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As long as yours is in better shape than any of the competition, you should be ok. One thing, just in case you overlooked it, is the front door. Either clean it or repaint it and make sure the knob/lock isn't looking old. Get a new welcome mat and make sure that the front yard looks good when people drive up. It doesn't matter what you do inside if you've already turned them off before they get thru the door.
In cases such as the OP described I would ABSOLUTELY get a thorough "pre listing home inspection" and be sure to do every last thing that WILL come up from the "GFCI" in kitchen/bath/laundry to the optical sensor on the automatic garage door to non-incadescent lights in the closets.
That will basically force any inspector the buyers hire to say "this home is fully compliant with current codes and better than when it was brand new.
I would probably also spend a weekend changing out electrical outlets and switches, especially if they are that ugly 1970s "putty" or light brown. Just get nice CLEAN white ones and that will freshen the look.
Swapping out ALL the bathroom faucets / shower heads for a nice modern brushed nickel is a very easy update for most any 70s bath, especially those with yellow brass.
I might also head down to the local building products store and get some nice solid wood interior doors if I had ugly flimsly hollow doors that were popular in the 70s.
No one is gonna mistake your home for a brand new one but neither do you want any chance that buyers will emotionally identify your house as "dated" and the little things can go a long way in helped to push those thoughts out of their mind.
LOL We finished putting all new outlets and plate covers on this past week.
All faucets/shower heads and lighting is brushed nickel.
New counter tops in all baths.
The doors are solid wood with 24 decorative panels each. My painter hated me for that! LOL they are super cool though.
LOL We finished putting all new outlets and plate covers on this past week.
All faucets/shower heads and lighting is brushed nickel.
New counter tops in all baths.
The doors are solid wood with 24 decorative panels each. My painter hated me for that! LOL they are super cool though.
Sounds like you've thought of everything. One thing that might be helpful is if your real estate agent holds an "agent open house" just prior to listing. (Around here, they are usually well-attended, because agents want to see houses before they go on the market.) Have the agents give brutally honest feedback -- you'll get feedback everywhere from "get rid of the tacky rugs in the bathroom" to "smells funny -- are there dogs?" and other things you might not be seeing. And, of course, ideally, the agents stand in your living room and start calling their clients that want to get into that neighborhood and say, "Hey, I've got a house I think you might want to look at . . . today."
Fixing all the little things aren't going to be your problem , it is the fact that you have a 3500 sq house where the rest at 2800. When you had the appraisal done, was your home the largest? If you are fixing the nicks in the doors that is one thing, but if you are paying someone to fix all the things that bother you, you might be wasting your money. I don't know how much it will cost to get your Corian polished or how much it will improve the appearance, but is there a chance that the buyers won't like the color and want to rip it out for something else?
I completely agree with the above posters. The problem will be you have the nicest house in the neighborhood. I would stop putting any money into it unless it is essential and you like doing home maintenance as a hobby. Anything else you do will not result in a higher sales price. It might result in a quicker sale.
Someone will want 5 bedrooms in a nice neighborhood.
Despite cautions about dumping money into the property, think like a buyer....
The buyer will expect the house to present just as well as any other house in the neighborhood, regardless of the fact that it is the largest.
Fresh and clean are very important.
Yes, your home may sell for a lower $$$/SF than the smaller homes. I hope that the condition was priced in when you bought, so you can recoup a portion of your updates and repairs.
Last edited by MikeJaquish; 12-04-2013 at 05:14 AM..
3,500 square feet in a 2,800 sqft neighborhood is not that bad at all. 5,000 sqft would be a problem. I wish I had more sellers like you who were engaged and excited to proudly market their homes. Good luck!
I wish I had more sellers like you who were engaged and excited to proudly market their homes. Good luck!
Our realtor felt the same way. We sold our home end of Oct. We listed on a Friday evening, had a full price offer by Monday evening. It barely had time to hit MLS. I think our buyers were from drive bys, saw the sign in the yard. It was "show ready" and it paid off.
Or it might sell two years form now. It is what it is, and you can't change any of the 'major' things, nor should you be tempted to try.
The most important thing is to be businesslike, don't waffle all over the place with the little this's and that's, and don't second guess yourself. Put a sensible price on it, and see what happens. You'll get feedback soon enough: some of it will be complete rubbish (from both realtors and lookers) and some of it might be bona fide. Take the bitter with the better and react accordingly.
Most of all, understand that this is business now. Whatever finishes, repairs and upgrades you made to the house are of little interest to today's buyers. They will either see what they want, or they won't. If they see what tickles their fancy, you'll get an offer. If not, the new furnace/insulation/doors/kitchen etc. won't matter a hoot, and there is nothing you can do about it.
Good luck. Cocktail hour can be extended if need be!
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