What Not To Do Before You Sell Your Home

It’s tempting to go overboard when preparing your home for sale. After all, you’ve lived there for some time and you know where all the cracks are. You might have held a few open houses already and heard people complaining about the colour of the walls, or the poor lighting in the garage. While this can be a bit confronting, it’s important not to take such criticisms personally. You might be tempted to spend quite a bit to make your home more attractive to potential buyers – but remember that not all home improvements add value and even if they do, not all of them are necessary.

Think carefully about whether or not you will recoup the cost of any improvements in the sale price. For example, a $100,000 renovation and extension may only add $25,000 to your sale price (some of which is most likely taken in tax), so this kind of upgrade may prove a little excessive.

Sticking to the basics is always good; keep the lawns and gardens neat and tidy, and make sure your home is always clean for showings. You may look into getting some, or all, of your house painted – but even this should be weighed against the additional sale money it might generate. If you do decide to repaint, stick to neutral colours like whites, creams and beige tones. Other simple improvements might include having your carpets cleaned or replaced in some areas.

Some of the renovating decisions that do not necessarily increase sale prices include:

Pools and Ponds: Not everyone wants the hassle of looking after a pool or pond. While it may look nice, buyers looking for low maintenance yards would not be inclined to consider a property with a lot of water features they have to monitor and maintain – and it increases the running costs of the property as well which can actually put potential purchasers off making an offer for the property. Properties with pools are also less attractive to buyers in colder months.

Unique Additions: Everyone’s home is an expression of themselves but resist the urge to show off your personality through your home renovation. Keep decorating neutral and simple. Buyers need to look around and see themselves living there, not you. Fluorescent yellow feature walls may appeal to you and your friends, but you could well turn potential home buyers off with such a stunt.

The main thing is to keep it simple.