've not relaxed on for years that's in serious need of some TLC, or maybe rooms that have become tired or neglected since the kids left home.
In terms of kerb appeal, some basic landscaping can be a great idea to create that wow factor as buyers drive up to the property.
The best advice is to determine a budget and don't go crazy making unnecessary changes. There are also many things you can do which won't cost hardly anything, such as a thorough home declutter and touching up paint as necessary, etc.
And we're more than happy to offer free advice on the best ways of staging your home, so why not contact us today. We'd love to help.
