By Carrie Smith, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Krutz Properties LLC
You look around your house and start making a list.
The carpet. The kitchen. That room you never finished. Before long, selling the house feels like a project you have to complete before you can even get started.
Listen, you do not have to fix all of those things.
But we do have to price the house for its condition and the market we're actually in. And before you start spending money, I would much rather you pick up the phone and call me.
Let's look at what actually matters
We'll set up a time and walk through the house together. As we go, we'll talk about its condition, what buyers may notice, and what's on the market that they'd be comparing it with.
Because the answer isn't the same for every house.
If buyers have plenty of choices, we have to pay attention to your competition. Sometimes the answer is a repair. Sometimes it's the price. Sometimes it's a combination of both.
If there are fewer competing homes, the approach may be different. That still doesn't mean we can ignore condition or ask any price we want.
I help homeowners across Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer, and Schoharie counties. What makes sense for your property depends on the homes competing for your buyers, your goals, and what you're able to do.
Cosmetic updates and financing issues are different conversations
A buyer not liking your carpet is one thing. A condition that could interfere with their financing is another.
For example, FHA financing has property-condition requirements. Peeling paint in an older home, unsafe conditions, or inadequate heating can need attention. That doesn't mean an FHA buyer needs a newly remodeled house.
We can look for potential concerns ahead of time and discuss them with the lender when needed. The appraiser and lender make the applicable determinations; I can't promise in advance what they'll require.
The point is to think about these things before we're deep into a sale.
Your taste isn't everybody's taste
Something that's been bothering you for years might not bother the next person at all.
You might be ready to tear something out, while a buyer walks in and likes it exactly the way it is.
And sometimes the house already has something worth showing off. If there are hardwood floors beneath the carpet, for example, we can discuss whether uncovering them makes sense after checking their condition and the work involved.
That doesn't automatically mean you should rip up all the carpet tomorrow. Let's look first.
Is the extra work worth what it takes out of you?
Some sellers want to do more to try to get the highest sale price they can. That's a conversation we can have.
But a higher price isn't the only number that matters. What did you spend getting there? How long did it take? What was it like living with contractors and unfinished rooms?
Construction work can be expensive and disruptive. Before you take it on, let's look at whether the likely benefit makes sense for you. Spending money doesn't guarantee you'll get it all back, and you can't know whether the next buyer will share your taste.
What if you don't have money for repairs?
Then we talk about selling the house in its current condition and pricing it accordingly.
It happens. Especially with rural properties, a seller may simply not have the means to take on the work.
Some people like a project. It's not the worst thing that can happen to you.
We can discuss marketing the property as an as-is sale. That wording doesn't remove a buyer's lender's property requirements, so the condition may affect which financing options can work.
It does mean we're planning around what you can realistically offer, instead of building a plan around money you don't have.
Start with a phone call, not a renovation
My basics are clean and safe. Make the house as clean and comfortable to walk through as you reasonably can, and let's discuss safety concerns and needed work honestly.
You don't have to turn it into somebody else's house before you sell it.
Before you spend money on repairs, call me. We'll walk through together, look at your competition, and talk about what makes sense for your situation.
Carrie Smith
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Krutz Properties LLC
518-900-7204
Talk with Carrie about your home · Explore the seller guide · Read more real estate questions
