Getting the house ready to sell.... long road ahead!

[SDSorority]

Most of my suggestions are already on your list or previous posters...

I totally agree on...

Freshening paint inside and out.

De-clutter to the max! Then put the excess in storage.

Walk around your house, inside and out and snap random pictures... Then look at them on a Larger (than your phone/camera) screen a day or so later... It's shocking what will jump out at you...while looking at the pics, ask youself, would you accept what you are looking at in you next house/dream house? Ask someone you trust will give an honest opinion to look at them and offer suggestions.

Take any advice your realtor suggests seriously. 99% of the time, they are right on. After all, their goal is to sell your home for as much as they can, as quickly as they can. The more they get for you and the "less time" they have to spend on it = bigger profit for them, so take their suggestions seriously.

Did I mention de-clutter?

Good luck op!

What a great idea!!!

So far, the inside of the front door is painted (and it looks GOOD!). Tonight I'll be repainting the inside of the door that leads to the garage. While the first coat is drying, I'll be de-cluttering under my bathroom sink and inside my bathroom drawers. Then, coat 2 will go up on the door and if I have time I'll de-clutter another area of the house.

what else can I fit into my evening.....

 

[Praying Colonel]

First thing we did was declutter. We rented a dumpster which they deposited in our driveway for 10 days. We went room by room and threw out what was not worth selling. We were shocked how much absolute junk we had accumulated over the years that wasn't even worth putting in a yard sale. Between decluttering and throwing out old carpets and other stuff we were getting rid of as part of remodeling, we had no problem filling that dumpster.

After doing that, we had a yard sale with the stuff we didn't want to keep anymore. Whatever didn't sell we hauled off to Goodwill.

Even doing that, our realtor had us do another round of decluttering before putting it on the market. This was stuff we wanted to keep but kept the house from looking its best. We rented a storage space for a month and put the stuff in there.

 

[PatMcDuck]

This is all so interesting. We want to list our house next summer. Maybe we have been doing it wrong though.

Our idea was to go thru each room, one by one. The bedrooms, painting and repairing all dings, nail pops, holes from pictures being hung on wall. Painting the ceilings as well as walls.

But we want to focus most of the time and $$ on bathrooms and kitchens, so we re-did the kids bath completely and re-did shower, sinktop and toilet in the master, painting too of course. Was this too much? Spent about $6000 on those 2 bathrooms ($3000 on each), they look GREAT of course.

We want to try and NOT replace furnace, ac or roof. (house is 17 years old, all 3 are original to the house). We will give $$ towards them if it is an issue at inspection.

One issue that has come up is that as we paint and touch up each room, I am refusing to hang any art or decor on the walls, I do not want to make new holes. Is that weird? I think i need to get over that, but I can't make myself do it.

We are stuck on the floors, which HAVE to be replaced in the entire house (except the bathrooms!). Hardwood? Carpet/wood combo? Tile? Tile that looks like wood ? Tile/wood combo? Wood on 1st floor, carpet in bedrooms? It is impossible to choose, and it will be our biggest expense.

 

[SDSorority]

So last night I re-painted the inside of the door that leads to the garage, a discolored piece of wood above the steps that lead to the back patio, and the railings that go along my front porch. Tonight's task- repaint the upper part (by the roof) of the front porch railings, repaint around the front porch windows, and repaint around the front door (this one is going to be a doosey because I have to sand the old peeling paint off first. Then if I have time, clean the siding by the front door and repaint a little plant shelf to eventually go by the front door to hold a nice little welcoming plant on it. A "please buy my house because this plant is pretty" plant.

 

[angwill]

So last night I re-painted the inside of the door that leads to the garage, a discolored piece of wood above the steps that lead to the back patio, and the railings that go along my front porch. Tonight's task- repaint the upper part (by the roof) of the front porch railings, repaint around the front porch windows, and repaint around the front door (this one is going to be a doosey because I have to sand the old peeling paint off first. Then if I have time, clean the siding by the front door and repaint a little plant shelf to eventually go by the front door to hold a nice little welcoming plant on it. A "please buy my house because this plant is pretty" plant.

Isn't it funny how our houses look the best when we are ready to sell? I too went the pretty plants outside around the door for curb appeal. Sadly, it didn't work this year as we have had no showings since March. We live in a bad area though but I am sure it is better in other areas.

 

[cornflake]

This is all so interesting. We want to list our house next summer. Maybe we have been doing it wrong though.

Our idea was to go thru each room, one by one. The bedrooms, painting and repairing all dings, nail pops, holes from pictures being hung on wall. Painting the ceilings as well as walls.

But we want to focus most of the time and $$ on bathrooms and kitchens, so we re-did the kids bath completely and re-did shower, sinktop and toilet in the master, painting too of course. Was this too much? Spent about $6000 on those 2 bathrooms ($3000 on each), they look GREAT of course.

