Can a Home Be Sold If It Isn’t in the Best Condition?

As you prepare to sell your home, you are probably worried about the offers you might receive. Selling a home that isn’t in the best condition can be a challenge.

When you sell a home, it is vital that you look at the home from a buyer’s perspective and not your own. If you are looking to bring out the potential in your home, you should work with a qualified real estate agent specializing in “fixer-uppers.” These tips should give you an idea of where to start to improve the prospects of selling your home successfully.

If you have already acknowledged that your home is not in the best condition, it will take a qualified real estate agent to help you bring out the best in your home to attract buyers. However, it doesn’t hurt to explore why you might feel the way you do about your home.

By looking at your home more objectively, you can begin to decide which features of your home matter and need improvement. Your Realtor can help by ordering a home inspection. However, you will also need to think about what will be required to bring your home up to a suitable condition that will appeal to buyers. Here are a few questions that you should ask yourself about your home:

How old is the home?
Is the home now damaged, or has it ever suffered damage?
What repairs should be made on the home?
Have you cleaned and updated your home to make it attractive to buyers?

As a seller, you should make sure that you order your own home inspection. Otherwise, you may be at a disadvantage when it comes time for negotiations with buyers. “I discovered this the hard way when the seller used her report to drive down the price,” says Jack M. Guttentag, Professor of Finance Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “Buyer-ordered inspections are designed, consciously or unconsciously, to provide bargaining ammunition for the buyer by exposing everything that is wrong or might go wrong.”

Home Staging

If you are unsure if buyers will be interested in your home, something as simple as home staging can make the difference. Home staging is where you prepare your home for sale so that buyers can get a better idea of what it would be like to live in your home. The home staging process typically begins with a thorough cleaning and can involve making minor repairs, updating appliances, and furniture. The goal is to make your home appeal more livable and less personalized.

If you have not yet prepared your home to be sold, you may find that this is all you really need to attract potential buyers. Your real estate agent can make the final assessments on home staging ideas.

Renovations

If your home appliances are woefully out of date or your home could use an energy-efficient upgrade, your REALTOR will likely recommend that you make renovations to the home before putting the home on the local market.

Some common renovations that are said to add value to a property include removing a non-structural wall, updating the landscaping, and updating appliances. It is essential to assess exactly how much value certain upgrades really add so that you don’t end up losing money on the home.

“One of the most important things to keep in mind when considering any home improvement project is to not go overboard,” says Shannon O’Brien of realestate.com. “The value of your home is partially determined by the value of your neighbor’s homes, so don’t make improvements that bring your home’s value significantly over the general value of other homes in your neighborhood.”

Damage

Generally, REALTORS recommend that homeowners make repairs to a home before selling. If the home has experienced damage due to a home emergency or natural disaster, it is likely to be covered by an insurance policy. Check with your insurance company first to see if there is any funding available to cover the repairs’ cost.

Alternatively, you may decide to sell your home, “as-is.” However, almost all homes sold under this condition do not sell for anything close to market value. The expectation for a buyer in this situation is that he or she will have to make significant repairs on the home. In addition, an investor will likely also want to turn a profit after covering the costs of making the updates on the home.

Get Assistance from an Agent

If you are really unsure how your home will fair on the market, the best suggestion after preparing your home to be sold is to get a Comparative Market Analysis done by your Realtor. The Comparative Market Analysis will provide a full report on what other homes have sold for in your local market, as well as the number of sales that have recently taken place.

By looking at this data alongside the costs involved to improve your home’s condition, you can get a better idea of what your home might sell for. A qualified real estate agent can help you with pricing and help you create a unique story about your home that will appeal to buyers.

Don’t Let Your Pet Sabotage Your Home Sale

Is your property lingering on the market? Your pet could be the reason why you haven’t received an offer.

Not everyone loves animals. Some people are afraid. Others feel uncomfortable being in a house with someone else’s pets. And, then, there are potentially the odors or other damage left by your pet. If your home is still for sale, take an objective look at your pet. Could Fido or Fluffy be the reason why?
You love your pet, of course, but when you put your house on the market, your pet can be a detriment. Before you even list your home, you will need to take extra steps to eliminate any odor or damage, including stains on the carpet and scratches on the door, caused by your pet. Showing your home will also require extra efforts. In fact, you may want to temporarily relocate him while your home is on the market.

