Selling Your Home? Do the Work

by Sherry Holetzky | More from this Blogger

27 Apr 2006 05:55 AM

If you want to sell your home quickly, sell it for top dollar, or both, it is important that you do the work. You can get lots of great tips and ideas from shows like Designed to Sell on HGTV, but you can also learn a lot by having an open mind. Ask a friend or family member to look over your home and give you a brutally honest assessment. Ask your realtor to tell it like it is. Remember, this is for your own good, so don't be offended by their comments.

We tend to get sidetracked by sentimentality and overlook certain things when it comes to our own homes. An "outsider," or someone who doesn't live in the home, can be far more objective.

The first and probably the most important issue is home repair. If there are repairs that need to be done, or projects that have been started but never finished, it is important to get these things handled. A buyer will see disrepair immediately, and begin calculating the costs of materials or the cost of hiring someone to do the work. That amount will be deducted from an offer, if the buyer even makes an offer.

Since most people prefer homes that are in move-in condition, you may not get any offers at all. Homebuyers tend to assume that the entire home is not well maintained when they notice disrepair even in one small area. It pays to make the repair or have it done, before showing your house.

A good example is cracks or water marks on ceilings or walls. These issues make homebuyers nervous. They'll wonder if the foundation is settling or if the roof still leaks. It's better for everyone's peace of mind, and better for the sale of your home, if you go ahead and take care of these issues.

Try to look at your home as you would look at home you were considering purchasing, and do the work for potential buyers.

Learn more about Sherry Holetzky

Sherry Holetzky is a work at home mom and freelance writer. Married to her best friend, Sherry and her husband are raising their family in a quiet rural setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

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