We want to try and NOT replace furnace, ac or roof. (house is 17 years old, all 3 are original to the house). We will give $$ towards them if it is an issue at inspection.

One issue that has come up is that as we paint and touch up each room, I am refusing to hang any art or decor on the walls, I do not want to make new holes. Is that weird? I think i need to get over that, but I can't make myself do it.

We are stuck on the floors, which HAVE to be replaced in the entire house (except the bathrooms!). Hardwood? Carpet/wood combo? Tile? Tile that looks like wood ? Tile/wood combo? Wood on 1st floor, carpet in bedrooms? It is impossible to choose, and it will be our biggest expense.

I'm curious how you decided to spend the money on the cosmetic stuff but offer $ toward the mechanical stuff.

Why not the reverse and include a flooring allowance but replace the furnace/ac?

I don't know which is 'right' or 'better' or even if one is; I dunno but like... I'm not buying a place with carpet, if it's there it's coming right up. So if someplace has new carpet, it'd make me hesitate, because I'd think the people rolled the cost in and it's a waste of $, you know?

 

[angwill]

This is all so interesting. We want to list our house next summer. Maybe we have been doing it wrong though.

Our idea was to go thru each room, one by one. The bedrooms, painting and repairing all dings, nail pops, holes from pictures being hung on wall. Painting the ceilings as well as walls.

But we want to focus most of the time and $$ on bathrooms and kitchens, so we re-did the kids bath completely and re-did shower, sinktop and toilet in the master, painting too of course. Was this too much? Spent about $6000 on those 2 bathrooms ($3000 on each), they look GREAT of course.

We want to try and NOT replace furnace, ac or roof. (house is 17 years old, all 3 are original to the house). We will give $$ towards them if it is an issue at inspection.

One issue that has come up is that as we paint and touch up each room, I am refusing to hang any art or decor on the walls, I do not want to make new holes. Is that weird? I think i need to get over that, but I can't make myself do it.

We are stuck on the floors, which HAVE to be replaced in the entire house (except the bathrooms!). Hardwood? Carpet/wood combo? Tile? Tile that looks like wood ? Tile/wood combo? Wood on 1st floor, carpet in bedrooms? It is impossible to choose, and it will be our biggest expense.

As long as you realize it will not increase the value of your home at all just make it more appealing to a buyer do what you will. I will however say that it is more important to a buyer that the big things like roof, furnace/AC be newer than any of the other things you mentioned that are easy to replace little by little. I would think the $6000 plus would have been better spent on one of the bigger things. People may not like the flooring you pick or the bathroom countertops etc and may plan on replacing them anyway. A new roof and furnace/AC is one of the things they are going to think is going to cost them a small fortune to replace.

 

[cornflake]

As long as you realize it will not increase the value of your home at all just make it more appealing to a buyer do what you will. I will however say that it is more important to a buyer that the big things like roof, furnace/AC be newer than any of the other things you mentioned that are easy to replace little by little. I would think the $6000 plus would have been better spent on one of the bigger things. People may not like the flooring you pick or the bathroom countertops etc and may plan on replacing them anyway. A new roof and furnace/AC is one of the things they are going to think is going to cost them a small fortune to replace.

That's how I was thinking about it, yeah. Like, personally I'd much rather hear 'brand new furnace/ac and roof' than 'they just redid the bathroom' because the bathroom, even if it's old and outdated cosmetically, if it works, I can redo to my own taste on my own timeline, and etc. If the shower needs retiling and someone puts in a surround or like, some tiles I think are ugly, same answer as the carpet, it's a waste and it'd make me reconsider, where if it's old and needs redoing, I don't mind redoing it.

The furnace, roof, etc., if it goes, it has to be replaced immediately and it's hard to find a contractor, etc., that you trust to do it correctly, know won't rip you off, yada. Where if it's new and done, you can just have it inspected to make sure it's kosher.

I know people do reject places based on them needing updating but if the whole thing needs updating, I dunno how to make the cosmetic/mechanical decision. I know what I'd prefer but I dunno if that's broader or not.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I spoke to a few realtors. they said to focus on bathrooms and kitchen. They said to offer an allowance on the HVAC and roof, this was not our idea. The furnace and AC work fine, and the roof does not leak. I will talk to some more realtors, we have not chosen the listing agent yet of course.

I should point out that the bathrooms we worked on were ALL completely original builders grade, 18 years old, and we have 4 kids who grew up here. Now 6 adults still are living here, so the work was not really a cosmetic upgrade. The wall behind the tile in kids bath was a mess, mold got in there and everything. (builder used REGULAR sheetrock, not even green board!) We kept everything pretty neutral, white subway tile, white tub, toilet, etc. Nothing weird, lol.