That’s not to mention what a pet can do to your home’s value. An otherwise impeccable house could sell for significantly less if buyers detect pet odors, damage, or even pet hair. To get top dollar, you’ll want to banish all signs of Fido and Fluffy.

It’s not impossible to sell your property when you own a pet (or two) and still get full market value, though. Here are some issues you’ll need to address before and while your home is on the market.

Understanding the Problem with Fido

Some people don’t feel the same way about animals that you do. They may not have grown up with pets, or they may feel nervous around them. For rational or irrational reasons, they may be outright terrified of your pet (especially if you have a pet boa constrictor). And then, let’s face it: your pet isn’t their pet. They can’t see him through your eyes and have a hard time overlooking his flaws.

Your pet poses another problem: over the years, he may have caused damage, such as claw marks on the back door or window and stains on the carpet. He may also have left odors in the house, especially if he is not entirely housebroken. (Cat urine is one of the most difficult odors to remove from a home.) Left unaddressed, these odors and damages will negatively impact and prompt the buyer to question their condition.

To Relocate or Not: The Debate

As a pet owner, you have two options when you put your house on the market. First, you can relocate your pet and have him either live temporarily with a trusted relative or friend or at a boarding kennel for the sales process’s duration. This allows you to fumigate and repair the home. You also won’t have to worry about hiding evidence of your pets before a showing because they won’t be there.

Your second option is to keep him in the house and work around him. Whether they get top dollar for their home can depend mainly on how successful they are hiding evidence of their pet. Expect to spend extra time vacuuming, cleaning, and hiding bowls and toys before showings. Also, you’ll have to make arrangements for your pet during the showing. Locking your animal in a backroom or garage won’t cut it.

Of course, relocation may not always be practical. Moves can be just as stressful for pets as they are for their humans, and some have significant separation anxiety. A new home, even a temporary one, may be detrimental, especially for older animals. Before you commit to either option, consult with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action.

Hiding the Evidence

Buyers want to be able to picture themselves living in your house, but that’s hard to do when they see your personal items — and those belonging to your pet — in the house. And, of course, they don’t want to smell evidence of your pet’s housebreaking escapades or see its damage.

The first step is to address the damages. For stains on the floor or carpeting, hire a professional to clean the damaged area. If the stains do not entirely disappear, replace the damaged flooring. Similarly, sand and repaint scratched surfaces, such as interior and exterior doors, or replace them. Don’t overlook your personal items. If the couch has claw marks or shows other evidence of your pet, discard or remove it. Next, address any odors. If a thorough cleaning doesn’t remove pet odors, consider fumigating. With cat urine, you may even have to paint over walls with Kilz paint or remove affected drywall and flooring to eliminate the odor. Finally, put away any unnecessary pet items, such as extra toys, and store your pet’s photos. You want your home to look as pet-free as possible.

Preparing for a Showing

Items you need daily for your pet — water bowl, food bowl, kennel, bedding, a favorite toy — will need to be stored before you invite the buyer to walk through your home. If you have a cat, hide the litter box; if you have a dog that uses dog potty pads, dispose of them before the buyer arrives, and pick up any outdoor waste.

For the actual showing, remove your pet. If you own a dog, you could take him for a walk while the buyer is at your home. Or, you could arrange to send him to doggie daycare for the day. Cats may not require removal if they usually hide when you have guests, but you’ll need to make similar arrangements if they like to socialize.

Avoid leaving your pet locked in the garage or backroom, though. Doing so makes that part of the house inaccessible and can make a negative impression.

While You Are at Work

What do you do when you are at work? Some realtors give little notice before arriving to show the house. You can leave your pet crated during the day, just in case a buyer wants to see your home while you’re at work, although that isn’t necessarily an optimal solution since he might whine, bark, or otherwise make visitors uncomfortable. Instead, consider requiring 24-hour notice before a showing to give you enough time to make arrangements for your pet while you are at work.

Extra Tricks Staging Pros Have Up Their Sleeves

A recent Zillow survey again confirmed that extensive renovations are usually not the shortest path to a sale. Across the board, experts agree: it’s still curb appeal and home staging — staging that highlight’s a home’s best features while downplaying its flaws — that often prove most useful.

So, after your house smells like fresh-baked cookies and your walls have been freed from family photos, and a roaring fire has made the living room warm and inviting … what if those basic staging moves still haven’t produced the offers you know your home deserves?

