How to Sell A House: Easy Ways to Fix Up Your House for Sale
Want to know how to sell a house in this market? Selling a home is never a small task, and with home sales still suffering it can be harder than ever within the current real estate market. Today, it’s not enough just to present the facts and let buyers use their imaginations as to how they might rework or redecorate the place.
It’s more important than ever to present to potential buyers a real vision of how the home could be theirs; the ideal locale in which to live, sleep, work, play, learn, grow and thrive. To get the best possible price when selling a home, many sellers and realtors are ‘staging’ homes with the right kind of amenities and furnishings to subtly persuade buyers into seeing the property in a new light. To easily fix up a house and make a faster sale for a higher asking price, without undertaking a full ‘staging,’ try some of the easy quick fix tips below.
The number one way to make a home sparkle and shine in the eyes of buyers is to make it actually sparkle and shine!
With a bit of good old fashioned elbow grease, and a great cleanser, any home can look its best with a good day or two of cleaning and organizing. Potential home buyers want to see that their investment was well cared for by the previous owner, instead of dreading inheriting someone else’s mess. Take the time to clear away clutter, scrub wooden floors, shampoo carpets, organize closets, dry-clean the curtains, clear drains and gutters, and even wash the home’s exterior.
Don ‘t stop with the home either, make sure the driveway and lawn are impeccable by mowing the lawn, trimming away tree branches, weeding any gardens or planted areas, and picking up any chaos or clutter that might frighten potential buyers away.
It’s understandable that a home will need a few touchups after being lived in for many years by any one owner.
Instead of leaving these touchups for the new buyer, it’s easy for sellers to take care of a few of the basics themselves for next to no investment. For example, it only takes a few moments to fill in picture frame holes, paint chipped window sills, or even just a few days to repaint the entire interior of the house. There’s no need to go professional with the paint job, just concentrate on creating neutral spaces the potential buyers will be able to envision their belongings in.
Painting the outside of the house is often unnecessary, but a fresh coat of paint on the windowsills or on the front door can really change the look of the house and make it seem fresh and exciting. Post the home’s street number in big, new numbers in an obvious place where potential buyers will be able to see them when arriving for a showing, or even when just driving by.
Finally, those up for a larger project that will really boost the return on investment should focus on quick fixes to the windows and floors.
Anything from a good cleaning and new window treatments, to an entire window replacement will help to sell the home more quickly. Floors, whether wooden or carpeted should be polished or shampooed to look their very freshest. Any dingy wooden floors can look brand new again with a weekend of sanding and refinishing, well worth the investment for the look on potential buyers’ faces. If there are wood floors hiding under carpeting in the home, don’t be afraid to expose them to increase the chances of a quick resale.
About the Author: This article is a joint effort from Jim Beadman of Construction Chemicals, who are experts in DIY projects from decorating a room to tanking a cellar, and Victoria Crowdell of Shopfit Design who specializes in displaying homes for sale on Cable Display systems.
Cost vs Value: How to Make Your Renovation Payoff
By Greg Andruff
With all of the uncertainty in the Real Estate market recently, many people have been asking about how to make their renovation the most profitable when they go to sell. Whether you are a “Do It Yourselfer” (DIY), or you hire a contractor, proper budgeting and planning are key to saving you both time and money.
Planning – Why, How, Who, Where and What
Why -The first step in planning a renovation is figuring out “Why” you want to make alterations. For example, if you are looking to update a bathroom is it because you want more space or just updating fixtures? Home improvement projects should typically be done with a mindset that you are improving your home for your own enjoyment. Often renovations are done at a large expense and owners are looking to recover costs only to find that their home sits on the market without any interested buyers. It is reasonable to expect improvements will increase the value of your home, just make sure you are realistic with your expectations which can happen if you have a plan. So choose your upgrades wisely, or it could cost you even more in the long run.
How - When budgeting, ask for project quotes from 2 or 3 reputable contractors that specialize in renovations. If you are doing a DIY project, shop around for you materials. Explain what it is that you want as clearly as possible, and get estimates in writing. Remember to give room for a contingency of 10%-15% for cost overruns or unforeseen costs.
Who- You may want to engage the services of a contractor for a number of reasons. One is that you want the work to be done according to building code (especially in the case of resale.) Future buyers want warranties that all renovation work has been done to code. Also, they will be able to assist in getting the proper permits which can be a hassle and a challenge for someone who has never done it before. At the end of the day, if they are a true professional, they will save you time and money!!!
If you want to do it yourself, acquire free home remodeling plans and ideas from the Internet, home remodeling supply centres, open houses and home magazines. Many of these resources can also help you with advice and “how to techniques.”
