Curious what the WORST use of your money is when considering selling your house? You have found the right place!
- Painting
- Lipstick repairs
- Unlicensed work
- Poor craftmanship
- Replacing an 8 year or newer HVAC unit
- Replacing a 10 year or newer roof
- Outdated Kitchen and bathroom updates
Below you will find a more detailed explanation of why it doesn’t always pay to make improvements before you sell.
- Painting a house although may seem like an easy way to increase value, but most people who buy houses these days want it to be that perfect HGTV color they have been seeing lately. If you aren’t following all the current trends and staying up to date on design ideas you will likely go with the wrong color.
- Lipstick Repairs stick out like a finger you just hit with a hammer. It just doesn’t look right and as a professional home buyer we can tell when things are not done well.
- Unlicensed work is the deadliest sin of crushing home values! Although you may think saving a few thousand dollars making repairs or improvements with an unlicensed sub-contractor the dividends don’t pay off. Normally these “improvements” have to be redone and it costs more than it did the first time. Save that work for the pros!
- Poor Craftsmanship or homeowner jobs that should never have happened are noticeable from a mile away… Listen I am all for doing things myself as long as I am skilled in doing that repair. If you’ve never done it before, try it on a friends house first! Then if the job went great and it looks good try it on your own house.
- HVAC units under 8 years old are not going to affect your sales price. Most HVAC units *except Goodman units* life expectancy are at least 8 years.
- Roofs are typically sold in 20-30 year varities. If yours is 10 years or newer do NOT replace. Inspect if between 10-18 years old.
- Outdated kitchen and bathroom updates – A little explanation here: Do you install new kitchens and baths on a regular basis? Are you tracking new styles and do you know what current buyers are looking for in an updated kitchen and bath? If not, the $20,000-30,000 spent will possibly not be worth while. Let the pros handle the headache of renovations AFTER you sell it and move on to bigger and better things.
If you are stuck and need someone to discuss these ideas with then call us at 919-439-2911 or fill out the form below and we will be in touch soon!
Interested in the best use of your money? Wanting to make some improvements for maximum bang for the buck!? Head on over to our Maximizing your money post