Do you have a house you need to sell that isn’t the best looking one on the block?  No need to worry…you can still get it sold fast and get multiple offers.  Here are a few things to consider.

In the real estate world, there are some that would say to never buy the nicest house on the block.  Do you know why?  From a value perspective, buying the nicest (and most likely the most expensive) house on the block lowers your resale value and increases everyone else’s home value.  If we’re looking at average home values in a neighborhood, the one or two nicest homes are going to bring the overall average up but at the same time, the average is going to be less than the value of those homes.  

What I stated above could be one of the reasons why the nicest house on the block will get plenty of offers.  In some neighborhoods, buyers will notice the potential some homes can have and look to the other nice ones in the subdivision for motivation.  You may have seen some neighborhoods that are going through a turnover, where older, smaller homes are getting bought and either fixed up or torn down to rebuild.  In that situation, there could very well be several people that are just waiting to buy that lot.

What do you do if you have a home that isn’t the nicest but you still want to try to get as much for it as possible?  Here are some things to focus on.

• Make sure your curb appeal is great.  If the outside is nicely kept up with good landscaping, that goes a long way for buyer’s first impressions and they’ll have more of an open mind about the inside.
• Make sure the major issues are addressed.  This means making sure the HVAC systems are working, there is no major roof issues, no cracked windows, no plumbing issues, things that would be a big ticket item in the buyer’s mind.  If you don’t have money to fix those items, be prepared with potential work arounds like offering a home warranty plan, or know you may need to reduce the price a little to account for it.
• Keep everything neutral and clutter free.  It goes a long way!!
• If the home has more potential than you’re willing to do…for example the layout lends itself to adding a main floor master or expanding the living space by converting 4 season sun room into an indoor space, get bids from reputable contractors for the work and have those available to buyers so they can imagine the potential.  I wouldn’t put those out at the beginning but having your agent communicate that to buyers that express interest is always helpful.
• The market itself may help those homes that are lessor priced.  With home prices so high these days, some buyers are looking for that diamond in the rough to get them in where they want to be but can’t afford a fully move in ready home.  

Each home is so unique and each neighborhood is as well.  If you’d like more information on your specific situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to discuss any questions you have.  Here to help you with your real estate journey!