Some homeowners make upgrades to sell their homes that are money losers. There are several things that are absolutely important to do when selling. I will give you my top two at the end so stay tuned.

In this video, I am focusing on those 7 things you don’t need to do because they won’t give you the return on your investment (ROI).

I am Jodi Bakst with Real Estate Experts working in Chapel Hill and Durham North Carolina.

Over-upgrading for the neighborhood or over personalizing is not a good thing. So let’s get started with my list of what not to do.

  1. Don’t gut your kitchen and bathrooms just to sell your home. If you do this well before you sell so that you will enjoy the upgrades that is one things. If you home has a dated kitchen and baths, there are things we suggest to enhance their appeal. It might make sense to change the countertop or add a backsplash or paint the cabinets and change the door hardware but you don’t need to gut your kitchen and start from scratch. With bathrooms, you don’t need to replace the tub or tub shower combo that has yellowed. It is far less expensive to reglaze them and they look like new. You can do this with tile too. It is amazing how far this can go along with a new mirror, lights and possible plumbing fixtures.
  1. Don’t replace your roof if there is still some life in it. Unless your roof is on it’s last leg and there are visible signs it has been leaking, I don’t recommend replacing the roof. I price out replacing the roof so I have the quote in my back pocket for negotiations. If the roof becomes an issue, you can typically negotiate splitting the cost with the buyers.
  1. Don’t do extensive landscaping including adding a pool. When you are selling your house it is not necessary to go overboard with the landscaping. The front yard needs to have curb appeal. Make sure the mulch is fresh, the bushes and trees are trimmed back so they are touching the house or blocking the windows and add color with flowers and bushes. The backyard needs to be open and nice. You don’t need to add anything extensive. Buyers do like patios and decks. You don’t need to add a screened porch to get your home sold. Adding a firepit with chairs around it and a few stings of lights for night photos that make the space look cozy does the trick. Like the explanation for a kitchen redo, don’t add an outdoor kitchen just to sell the house. Put this in well in advance of selling if you want it and would enjoy it. Yes, it does enhance the appeal but they are not necessary to get a house sold.
  1. Don’t fix minor cracks in your concrete driveway. Concrete cracks. This is know and if the cracks are hairline then leave it alone.
  1. If there are repairs you can’t afford like structural issues or windows with broken seals, don’t stress about not fixing these things. There is a strategy for this. Get everything priced out properly, reduce your price based on these estimates and disclose, disclose, disclose. I have never had an issue selling a house with things that were not done and I have been able to get above full price offers. It’s all about how you go about presenting this to buyers.
  1. Don’t replace your front door. It is not necessarily to put in special front door to get your home sold. They are very expensive. It may be necessary to give your door a coat of paint, replace an old kick plate or replace the door hardware but it is not necessary to replace the door.
  1. Don’t replace your door hardware unless it is really bad shape. If your door hardware is brass, lucky you, brass is coming back in style. If your door hardware is silver or oil rubbed bronze, these are still in style so don’t break your back or the bank on this.

Now for my bonus content. Here are 4 free things that take time but will yield their weight in gold and 2 things that will cost money but are worth their weight in gold.

  1. Declutter big time! Less is more when you are selling your home. Clutter eats your equity.
  2. Have your home deep cleaned so that it looks and smells clean.
  3. Power wash your house, walkway and driveway. You will be blown away how good your walkway and driveway look when they are clean. They will sparkle and it makes a great first impression
  4. Stage your home for the buyer’s eye.
  5. Neutral paint throughout is a must
  6. Refinish the hardwood floors if necessary and clean or replace the carpet. Paint and carpet are the two expenses that will yield the highest ROI. Make sure on each level of your home the flooring is consistent. It is a killer to have different flooring that breaks up the space. Buyers really dislike it.

I am Jodi Bakst with Real Estate Experts. Contact me if you are thinking about selling your Durham or Chapel Hill Home. I will put a strategy together for you that yields the greatest ROI. 

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