Easy Fixes that Home Sellers Always Seem to Miss

[Anonymous]

We recently sold our SFH (in February). We used a realtor who had a contractor available to make our house market ready.

New lights / lighting -- updated all bathroom lights, dining room, front hall light fixtures; brighter halogens for ceiling lights

updated door handles

updated faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms

power washed our siding, driveway and deck

repainted shutters and outdoor light fixtures (and updated lightbulbs to be brighter)

I think that's about it besides the other obvious of bathrooms and kitchen. But that will cost you $$$

[Anonymous]

The big question is whether the $ spent prepping for sale is recouped back in higher prices.

Not sure this is always the case. It will vary from house to house. Neighbors painted and recarpeted their house only for new owners to repaint and recarpet! It was clearly a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The big question is whether the $ spent prepping for sale is recouped back in higher prices.

Not sure this is always the case. It will vary from house to house. Neighbors painted and recarpeted their house only for new owners to repaint and recarpet! It was clearly a waste of money.

+1 We've done everything from very little to a lot for each home we've sold. It all depends on whether we would get back more it would cost to do it and pay taxes and realtor fees on the difference.

[Anonymous]

We were advised to get brand new, fluffy, towels and bath mats. It's a cheap fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were advised to get brand new, fluffy, towels and bath mats. It's a cheap fix.

Why would a buyer use your bath towels?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Refinish orange floors!

I see what you did there.

What did they do?

And can orange floors actually look that different if refinished?

[Anonymous]

Pick up any rodent traps or poison bait stations.

I know that any house can have mice, but I don't want to be reminded of that when I am considering shelling out $1 million-plus for a house I am touring.

[Anonymous]

Neutral paint colors!!!!!

WHY is this THAT hard?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were advised to get brand new, fluffy, towels and bath mats. It's a cheap fix.

Why would a buyer use your bath towels?

They don’t, I hope. But nice new, fluffy towels make them think they’d be so comfortable in your bathroom. Dingy towels with bits hanging off, make them think they’d be sad there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Refinish orange floors!

I see what you did there.

What did they do?

And can orange floors actually look that different if refinished?

Reference another thread of the day!

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1201171.page

[Anonymous]

The problem is that there’s a never-ending list of fixes and you’ll never get the money back. About the only thing cosmetic that ever turned me against a house was a musty basement smell, and I think that’s an actual problem and not a “fix.” Otherwise you should do the bare minimum to allow someone to move in and be reasonably comfortable: clean, repainted, nothing broken, yard cleaned up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is that there’s a never-ending list of fixes and you’ll never get the money back. About the only thing cosmetic that ever turned me against a house was a musty basement smell, and I think that’s an actual problem and not a “fix.” Otherwise you should do the bare minimum to allow someone to move in and be reasonably comfortable: clean, repainted, nothing broken, yard cleaned up.

A dehumidifier is great for this. Our basement has transformed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is that there’s a never-ending list of fixes and you’ll never get the money back. About the only thing cosmetic that ever turned me against a house was a musty basement smell, and I think that’s an actual problem and not a “fix.” Otherwise you should do the bare minimum to allow someone to move in and be reasonably comfortable: clean, repainted, nothing broken, yard cleaned up.

A dehumidifier is great for this. Our basement has transformed.

Ok then yes! I would put that on the list. Have a super-smeller come and see if anything smells in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is that there’s a never-ending list of fixes and you’ll never get the money back. About the only thing cosmetic that ever turned me against a house was a musty basement smell, and I think that’s an actual problem and not a “fix.” Otherwise you should do the bare minimum to allow someone to move in and be reasonably comfortable: clean, repainted, nothing broken, yard cleaned up.

A dehumidifier is great for this. Our basement has transformed.

Ok then yes! I would put that on the list. Have a super-smeller come and see if anything smells in the house.

Closets always seem to smell, no matter how nice. What to do?

[Anonymous]

Bump