10 Deadly Mistakes * Staging the Home For Sale * Home Improvement Value
10 Deadly Mistakes
      1.  Overpricing: Done to allow negotiating room, or for over improvement
      2.  Not having a Lock Box: This limits the showings by agents, due to the incovenience.
      3.  Condition of the property: Not considering painting, carpets, bushes, cleaning etc.
      4.  Staging of the home: Not getting rid of clutter, removing excess funiture, closets, etc.
      5.  Odors: Not ridding the home of odors from pets, smoking, food etc.
      6.  Cleanliness: Not cleaning the kitchen sinks, baths, appliances.
      7.  Inadequate lighting: Dark homes are depressing, turn on lights, open drapes, cut back trees from windows,
                  wash windows & light fixtures.
      8.  Choosing the wrong agents: An aggresive agent will have faster results.
      9.  Rejecting offers outright, without negotiating: The first offer is usually the best one.
      10. Emotions! Sellers have to be objective and consider their home like any other product and realize different
                  people have different tastes.
Staging the Home for Sale
    Consideration of these questions might help get a higher price for the home on a shorter period of time with fewer problems:
      Does my house or any part of my house need painting?
      Should I reseed the lawn and get my landscaping in top shape?
      What about the screens?
        Any holes on them?
      What about the windows and doors?
        Do they work well?
      Does the carpeting need cleaning or replacing?
      Are pets under control?
      Are all the appliances clean and in good working order?
      Should I take some of the clothes out of the closets to make them look bigger?
      Is there any furniture I could store or dispose of to make the rooms look bigger?
      Do any of the cabinets need to be touched up or refinished?
      Are the garage and storage areas as clean and neat they should be?
      What will be the buyer's first impression of the exterior of my house?
      What can I do to improve it?
      What would be the buyer's first impression of the interior of my house?
      What can I do to improve it?
      If I were the buyer, would I buy my home over the other houses similar to mine, that are in the market?


Home Improvement Value

PROJECT AVERAGE RESALE %
Fireplace $3,250 $4,000 123%
Full Bath $7,300 $8,000 110%
Greenhouse $13,500 $12,000 89%
Minor Kitchen Remodeling $6,700 $6,000 90%
Major Kitchen Remodeling $18,000 $16,000 89%
Siding/Insulation $6,000 $6,000 100%
Add Insulation $1,200 $1,000 83%
New Roof $3,400 $2,700 80%
Add Skylights $2,800 $2,100 89%
Add Room $28,000 $20,000 71%
Remodeled Bath $6,200 $4,650 75%
Pool $19,000 $6,100 32%

The information above is from the Remodeling Contractor, a Chicago Magazine. The figures above is based on remodeling job on a 17 year old, single level home of 1600 sq. ft. The average american home is supposed to be in a Midwest suburban area valued at $90,000. Obviously this average home is not typical of California. However, the percentages give some estimate of the importance of each project and the impact on the sale.

 

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