Prepping a house for sale on a budget

Once upon a time, I sold a 1918 storybook, La Mesa Village Craftsman for $279,000.

Before putting it back on the market, the buyer spent $160,000 remodeling the house making it look like a Carmel Valley tract house. The new buyer spent $160,000 reverting it back to a 1918 storybook, La Mesa Village Craftsman. More was spent on the two remodels than the house itself!

The lesson here is unless you are a professional house flipper buying and refurbishing homes at bargain prices, do not spend thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing up a house to go on the market because almost 100% of the time, what you do will not be liked by the buyer and you will decrease your profit or lose money.

Below are inexpensive suggestions I make to my clients to get their homes ready for sale.

The key is to work with what you’ve got making your existing home the best it can be. I never recommend remodeling, just cleaning, decluttering, and simple repairs.

EXTERIOR

Park in front of your home and look at the curb appeal. If your front yard is lawn, make sure it is green, not overgrown, and weed-free. If the yard is dirt, consider covering it in bark, mulch, or wood chips.
Battered or worn mailboxes should be replaced.
If the exterior paint is in bad shape (peeling or too faded), repaint.
If dry rot is visible, repair and replace. Most buyers will ask for Termite Clearance anyway, so you might as well remove the dry rot before going on the market instead of in escrow.
Make sure the doorbell works and looks right (not cracked or missing its cover).
It’s not a bad idea to remove security/screen doors to expose attractive front doors.
If the security door is kept, make sure the screen is taut and the door painted nicely – no baggy screens or rusted doors.
Speaking of front doors, a color that pops will make a house stand out and look artsy. Pinterest is a great source of front door color ideas.
Potted plants or hanging plants can do wonders for charm and color.
Cool house numbers that suit the style of the house or adding address plaques can make a house look special.
Decluttering is not for the inside only. Remove construction materials, neglected toys, plastic flower pots, boxes, etc.
If there’s a covered patio in the back, add an outdoor table and string lights – makes a huge difference.
If there’s an uncovered patio in the back, consider staging the patio with a table and a bright umbrella.
Above-ground pools and trampolines are unappealing in house photos and showings; remove them.
If there’s a pool, make sure it’s clean and maintained. I do not recommend spending a fortune resurfacing pools.
Pool equipment needs to work.
Make sure all outdoor lights are operational.
On photo day, remove the cars and rubbish bins.

INTERIOR

Walk your home with fresh, objective eyes. Decluttering is the #1 advice I give my clients. Remove boxes, papers, magazines, and extraneous knick-knacks. Consider storing extra furniture in the garage or a storage unit. Don’t block windows, sliders, and doors with furniture. Make sure it’s easy to walk interior paths. Err on a room looking sparse over a room looking crowded.
Framed personal photos make a home look lived in, loved, and happy. No need to remove. However, the fridge should not be covered in taped photos, kids’ drawings & pizza magnets.
Heavy, frilly, ruffle-y, old, dark, flowery, poofy, gaudy, kitschy curtains, draperies, valances, and swags can really date a house. If privacy is needed and drapes or curtains cannot be removed, consider simplifying drapes. Shades and blinds are almost universally liked.
Clean is not good enough. The house has to sparkle.
If a faucet is dripping, fix it.
Pay a professional to wash your windows. I had a client once who had lived in his home for years and had never had his windows cleaned. Upon seeing his startlingly clean windows, he said it felt like someone had Windexed his eyeballs!
Beautiful bedspreads and throw pillows are a great way to enliven bedrooms for not a lot of money.
Hang fresh new towels in the kitchen and bathrooms.
In lieu of replacing or reglazing tubs and showers, regrout. Much cheaper and very effective.
Keep wastebaskets empty.
Make sure every single lightbulb works (ceiling, stove, floor lamps, desk lamps, chandeliers, sconces, etc.)
On picture day and showings, hide the pet paraphernalia (food dish, water bowl, dog bed, litter box…)
Weather permitting, open windows for showings. Nothing like fresh air for a positive experience.
Closets should not be bulging at the seams. Thinning your wardrobe is a great idea before selling and moving.
If a home’s flooring, counters, cabinets, fixtures, appliances, etc. are kaput, the best strategy is probably an ‘as is’ sale with the price reflecting the condition. You would be surprised how many buyers are looking for fixers and how often they overpay.
If just a small portion of the home is in disrepair, it can be worth it to fix a room’s flooring, replace an old appliance, or install a new countertop – depends on the rest of the house and can be a great question to ask your Realtor.