In today’s economy, we’re all paying attention to our budgets, whether it’s shopping more at Boomerangs and Goodwill, or planning another staycation. While it’s wise to cut and trim our everyday expenses, one area in which this doesn’t apply is preparing your home for sale in the Roslindale, Jamaica Plain or West Roxbury real estate market.
Even with the current outrageously low interest rates, it’s still a buyer’s market and, with more and more properties being listed every day, it’s critical to have your home stand head and shoulders above the competition. If you’re focused on saving money to buy or improve the next home you’ll be living in, bring yourself back to the present, look at your home as a buyer will, and give it some loving
care before you leave.
Here are some ideas that I share with my clients for getting their property market-ready and sold quickly:
1. Walk through your home with a relative or close friend who’s not afraid to be honest and objective with you about what needs to get done. For many of my clients, I provide this service on our first visit, the time when I can view the property with the “buyer’s eye”. This could be de-cluttering, taking down ancient faded drapes, getting the windows washed, replacing appliances in your kitchen, scraping and repainting the front porch, hiring someone to empty out the basement, garage, or attic.
2. Stage your home as if you don’t live in it any more. One of my maxims, though painful for clients to hear, is “If you’re comfortable living in your house when it’s on the market, it’s not showing correctly.” This means putting away the dish drainer, sponges and soap for every showing; taking down the shoe-racks from the inside of your closet door; packing up that collection of antique porcelain that’s been collecting dust and that will distract buyers’ attention from much more important aspects of your home, such as room flow, light, overall condition and spaciousness.
3. Listen to your Realtor (ideally, that’s me!) because she will tell you what to fix, change, or replace in order to preclude a long punch-list after your buyer has their home inspection. Keep in mind that a new hot water heater (generally about a $1000 expenditure) will be worth many times that amount in terms of overall buyer comfort, as will a new fridge, stove or bathroom vanity. Large pots of colorful, healthy mums on your front porch, gleaming hardware on your front door, and a fresh welcome mat are also essential.
As we enter the fall real estate market, keep in mind that what you invest in your property pre-market will shorten the dreaded “days on the market” and get you a price at the top of the scale.
Linda Burnett
Jamaica Plain/Roslindale Real Estate Maven
Keller-Williams Boston-Metro Real Estate
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