Avoid this Mistake When Selling Your Home!

One of the biggest mistakes home sellers can make is sinking too much money into their home before selling it.

While it's a good idea to make the needed home repairs, modernizations, and touch-ups, full renovations rarely pay off - and it's all too easy to fall into a renovation trap before you sell your home. Here's a quick guide for each area of your home!

The Walls

It's a great idea to throw a fresh, neutral coat of paint on any older, out-of-style, or tinted walls. However, if you find yourself putting up wallpaper, installing board-and-batten, or demolishing the wall altogether... you've gone too far! 

The Floors

Grouting, cleaning, repairing, or polishing the floors throughout your home is an easy-to-do project that can yield a great return and impress potential buyers. However installing all new floors throughout the home when needed will also yield a great return so long as you are using a cost effective product.

The Yard

Definitely mow the lawn, trim the bushes and throw down some mulch. Curb appeal can goes a long way towards selling your home. Yard work may take some time and effort, but is an inexpensive way to increase your selling price. However, do not install new fixtures or hardscape before selling - leave the new homeowners a nice, blank slate.

The Exterior

Again.. curb appeal makes a big deal! Pressure wash the siding of your home and be sure to repair any damage. Feel free to modernize the shutters, and clean those gutters. Do not, however, replace the siding or windows unless they are damaged.

The Interior

There's an age-old debate between staging rooms or leaving them bare, and you and your agent need to use your best judgment here. However, as we mentioned above - when you are selling your house, it's a terrible time to tear out walls or expand/combine/ add new rooms.

A Big Caveat

Homes are not sold in a vacuum. You are competing against other houses in your neighborhood and price range. If your home is lacking in any of the above areas that we advised against renovating, you will need to reconsider. 

For instance - if your home is fully carpeted, that's gonna to have to go, despite usually being a low-ROI project. Carpeted floors are from a bygone era, and very few homes will sell with carpet installed. In this case, the ROI would be much improved.

How to Decide Which Renovations are Worth It

Be sure to repair everything that NEEDS repairs. Not only will unresolved issues lower the interest in your home, but if they are severe enough, will keep your home from selling at all.

For the rest of it? Follow this advice, the council of your agent, and use your best judgment! Alternatively... this sort of thing is exactly what RENOMAX does. If you're unsure on how to properly tackle your home's renovations before selling, we can help, and we'd love to be your partner.

It starts with a call! You can reach us at (540) 737-5617, fill out the form below, or message us on Facebook. We look forward to hearing from you!