The realtors I spoke to said that people want move in ready in our area. While I personally would be impressed with things like a new HVAC system, windows, or a new roof, that is not always the way things work with many buyers? And I realize that some cosmetic work does not get you more $$, but it may get the house sold faster. Which would save me $$ too, so there you go.

Since we have almost a year to go, we can go slow. And I agree about carpet, I would want to tear out just about any carpet in a house that I purchased! Esp. because we have 2 dogs here, I would expect people to feel that way. Leaving the existing carpet is not even an option (again, 18 year old builders grade, 4 kids, various pets, it is destroyed). I would prefer to try and sell this house with no carpet in it whatsoever, but that may not be possible.

It will all work out, I am sure. House across the street sold in June in less than 2 weeks, can you imagine? So we have hope.

Edited to add I have been researching and I think we need to do the roof. I was wrong on this. But no regrets on the bathroom expense, it was necessary work that had been deferred.

 

[descovy]

When we sold our house, we also focused on the "cosmetics" and not the "mechanics" per our realtor's suggestions. And decluttered the heck out of it too. Might as well pack up! We rented a storage unit.

Nothing got a complete redo. This was a 25 yr old tract home in a "starter neighborhood"

We painted all the interior/exterior and replaced the worn & stained carpet. Replaced some lighting fixtures and painted the bathroom cabinets white. I think we spent $2-3k?

We offered a 1yr home warranty that covered appliances, HVAC too. Accepted a full price offer within 3 weeks. At inspection time they decided the roof needed replacement and requested $3000. We happily agreed.

Here's the deal... people won't pay for new HVAC, roof, etc... They may be happy to have it, but they won't pay extra. For example, we couldn't ask another $3000 if we did the roof ourselves. Price is determined by square foot and neighborhood comps. You can over-improve a house for the neighborhood and not get back what you put into it.

Also everyone wants a discount. So in the end, the buyer got his discount. Had we replaced the roof, he'd want a discount on something else.

And good for the buyer that he got to pick the roofing company. He's the one that has to live with it. The buyer has a more vested interest in quality than the seller. I too would rather pick a new roof or hvac, than trust one that was replaced for the sole purpose of selling a house.

Anyway, that was our perspective...

 

[Disneybuckeye]

One issue that has come up is that as we paint and touch up each room, I am refusing to hang any art or decor on the walls, I do not want to make new holes. Is that weird? I think i need to get over that, but I can't make myself do it.

We are stuck on the floors, which HAVE to be replaced in the entire house (except the bathrooms!). Hardwood? Carpet/wood combo? Tile? Tile that looks like wood ? Tile/wood combo? Wood on 1st floor, carpet in bedrooms? It is impossible to choose, and it will be our biggest expense.

We have plaster walls and I use the 3M no damage hangers for almost everything I hang. They are slightly expensive, but no damage to the walls. Of course if you are moving people do expect there to be some holes in walls.

I vote wood on first floor and carpet on second if you can afford it.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We have plaster walls and I use the 3M no damage hangers for almost everything I hang. They are slightly expensive, but no damage to the walls. Of course if you are moving people do expect there to be some holes in walls.

I vote wood on first floor and carpet on second if you can afford it.

Good tips! I thought about trying those to hang art on the walls.

Wood on 1st floor, carpet on the 2nd floor may be the compromise. I may also do one bedroom with wood. (one of my sons has special needs and toileting issues)

And what the previous poster said about giving the allowance for a roof, or HVAC is what we were told, too. So I guess there are 2 schools of thought. I read articles that some buyers think roofs cost much more than they really DO, and get scared off. So who knows.

PS: We sold our last house and gave $$ at closing for a roof. (I still think that roof has NOT been done, 18 years later (!!), we drive by that house once in awhile, it has been thru several owners since us)

 

[Sinderelly]

The market right now is really slow so it may take longer for your house to sell. We just sold our house last Dec after being on the market for over 2 years The house was built in 2008 and really beautiful and staged very well. Our realtor and other realtors bragged on how good the house looked and how well it was staged but it just took so long because of the market. I hope the market is better in your area.

When painting remember to keep everything neutral. Buyers will want to picture themselves and all their things in your home.

You might want to take some really good pictures of your home with a good camera and offer those to the realtor for the listing. Realtors are notorious for taking some really bad and unflattering pictures

Finally, make sure and choose a really good realtor. Ask friends/family for recommendations. Good luck OP I hope your house sells quickly for a great price.

We are now building our dream home which comes with it's own stress But it's a different type a "fun" stress.

 

[PatMcDuck]

One nice thing about doing our improvements slowly over about 15 months is that we get to enjoy them a bit before moving on......

Might be moving to Orlando, so that part WILL be fun! DH retired in March, we only want/need PT jobs, so that is not a major concern. (I am a TDS CM now).

