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Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 6, Replace Your Carpet
Mr and Mrs. Home Seller ask: “Why don’t we let the buyers pick out the new carpet? We don’t know what color they may want.”
New carpeting Creates a Fresh, Clean Look
This is one of the most common sentiments I’ve heard over the years from home sellers. Sellers often think it’s best to leave the old carpet, offer a carpet allowance if needed, and let the buyer choose their own carpet.
Is this right? Do buyers want to choose their own carpet?
NO. Not in the Seattle-Eastside real estate market. Buyers DO NOT want to choose, pay or replace carpet when buying a new home. In this area, Seattle’s eastside cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and Issaquah, etc., buyers want to buy a home that’s move-in ready.
On Seattle’s eastside, the typical buyer is a very busy person(s) who may work a lot of hours. Most buyers aren’t looking to do structural or cosmetic updates to a home. They don’t have the time or the inclination. They want to move in and continue on with their lives with the least amount of disruption. They don’t want to be replacing carpet. Besides, there are lots of Seattle-eastside homes to choose from and many of the other homes have been updated and are ready to go.
Most home sellers don’t want to replace carpet either, but think about it. The buyers don’t have to replace your carpet because they don’t have to buy your home. They have other homes to buy. However, as the seller, you have only one home to sell and so you’ve got to do it. Remember, if you feel like you don’t want to replace the carpet, the buyer probably feels the same way. The catch is, they don’t have to do it, they can buy another home.
So if you want to get an offer to buy your home and make the most money while selling your home, replace your carpet if it’s worn, discolored, has stains, you name it. Make sure it looks fresh and clean, otherwise it will cost you money in the sales price for your home and it could even cost you getting a buyer.
Should you spend a lot for expensive carpet? Absolutely not. You should put in a good grade of carpet, but one that is similar to what builders install in new construction. Make sure you pick a neutral color and install a good 8 lb. pad underneath the rug. A thin pad with new carpet won’t work. It’s easy to tell that either the carpet or the pad are thin the minute you step on it. It feels like you’re on cement.
Looking for some other tips to get the most money when selling your home? Read Parts 1-5, planting some “green,” when to set the sales price, yard clean up, dressing up a front door, and replacing moldings and doors. Pick what your home needs to get it “dressed up” to sell in the competitive Seattle real estate market.
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 5, Moldings and Doors
Make more money selling your home is my series on getting your home sold, not just getting it ready to sell, but getting it sold. These posts are a series of suggestions for things you can do to update your home before you sell it. Updated homes sell faster and for more money than homes in need of work. Better yet, if you want to do some of these things while you’re still enjoying your home, go for it.
You may not do everything, but if you read all the posts, you’ll have a good idea of what home updates will get you more money. You can decide how best to spend your money and what works for your budget. Read Parts 1-4, planting some “green,” when to set the sales price, yard clean up, and dressing up a front door and the rest of the series (coming soon), to pick what your home needs to get it “dressed up” to sell in the competitive Seattle real estate market.
Spending some money updating your home will help you make more money selling your home. In the Seattle real estate market, particularly on the eastside, most buyers are looking for homes updated and ready to go. There’s a very small pool of buyers looking to fix up a home on Seattle’s eastside.
Today’s topic: moldings and doors. Clean, fresh white moldings and doors. Some homes will have a theme and look better with wood doors and moldings, but many homes will look great with white woodwork. If you’re starting from scratch, you can pick from many different door styles. In today’s home market, doors can be anywhere from two to 6 panel, with the two panel doors growing in popularity.
New Doors Dress Up a Home for Sale
Before you pick the style of door, think about the type of neighborhood where your home is located. If it’s an upscale, high-end neighborhood, buyers will expect top quality. You’ll throw your money out if you go with inexpensive finishes. If the home is situated in a starter neighborhood, then go with hollow core doors, so you’ll save money. Solid doors are far more expensive. Pick something simple that matches your decor. Be practical and spend the least amount of money, while getting something that looks good and is the quality to fit your neighborhood and style of your home.
Moldings: Does your home have those skinny, outdated flat moldings from the 60’s or the 70’s? If so, it’s time for a change. Go with thicker baseboard moldings to dress up a room. Moldings finish a room off, making the overall finished look richer and better. Again, keep it simple and buy pre-painted moldings, if available.
Thick Baseboards Add A Quality Look to a Home
For the high-end neighborhood, maybe it’s repainting existing moldings so they look fresh and clean. Maybe it’s adding more crown moldings or chair rails in different parts of the house.
Dressing Up a Room By Adding Chair Rails
Don’t have the money to replace all the doors and moldings? Then paint them white, so they look fresh and clean. Make sure to use the right painting tools and paint. If you’ve never painted doors and moldings, then find out how to paint them so the surfaces will be smooth. Use a semi-gloss paint and it will help make the moldings pop. It will also help keep the moldings clean when done.
If painting is not your thing, it’s probably better to hire someone who knows how to paint these surfaces. Again, don’t throw your time and money out by doing a poor paint job.
Whatever your budget allows, the doors and moldings should be fresh and clean when you sell your home. If they’re not, it will cost you time and money in the sale of your home.
Do you have any other ideas about making doors and moldings look good?
