Before selling their home in Shoreline, Washington, many local home owners wonder, “Should I sell my Shoreline, WA Home As-Is or Do Renovations?”
If you have a home in Shoreline, WA that you’ve lived in for years, you may find that its beginning to show it’s age. It probably never bothered you while you lived there and the house was full of your precious belongings, but if you’re thinking about clearing this out, downsizing, and moving on, you may be starting to wonder if you should just sell it as-is, or go through the time, energy and effort of preparing your home to sell for top dollar?
There are a lot of different schools of thought on this, and it may take a real estate agent with an investor’s eye to help you determine whether the repairs you’re considering are going to be cost-effective.
It Doesn’t Always Make Sense To Take On A Lot Of Home Improvement Projects
If your home is only 5-10 years old and your kids and pets haven’t been too hard on the property, chances are you’ll find it looks pretty decent after a professional cleaning. However, if the home is a probate or estate sale, you’ve lived there for more than 20 years without updating, the property was aged when you moved in, or it’s a hoarder home or owned by a disabled or elderly person who wasn’t able to perform regular home maintenance, then it may be time to take a look at tackling some of the larger projects so the house looks like a great investment for the next buyer, not a “money pit.”
Too Many (or Too Severe) Home Maintenance Projects Will Scare Off “Normal” Buyers
I was recently showing a condo in Renton, WA to a woman who’d been referred to me by a past client. We were shocked to see black mold and signs of moisture damage all around the glass door in the living room of the house. The tenants in the property kept the whole window covered by a blanket. The woman’s 12 year old son said he hated the house and it reminded him of a money pit. The woman said she had asthma and was nervous it would be a problem. Even if you have a basically good house, sometimes “hot button” issues like mold or mildew (even if minor) can cause a lot of concern amongst potential home buyers. And I want to point out that this unit was priced $47K lower than other comparably sized properties in the same complex, which were in better condition.
If you have something GLARING wrong with your property, that’s going to be a concern to every buyer who walks though the door to see it, you might want to get that done before listing.
In addition, if your home is in a high-value neighborhood, and the interior is not in line with the condition of other homes in the area, chances are you will be taking a discount on the price you are able to get if you don’t fix up your home.
“What If I Can’t Afford The Fix-Up For My Property?”
If you are concerned about doing repair work to your property because you don’t have ready access to cash, this is something that we can help you address. If you have a larger project in mind – like paint, carpet, roof, bathroom or kitchen remodeling, it can cost a pretty penny when you add it all up. However, the general contractor we work with specializes in preparing homes for sale. They do the job quickly and efficiently, and are willing to wait and be patient – getting paid out of the sales proceeds when the property sells.
Working with top-quality, specialized team players like this is one of the reasons the HomePro Associates services will help your property stand out in the competitive Shoreline, WA real estate market.
“How Much Will It Cost?”
The good news is, we can get a bid before you ever sign off on the first project being started. If it’s a one-off project, like new carpet or paint needed, they can usually give you a good idea of the price just by sharing the dimensions of the home and a few pictures. If you need larger, or multiple projects done, then you can go to a one-stop-shop to get the job done, and now exactly what it will be cost before you sign on the line.
Our contractor typically brings a “video technician” out to the property. They will use a 3-D imaging camera (matterport) to document the interior dimensions of your home and then the assigned project manager will bid it out, so you know down to the penny the cost of the various work projected.
“What If I Don’t Have Time To Organize The Contractors?”
Here at HomePro Associates, we realize your time is valuable. Many people are so busy as they are getting ready for a move or the sale of their home, that the last thing they want to be doing is calling contractors and trying to arrange needed repairs.
We consider coordinating home repairs, cleaning, inspections, and other necessary items an important part of our “concierge level” service. We offer this to our clients because it’s a common concern and we want to offer you not only the best price for your home, but the most profit, and the smoothest experience possible. We truly mean it when we say we are here to serve.
That’s why we have found local, vetted contractors who will get your job done in weeks, not months, to your specifications. However, in order to make things easy, they have refined the list of decisions – instead of choosing paint from a million-billion paint chip colors at the paint store, we have narrowed it down to the most popular, modern choices… same with cabinet finishes… same with counter tops. Although we want you to be happy with the result, the truth is, you won’t be the one living there. By working with interior design experts – just like the big new-construction home builders do – you’ll have your home looking like a million bucks (without costing that much).
Next Steps To Prepare Your Home For Sale
If you have a home your preparing to sell – even if you’re years or months away from being ready to put it on the market, we are still happy to come preview the home and talk to you about what repairs may and may not make a worthwhile investment in the property. Typically, if you’re feeling stuck because you don’t know what to do next, you either don’t have enough information ( how much the rpiars will cost, or how much they will raise your property value) or you don’t have the time you need to do the work yourself. We can help you with both of these problems and ensure that your proeprty is ready to show – whether that means selling it as-is, or doing basic or extensive repairs.
We are not your typical “list ’em and leave’ em” real estate agents. We are here to help advise you through the entire process. You’re selling a valuable asset and having an experienced, investment-minded advisor to help will ease your mind and help you maximize your return upon the sale of your investment.
Fill out the form below to get started learning about how to maximize your investment on your home for sale.
