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Tracey Hampson's Real Estate Tip of the Week

Should You Fix Up Your Home Or Sell As Is? – Tracey Hampson’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week

In this week’s “Tracey Hampson’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week,” I am answering the age-old question: should you fix up your home, or sell it as is?


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The appeal of purchasing a fixer-upper is waning. Home buyers just don’t have the time between work, family and attempting to have a life to put in the extra effort of fixing up a home. I have yet to have a new home buyer want a home they can strip down to the studs and start over on. In fact, I have found the opposite to be true; home buyers are willing to pay more for a home that is turn key or move-in ready. So where does that leave you, the seller?

Investing money into the home you’re going to sell may be the last thing you want to do, but it also may be just the thing you should do in order to attract buyers. Take a moment and look at the other homes in your area and price range. What will buyers be comparing your home to?

“There is a buyer for every home” — that saying is almost law in real estate. The question is, how much do you want the buyer to pay for your home and how quickly do you want your home to sell? Both questions are key in deciding just how far you should go to fix up your home, or sell it as is.

The three quickest and most inexpensive fixes for any home are paint, landscape and flooring.

Related: The New ‘Must Haves’ For Buyers In 2017 – Tracey Hampson’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week

A fresh coat of neutral-colored paint on the interior and exterior can go a long way in a home’s appeal to buyers. I’ve seen the television shows with their accent painted walls or brightly painted rooms, and for the most part, they look great — on TV.  I have yet to see a painted accent wall or brightly painted room in real life look like it did on TV.  I’m not sure why the difference, but it never seems to go over well with clients. In their eyes, it’s just another cost to add onto an already large budget of purchasing a home.

If the exterior needs painting, but it’s just too expensive to paint the whole house, consider painting the front and back doors as well as the trim.

Landscaping is the first thing a home buyer will see when they pull up to your house. We all know how important first impressions are, so make sure your front and back yard are well manicured and green, and that all the toys and dog stuff are cleaned up. Adding a few flowers goes a long way as well without breaking the budget.

Flooring is one of the most important cosmetic features to home buyers, and currently hardwood floors are their No. 1 choice. If your carpet downstairs is worse for wear and you know there is hardwood underneath, then it would be worth the effort to remove the carpet and refinish the hardwood. Carpet in the bedrooms seems to be more accepted by buyers, but make sure it’s cleaned before putting your home on the market.

Remember how much you do or how little you do to your home depends on how quickly you want to sell it and how much money you want to get out of it. Weigh the cost of proposed home improvements after the repairs or upgrades are completed. If an upgrade won’t return the investment, such an improvement might not be warranted.

An extensive cost vs. return investment checklist is available here.

A huge thank you to Sam and Tom for their very funny email regarding a recent experience they had while shopping for a home.  Thank you for sharing — it really made my day!

Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Community Spotlight written by Tracey Hampson of Century 21 Troop Real Estate.

About Tracey Hampson and Tracey’s Real Estate Tips:

I have had the pleasure of living and working as a realtor in Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas for more than 14 years and I love sharing real estate tips with others. Throughout my Santa Clarita real estate career I have had the privilege of assisting buyers and sellers of Santa Clarita homes with their individual real estate needs. I’m here for you as well.

I hope you enjoyed my real estate tip of the week and if you have any questions, concerns, wants or needs regarding real estate please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help.

Tracey Hampson
Century 21 Troop Real Estate
License 01429142
(661) 993-6124
Thampson@Troop.com

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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Should You Fix Up Your Home Or Sell As Is? – Tracey Hampson’s Real Estate Tip Of The Week

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