 

[angwill]

The market right now is really slow so it may take longer for your house to sell. We just sold our house last Dec after being on the market for over 2 years The house was built in 2008 and really beautiful and staged very well. Our realtor and other realtors bragged on how good the house looked and how well it was staged but it just took so long because of the market. I hope the market is better in your area.

When painting remember to keep everything neutral. Buyers will want to picture themselves and all their things in your home.

You might want to take some really good pictures of your home with a good camera and offer those to the realtor for the listing. Realtors are notorious for taking some really bad and unflattering pictures

Finally, make sure and choose a really good realtor. Ask friends/family for recommendations. Good luck OP I hope your house sells quickly for a great price.

We are now building our dream home which comes with it's own stress But it's a different type a "fun" stress.

We have had our house on the market for just over a year. Can I ask if you had to lower the asking price on your house to get it sold and if so how many times? We are just about to lower our price again which will make it 1/5th lower than where we started.

 

[SDSorority]

Still rolling along! Totally detail cleaned one of the bathrooms yesterday and purged a TON of stuff. ...now I just need to keep it clean... Oh and I cleaned the oven, re-staged some rooms, and painted around one of the front windows. Still need to do the front door (the actual door and around it with a white trim), the 2nd front window, and the porch ceiling trim.

Tonight's agenda is more painting and purging. I feel like Huck Finn painting the white fence....it...never...ends

 

[Sinderelly]

We have had our house on the market for just over a year. Can I ask if you had to lower the asking price on your house to get it sold and if so how many times? We are just about to lower our price again which will make it 1/5th lower than where we started.

We lowered the price by $10K ($149,900 to $139,900) and after that it only took 3 months to get an offer. This was for a 3BR 2BA ranch. I looked at all the listings in our area and our house was a really good deal and was showing nicely. We also took it off the market for abour 3 months and then re-listed. I hope your house sells really soon.

 

[angwill]

We lowered the price by $10K ($149,900 to $139,900) and after that it only took 3 months to get an offer. This was for a 3BR 2BA ranch. I looked at all the listings in our area and our house was a really good deal and was showing nicely. We also took it off the market for abour 3 months and then re-listed. I hope your house sells really soon.

We have had no lookers this year after being convinced the reason it didn't sell was because it was $20,000 over priced. Last year we had at least one showing per month. This year in March we switched realtors and dropped the price to $20,000 less and have had no showings. I just called the realtor about it and asked her why she thought that was and she told me we should lower the price another $5,000. I am thinking about firing the realtor and going with someone else listing it higher and offering a $5,000 bonus to the realtor who sells it. It is getting ridiculous really since the other 10 homes around us all sold in the last year. It just gets aggrevating keep it show clean 24/7 and having nothing happen. I wish I knew of a good realtor.

 

[cornflake]

We have had no lookers this year after being convinced the reason it didn't sell was because it was $20,000 over priced. Last year we had at least one showing per month. This year in March we switched realtors and dropped the price to $20,000 less and have had no showings. I just called the realtor about it and asked her why she thought that was and she told me we should lower the price another $5,000. I am thinking about firing the realtor and going with someone else listing it higher and offering a $5,000 bonus to the realtor who sells it. It is getting ridiculous really since the other 10 homes around us all sold in the last year. It just gets aggrevating keep it show clean 24/7 and having nothing happen. I wish I knew of a good realtor.

What were the prices of the 10 that sold? Like were they comparable to yours? Price comparable per sq. ft.?

I'd wager it's not the realtor - if it's in the MLS, if it was priced correctly, you'd have people coming because THEIR realtors saw it and wanted to see it. Unless she's not agreeing to showings or whatever, people would come if there was interest. I mean I agree a realtor can market, get other realtors to see it, etc., but... if other things are not only showing but selling and no one is coming to see yours... have you gone to see some comps to compare yourself?

 

[angwill]

What were the prices of the 10 that sold? Like were they comparable to yours? Price comparable per sq. ft.?

I'd wager it's not the realtor - if it's in the MLS, if it was priced correctly, you'd have people coming because THEIR realtors saw it and wanted to see it. Unless she's not agreeing to showings or whatever, people would come if there was interest. I mean I agree a realtor can market, get other realtors to see it, etc., but... if other things are not only showing but selling and no one is coming to see yours... have you gone to see some comps to compare yourself?

The odd thing is that only 3 were less per Sq Ft because they were forclosures the others were comparable cost per sq foot. To explain further since dropping $20,000 we are quite a bit lower per sq ft than the others in the area that are similar to ours. Two within about a mile, one a forclosure and one that was similar to our house but more per sq ft have sold within the last 3 months. I am almost wondering if when we dropped the $20,000 at the new realtors advise it didn't make other realtors worry there was something wrong with our house? I am just baffled about it all. Oh and we were told the average selling time for homes in our area is 6 months.