Prepping House in Chevy Chase DC to Sell

[Anonymous]

Have a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, side hall colonial in Chevy Chase DC built in 1936 that I plan to sell in late 2024/early 2025 after living here 30+ years. It is very well maintained, but completely unrenovated except for finishing the 3rd floor (bedroom and sitting room with mini-split AC/heating) and a small sunroom addition on the back. Kitchen and bath are original and basement is unfinished. All new copper pipes. Downstairs woodwork and all upstairs doors are original chestnut. Backyard is large and flat so there is room for an addition. I would love to sell to a family vs a developer. Before I get advice of realtors, what does DCUM say about how to prep for sale? Standard painting, floor refinishing and general spruce up or more? I assume that any buyer would renovate substantially. Everyone on DCUM trashes unrenovated houses while complaining about being priced out of the neighborhood. This house could be a way to get a better price for someone interested in a project. What is worth doing before putting on the market if you would be interested in a house like this?

[Anonymous]

I would just do the basic clean up and that's it.

[Anonymous]

sounds lovely, op. by original kitchen, do you truly mean original -- i.e, no dishwasher, etc.?

[Anonymous]

When you say you'd love to sell to a family vs a developer, are you prepared to turn down substantially higher offers from developers? And what if the family lies to you and ends up tearing it down? Will you insist on a contract provision requiring no teardown?

My point here is that (no offense) but your house may be a teardown so whatever money you spend fixing it up might be a waste.

[Anonymous]

I do some design work and recently helped sell my deceased neighbor's house for her out-of-area sons. It's a 1970s ranch house, pretty 'original' but had wallpaper removed and carpets taken up so the hardwood could be refinished. Everything painted, left the bathrooms and kitchen mostly untouched except for changing out a couple of light fixtures to suggest a hipper look, keeping in style with the period.

It sold with a slightly higher offer from asking in a week. The new owners are happy with the house and going for a Brady Bunch vibe. So glad we did not take the realtor's suggestions to gray everything up and add IKEA bathrooms and kitchen.

[Anonymous]

It is more than likely that a developer will want to raze and rebuild or else a family will want to do a substantial renovation (ie over $500k) so I wouldn't do much to it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say you'd love to sell to a family vs a developer, are you prepared to turn down substantially higher offers from developers? And what if the family lies to you and ends up tearing it down? Will you insist on a contract provision requiring no teardown?

My point here is that (no offense) but your house may be a teardown so whatever money you spend fixing it up might be a waste.

Developers don’t do substantially higher offers.

[Anonymous]

You act like the house being in Chevy Chase somehow makes a difference. It doesn’t. Just clean the place up and list it already. Don’t do anything to it.

[Anonymous]

Don't bother. Just sell it now as is and you won't have to do a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just do the basic clean up and that's it.

This - people are going to change it to suit themselves anyway. Why waste the time, effort, money and materials. There is enough waste already, don’t add to it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say you'd love to sell to a family vs a developer, are you prepared to turn down substantially higher offers from developers? And what if the family lies to you and ends up tearing it down? Will you insist on a contract provision requiring no teardown?

My point here is that (no offense) but your house may be a teardown so whatever money you spend fixing it up might be a waste.

Might go to a flipper who will pay more than a builder/developer. That happened to us

[Anonymous]

A lot of people prefer a house that needs renovating, especially if mostly cosmetic. No one wants to pay for the upgrades based on someone else's taste, with often cheap finishes. Just do a deep clean, declutter, stick a sign in the yard. SOLD.

[Anonymous]

NP

The consensus seems to be to clean and declutter versus any renovations. Would your advice to OP differ if the house was in another area, potentially not as strong of a market as the DC area, or is your advice the same regardless?

[Anonymous]

no renovations. It will be waste of money and you wouldn't have even been able to enjoy them. Location will sell it plus as others have said, there's a good chance the new buyer will knock it down or look to do very significant renovations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no renovations. It will be waste of money and you wouldn't have even been able to enjoy them. Location will sell it plus as others have said, there's a good chance the new buyer will knock it down or look to do very significant renovations.

I agree, and I think it's true wherever the house is. Clean it up, fresh paint, fix anything that is obviously broken. Get your stuff out and stage it nicely. You are not going to get your money back on renovations.