Staging pros have a lot more tricks up their sleeves. Here are three:

Hide Your Demographic. Maybe you’re the parent of four, so your house is full of kids’ bedrooms, toys, and playrooms. Perhaps you’re selling a home or bachelor pad with minimal decor and lots of high-tech devices. Maybe you’re putting that empty nest on the market after living in it for decades. The fact is, staging veterans work from the premise that potential buyers shouldn’t be able to walk into a house and be able to tell how old you are and who lives there. That does make sense since the goal is to cast a wide net — to make the broadest possible group feel as if the place is a perfect fit for them. Broaden your home’s appeal by eliminating those items that are specific to your demographic. You want potential buyers to see the home as theirs, not as one designed for a large family, a single guy, or a pair of empty-nesters!
Revamp a Boring Space. Potential buyers go through a mental checklist when they evaluate a house. Functional kitchen? Check. Comfortable living space? Got it. Inviting bedrooms? Sure — but lots of other homes may pass the same test. Surprise your potential buyers by transforming an ordinary space into something unexpected. For example, a spare bedroom could be just a duplicate: welcome, perhaps — but indistinguishable from all the other homes’ third or fourth bedrooms. What if you transform it into a cozy reading nook with bookshelves and a comfortable window seat? Or create a craft room centered on a large worktable, corkboard wall, and shelves? Or, create a spacious walk-in closet with hanging racks, shelving, a full-length mirror, and vanity? Smart staging can transform an ordinary space into something extraordinary … and your home into the one with the ‘sold’ sign out front.
Appeal to the Type-A Organizer. A perfectly organized house may exist only in our imagination, but a well-staged home comes close. Now — how about staging your home to give potential buyers the tools to stay organized? Extra shelving units and organizational features in cabinets and pantry make a well-organized kitchen easy to maintain. A modest investment in custom closet organizers will instantly upgrade ordinary closets. Bike storage, heavy-duty shelves, a workbench — even just a couple of wall-mounted pegboard tool organizers — can keep the garage neat as a pin. Maximize the functionality of your home by demonstrating how easy it will be to stay organized in it!

Home staging the extra mile can mean attending to small things that make a difference. Then (one of the larger things) will be to team with an experienced real estate professional — and that’s as simple as giving me a call!

Showing Your Home — Organization’s the Trick

When you’re selling your home, keeping it ready to show at a moment’s notice can sometimes make a significant difference. In a perfect world, prospective buyers will always have time to schedule showings in advance — but exceptions do occur. That’s why experienced sellers know how to juggle living a normal life while keeping their place ‘show-ready’ by taking advantage of a few organizational tricks. They really aren’t all that difficult (but they do take a commitment to stay organized). When you follow them, it makes showing your home in town a snap!

Supplies at the ready

The easiest way to stay on top of messes is to nail them when they start. Stock up on wipes and ready-to-use supplies (think pre-soaked wipes and erasers instead of rags, sprays, and mops) — and stash them in critical locations around the house. You can even keep them in plain sight between showings: it reminds you to wipe down surfaces after each use without making it a major project. Regular quick wipe-downs will keep your home shiny and inviting — even when showing you’re home comes as a last-minute surprise.

Simplify storage

Place a few attractive bins and storage ottomans strategically in rooms prone to clutter (playrooms, bedrooms, and dens). Encourage everyone to make a habit of throwing odds and ends into them before the end of the day, and removing things only as needed. Showing your home on a dime becomes a no-brainer when the clutter lives out of sight.

Start packing

If you haven’t already started packing, get going early. Pack up everything you don’t regularly use — like those shelves of books you haven’t touched in years. And deal with the off-season wardrobe: When you’re actively showing your home in this spring or summer, those fall and winter items should be headed into storage, and vice versa.

Makes small adjustments

This idea is optional — but it really works! Encourage everyone to remove their shoes at the front door. Place a decorative mat at the entrance (and include a coat rack if the weather calls for it). This temporary house rule works to get everyone in on the act and subtly helps keep them conscious that showing your home is partly everyone’s responsibility. It’s also a reminder to keep packages and bags from building up near those doorways.

When showing your home is part of a well-planned and systematic project, just a few of these relatively minor adjustments can keep you and your family calm and collected — and make even last-minute showings a breeze. My clients make the rules for the minimum heads-up time for scheduling a showing, and I stick to it. But when they can create an environment when the odd last-minute showing is a no-stress possibility, it does seem to have a way of increasing the odds that the latest showing … becomes the last!