Major Point – High quality appliances, spacious rooms, and quality construction will go a long way in improving your value. Be careful of cutting corners that turn off potential buyers. If you are working with high end materials, give them high end treatment and installation.
Where- Keep in mind the neighborhood in which you are renovating. A project should be relative to the dwelling. For example, don’t remodel your kitchen for $30,000 in a $100,000 home. The Appraisal Institute of Canada warns, “If the value of your home exceeds the average market value in your neighborhood, your renovations will not yield a significant return. However, if your home value is below the average, you can recover a larger part of the renovation costs.”
What – Here are the “percentage recovered upon resale statistics” from the Appraisal Institute of Canada:
75% to 100% – Kitchen and Bathroom upgrade
50% to 100% – Interior painting
50% to 80% – Roof replacement, Replacement of furnace or heating system
50% to 75% – Expansion (addition of family room), Doors and windows, Deck, Installation of hardwood floor, Construction of a garage, Fireplace (wood or gas), Central air conditioning, Finished basement
25% to 50% Wood fence, Interlocking paving stones on driveway.
So you can see that the kitchen and bathroom are what pay out the most in returns when you sell your home. Conversely, those are the places that really appeal to buyers. If you have a little bit extra money to spend, those are the areas that you will want to spend more. Also, note that a fresh coat of paint can really help energize a home and often pays for its self too.
Tips-
- A house that looks nice inside will sell at a slightly higher price and above all it will sell faster!
- Build to what most people will like! A renovation that cost $25,000 is not worth that much if it is done with poor taste.
If you have any other tips for getting the best bang for your renovation buck, share them with us in the comments!
Greg Andruff is a member of the residential real estate team, Team Andruff, with the slogan “Our product is homes…our passion is people.” To contact Greg visit www.TeamAndruff.ca or call 778-899-4267
Forget Granite: Meet Aurastone!
By Vera Darius
As a decorative painter I am always excited to discover new innovative products. I have recently discovered a product called Aurastone™ and I wanted to share it with you.
According to the Aurastone™ website “it is an architectural coating used in the faux finishing industry. Decorative artists and designers alike are quickly integrating the Aurastone™ system for a number of reasons. The Aurastone™ finishing system is unparalleled in durability, versatility and aesthetic appeal.
Aurastone™ is simply the most user-friendly product available. Hundreds of decorative faux effects can be created utilizing our one-bucket system. Many faux finishes involve four to five steps to create the desired look. The cost of these additional layers and left over materials can add up quickly, cutting into your profits. Utilizing Aurastone™ eliminates many of these laborious processes because most Aurastone™ finishes involve only two or three steps. In many cases labor can be cut by fifty percent utilizing the Aurastone™ system. Since Aurastone is a one-bucket system there is virtually no wasted or unusable product.”
Key Advantages of Aurastone Compared to Granite or Marble
Courtesy of Aurastone.com
Granite stains easily with fruit, peanut butter, olive oil, bacteria, etc.
The possibilities for this product are endless. Consider finishing your old outdoor furniture or perhaps making your furniture virtually indestructible by refinishing it. Can you think of an exciting use for Aurastone in your home? Share it with us in the comments!
Vera Darius is the Owner of Genuine Art Effects a company specializing in painting and decorative finishes. For more information on Aurastone or to arrange an in home consultation, call Vera at 604-831-2383 or visit her website at www.genuinearteffects.com
Spring Is Here: Let’s Get Dirty!
By Kathryn Haley
Spring is here and for many of you that means you are starting to think about making some changes in your home. It is the time of year for Home Shows and seeing all the new trends and products, your creative juices start flowing. If you haven’t watched the video on trends for 2010, check it out here.
Sadly though, many of you will only dream about starting that project. Whether it is tiling that back splash or painting that room, many women talk themselves out of getting their hands dirty. It seems like too big a job, or you don’t know where to start. Or even worse, you don’t think you can do it.
Well, I am here to tell you YOU CAN DO IT!
This picture is of me cutting tile for a Kitchen Backsplash. I admit that I am very comfortable using a wet saw and other power tools. But at some point in the past I had to try it for the first time. And just like anything else in life, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will be.
And now I find it very liberating to pull of hair in a pony tail, put on my ripped, paint covered jeans and get my hands dirty. To be able to stand back and admire something you have created is an amazing feeling. I don’t care if it is painting your bedroom dresser a different colour, installing a new bathroom floor, or creating a new flower bed in your back yard, you will feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment by doing it yourself.
So come on ladies, don’t worry about that manicure! If you want to make some changes to your home this Spring, go for it! And once you are finished your project send us some pictures so we can inspire others to get creative.
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