Getting ready to sell. I want to add value to house/husband doesn't!

MEB4 · #1 May 15, 2007, 07:51 PM

We need to sell w/in the next two months. We are the first owners in this house built in 2004. Did no upgrades other than the front door and garage door opener in order to keep costs down! We've added value ( at least I'd like to think that

) to the hall bath by laying down tile and adding a double shower door to the tub to avoid the mess my kids would make with the water!. Tile was also added to the laundry room. Our back porch has partial shade and came with a 20'x10' cement patio... we extended it by adding another 20'x10'. We have added a fence and are in the planning stages to add a simple pergola (in order to point out the patio addition!). The house is a 3bed/2bath house with a 2 car garage. We extended the driveway on each side by an extra 2' and can comfortably park 3 cars side by side. PLUS... our attic has been floored for extra storage!... I want to add a few more details ie Crown molding, more tile in foyer and mater bath.. but husband doesn't want to. With the market slowing down a bit I want a quick sell, and also want for the house to show at it's best. Being a buyers market I want to appeal to them by showing what has been done to the house. My colors are very very neutral. Please help... I can admit when I am wrong but I do feel that minor upgrades might help... I want to make the house look good for the sale but my husband insists that I am putting more money into it and might not appeal to all buyers. I am trying to stay neutral ... and I think my decor will appeal to at least a few of the women!... I don't have my walls plastered with family photos ... if anything I have a few well chosen pieces that make our 10' ceilings and the house overall uncluttered and open.

Please advise! It does worry me that he might be right and at times I just feel like taking my stuff out of the house, giving it a thorough cleaning and just putting the for sale sign in front.... AND WILL DO THAT IF YOU HELP ME AND POINT OUT THAT I AM GOING OVER BOARD. A few months ago I know those little changes would have paid off.. but now I am not so sure.. I just really want the house to look good "on a budget"!

Thanks in advance!

MEB4

ps... also added sod in the front along with a manual sprinkler system and sod!

gypsy456 · May 15, 2007, 08:07 PM

I can only tell you what is important to me as a buyer.
We are actively looking and today f.i. I saw 25 houses in a couple of hours.

I tend to agree with your husband.
However, I have no idea what your place looks like

Don't you have a realtor who can help you to stage your house ?
It is true though... prices are (lucky for us !!) dropping slightly.

Good luck !

yathink103 · May 15, 2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEB4

We need to sell w/in the next two months. We are the first owners in this house built in 2004. Did no upgrades other than the front door and garage door opener in order to keep costs down! We've added value ( at least I'd like to think that

) to the hall bath by laying down tile and adding a double shower door to the tub to avoid the mess my kids would make with the water!. Tile was also added to the laundry room. Our back porch has partial shade and came with a 20'x10' cement patio... we extended it by adding another 20'x10'. We have added a fence and are in the planning stages to add a simple pergola (in order to point out the patio addition!). The house is a 3bed/2bath house with a 2 car garage. We extended the driveway on each side by an extra 2' and can comfortably park 3 cars side by side. PLUS... our attic has been floored for extra storage!... I want to add a few more details ie Crown molding, more tile in foyer and mater bath.. but husband doesn't want to. With the market slowing down a bit I want a quick sell, and also want for the house to show at it's best. Being a buyers market I want to appeal to them by showing what has been done to the house. My colors are very very neutral. Please help... I can admit when I am wrong but I do feel that minor upgrades might help... I want to make the house look good for the sale but my husband insists that I am putting more money into it and might not appeal to all buyers. I am trying to stay neutral ... and I think my decor will appeal to at least a few of the women!... I don't have my walls plastered with family photos ... if anything I have a few well chosen pieces that make our 10' ceilings and the house overall uncluttered and open.

Please advise! It does worry me that he might be right and at times I just feel like taking my stuff out of the house, giving it a thorough cleaning and just putting the for sale sign in front.... AND WILL DO THAT IF YOU HELP ME AND POINT OUT THAT I AM GOING OVER BOARD. A few months ago I know those little changes would have paid off.. but now I am not so sure.. I just really want the house to look good "on a budget"!

Thanks in advance!

MEB4

ps... also added sod in the front along with a manual sprinkler system and sod!

The best thing you can do to convince your husband is to have him watch HGTV "Sell this house" when he see's how much more you can get with little improvements he will change his tune.

inthebox · May 15, 2007, 08:54 PM

If you have the most expensive house in the neighborhood, putting more money into it would be a higher risk. Likewise, if you have a house value that is less than those on your block putting money into it would not be as risky.

I've always heard that adding a bedroom, or bathroom adds value to a home - or least you might recover almost 100% of what you put into it.

On that show as mentioned above, they always start with getting rid of clutter and cleaning things up.

Good luck

LadyB · May 16, 2007, 08:35 AM

I would try to stage it simply and not do any major upgrades if you need to sell quickly.

Pack up and store all knickknacks, all unnecessary clothes in closets, all unnecessary dishes, etc. You want every cupboard and closet to look like it can hold much more than you need.

Go through each room and verify that its purpose is clear. If you use your dining room as a playroom, for example, get rid of all toys and put a dining table in there. Remove anything that doesn't add to the functionality of a room including extra furniture pieces...you want again to look like there is more space than you even can use!

Ensure everything is spotless, including light fixtures, baseboards, doors, etc. and utilize whatever natural light you can by opening drapes. If you have a fireplace, make sure it is a focal point.

Good luck!

MEB4 · May 16, 2007, 08:49 AM

Thank you all for your advice!! My house is not the smallest or biggest in the neighborhood... that is why I want to make it competitive enough to where it will draw a buyer's attention! We are packing all the clutter and making sure that it shows to its fullest potential space wise. All that I understand because I'm also looking into those details as a buyer @ houses that we've gone to see so far... I want a quick sale more than anything so that I can go be on the receiving end! Thanks again for all your thoughs and advice!!

-MEB4



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