Outdoor Landscaping Upgrades That Make Financial Sense

Kevin Shirley, Associate Broker (DC), e-PRO, ASP, GRI

Outdoor landscaping upgrades are vital if you are planning to sell your home. However, you want to make sure that you spend your landscaping budget wisely.

When you decide to sell your home, your real estate agent will likely advise you to upgrade your home’s exterior. An outdoor landscaping project is a great way to improve the curb appeal of your home. Understanding which upgrades add the most value to your home and will resonate with buyers will help you to select upgrades that make financial sense.

Landscaping projects can dramatically improve the look of your home. If you are planning upgrades to increase the value of your home, you must be more selective about the types of upgrades you make.

You also want to make sure that the outdoor upgrades will appeal to a wide range of buyers if you decide to sell your home later. “Studies in Canada and the U.S. show that landscaping can add anywhere from 4% – 15% to the value of your home,” says Denis Flanagan, landscaping expert and Director of Public Relations for Landscape Ontario. “Improving your home’s curb appeal also increases the likelihood that potential buyers will come take a look at your property. People judge a home from the curb. Professional landscaping helps create a good first impression of your property, and it may even give you a (h)edge over the Joneses.”

Pay attention to the upgrades that your neighbors have made. A landscaping project that looks out of place in your neighborhood may drag down other homes’ values in your neighborhood.

Here are suggested outdoor landscaping projects that make financial sense for you to pursue.

Structures

Structures, such as patios and footpaths, can be hit or miss when it comes to adding to a home’s value. Fortunately, there are many options for these types of investments so that you can find a financially feasible option. When you install structures as part of a landscaping upgrade, you must plan carefully to ensure that the structure does not take up too much of the outdoor landscape.

Most buyers want homes that offer plenty of greenery. Installing a patio that replaces too much of the yard with hardscape could inadvertently lower your home’s value. Pay close attention to the other homes in your area before making such additions to ensure that a new patio won’t detract from the value of your home relative to other homes in the area.

In addition, the structures should also match the architectural style of your home. By seeking out professional contractors, you can determine the exact costs associated with the additions. You should also speak with your real estate agent to determine if such upgrades will actually add to the value of your home.

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is one of the most prominent features of the exterior of a home. Outdoor lighting can significantly raise the value of a home because it also acts as a home security system. If you plan to install outdoor lighting, focus on highlighting the front of the home. You can also install lights near trees to add a dramatic look at nighttime.

However, you should choose lighting hues carefully. Soft-lighting in colors other than white works best so that the lighting doesn’t look harsh at nighttime. You can also use outdoor lighting to outline footpaths to maximize guests’ safety when they visit your home.

Plant Trees

Planting trees not only helps to improve the value of your property. Trees are also healthy for the environment because they reduce CO2 levels. By planting trees so that they can provide shade to your home, you also help to save on your energy bills. However, not just any trees will do. You want to make sure that the trees that you plant on your property are young and healthy. This will ensure that they mature well and will not simply become an expensive removal task for the next homeowner.

Do Maintenance Work

Not all upgrades mean adding something to the property. In fact, in certain instances, you may want to remove something from your property. This is a wise decision, especially if the previous homeowners have ignored the home’s landscaping maintenance aspects. “First, eliminate all the obstructions created by plants, such as overgrown bushes blocking the windows or tree roots disrupting paved passages. Pay special attention to large, old trees that may present a hazard during a storm – some of them might have to go,” says Elena Meadowcroft, writer for realestate.com.

By doing maintenance work on your property, you can improve the curb appeal of your home. Homebuyers looking for homes in your area will likely prefer your well-maintained landscaped home over others in the area that offer less curb appeal once you have made the changes.

Planning

If your landscaping project’s goal is to increase your home’s value, you must plan ahead. Many homeowners make the mistake of doing landscaping projects gradually, which can result in an uncoordinated look after several years of impromptu projects.

Hiring a professional landscaping company can help you plan better for future upgrades to the outdoor space around your home to make such mistakes. At the end of the day, a landscaping project that adds the most value to a home is one that looks professionally done and offers an attractive look year-round.

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KEVIN SHIRLEY is a real estate professional with almost twenty-five years of experience. He is an Associate Broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Washington, DC. He is also an Accredited Staging Professional and a Graduate of the REALTOR Institute. He graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Civilization and Art History. Find his author page on Facebook; e-mail him at kevin@realastute.com; call/text him on 202.320.6634.