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 4, Dress Up the Front Door
You’re a home buyer out looking at homes. You pull in front of a home that looks kind of interesting. You stand by the front door as your agent gets the key out of the key box to open the door. You look around the entrance and notice dirt and scuff marks on the front door. The brass plate is all tarnished, there are scratches by the key hole and the door mat is dirty. It looks like there’s been years of wear and tear and you haven’t even been inside.
A dirty front door and scratched hardware is not a big deal, or is it?
Buyers, what do you think?
Tarnished front door handle
Scratched front door key hole
I heard from past buyers that it raises a lot of questions. Mostly, the buyer is wondering how well the home has been maintained if something so obvious sticks out when you first walk up. Will this buyer be taking a closer look at the house? Will the buyer start wondering if there might be maintenance issues. Possibly.
A nice front door and shiny hardware make a big difference. It keeps the level of positive energy and interest up. It’s like seeing a blind date for the first time, you want that person to look good from the “get go,” not with messy hair or dirty clothing.
A Beautiful Front Door Creates a Great First Impression
Flowers By The Front Door Add a Nice Touch
So home sellers, stand out in front of your home by the front door, just as a buyer would. Look at what the buyer would be looking at when standing at the front of your home.
- Is your front door dirty?
- Is it in need of paint?
- Is the hardware gleaming and fresh or is it scratched?
- Are the railings in good shape?
- Are the steps neat and clean?
- Do you have flowers providing color by the front door?
- Is the doormat, fresh and clean?
- Do the house numbers look clean and stand out?
None of the fixes for the above should cost a lot of money. It can actually cost you more money if these items are not in good condition. Here are some more suggestions for creating that great curb appeal.
So before you sell your home, think of it like getting ready for a date or going to a party hoping to meet someone. In this case, your home is meeting a potential buyer. The buyer has a lot of options to choose from, like you might at a party. Help the buyer to choose your home by getting it ready for the party, oops, I mean to sell.
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 3, Clean Up Your Yard
Want to Make the Most Money Selling Your Home? Clean up your yard. I spoke about planting flowers previously, now I’ll talk about having your yard looking good.
Unsightly looking lawn hurts a home sale.
You’ve heard of a “bad dye job”? This is a bad lawn job. This lawn exists in front of home for sale, a home that has a sign in front of it! Seriously.
If you were a buyer, what would you think? Would this lawn make you question how well the home is maintained? Would you question whether the owners cared for their home? It leaves a terrible impression.
A green lawn that's ready to go
This is the front yard of another home. The yard is not fancy, but it looks well taken care of, creating a nice first impression. It doesn’t raise any red flags about maintenance, but instead helps a buyer focus positively on the home, rather than creating a negative feeling from the “get go.” Help buyers get out of their car to see your home. Make them want to come inside, not drive away.
A yard should not look like this when selling a home
The yard above should look more like the one below. Some homeowners neglect the little back corners of a yard. There can be some simple, inexpensive fixes, which make the corners of the yard look neat and organized. Gravel, bark, and some edging, whether it’s bricks or stones or something else, give it a finished, neat feel. None of these materials cost a lot of money. They can be somewhat labor intensive, so the choice would be to pay for it and do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. It would depend on your budget, time, and energy. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, this video form the DIY network gives some basic tips for ‘greening” your lawn.
A Nicely Organized Corner of the Yard
Regardless, you need to clean up your yard to make the most “green” when selling your home.
Top Ten Structural Items to Check When Preparing Your Home For Sale
Since I’ve been busy telling people now is the time to sell a home if planning to sell in 2010, I thought I’d bring up a friendly reminder about some of the top things to do around your home before you go on the market. This is by no means a complete list, but it focuses on some of the most obvious structural items both buyers and building inspectors will notice about a home. This list also is separate from a list of strictly cosmetic suggestions such as updating carpet and flooring or painting walls. Many blog posts could be written about the items you should check when preparing your home for sale, but this list is a good start.
Here’s my top ten list, with an added #11 thrown in because I’m dealing with it right now:
1. The Condition of roof – Does it need to be cleaned? Repaired? Replaced?
2. Earth/wood contact – Be sure all soil is 4 – 6 inches away from siding, planter boxes, decks, skirting, posts, etc.
Pull any dirt or bark away from the siding so you can see the foundation wall
3. Deck material rotted? Railings, steps, deck boards, joists, beams, etc.?
This is not a deck that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Check all deck boards and supports
4. Electrical – Non professional work? Panel breakers match wire size? Non grounded outlets?
5. Handrails Are they secured to wall? Are they installed where they should be?
Make sure there's s a sturdy railing so no one goes sailing down the stairs
6. Shower tile grout and sealant conditions?
Does the grout look clean and fresh?
7. Condition of the bathroom floors at tub/shower and toilet?
Check the floor for soft spots, clean, regrout, and reseal
8. Smoke detectors? Are they working? Do they need batteries?
9. Furnace Has the furnace been serviced recently? Does the filter need cleaning or replacement?
Your furnace must be a clean machine
10. Crawl space? Is there moisture in crawl space? Is a vapor barrier installed? Ventilation adequate? Wood scraps or debris which needs to be removed?
11. My new personal favorite is to check your chimney and fireplace. Hire a professional if you have not had your chimney checked or serviced. Make sure it is safe to use. (I’m having some fun doing this now and will fill you in at a later date as to what is involved.)
If you want to get more into it, check the home builder’s inspection checklist or the list from the American Home Inspectors Directory
What other things should be checked out before a home goes on the market?
