Should you prep a home for sale?
Answer: Yes you should.
The increased sale price will nearly always justify the investment.
As a Realtor that is looking out for the best interests of everyone I know, I want to help people make good Real Estate decisions.
Sometimes I don't get there in time.
I met with a potential seller last week.
The seller confirmed they were getting ready to list the
house and they were having the whole house interior
painted as we spoke.
I asked what color.
It was a beige/tan color.
I was disappointed for them when I arrived at the house.
It's not terrible, but the colors in demand right now are in the agreeable gray family. For whatever reason, this color makes the house look newer, larger, and cleaner. I can't tell you how different the whole house begins to look when you choose the right color.
This seller was spending several thousand dollars, and not getting a proper return on the investment. All this money spent, and the house is still going to look like it was painted 10 years ago.
This seller just didn't know....and as GI Joe has taught us, knowing is half the battle.
I can't prove it without a time machine or 2 alternate realities,
but I believe this one paint color decision will cost him AT LEAST $5,000-10,000.
It sounds almost nonsensical, but they would benefit
from having the house painted.....again.
I have lost count of the number of properties I've shown to buyers where we're walking through some form of renovation/remodel and it is clear the seller spent significant money....and it was useless because the outcome is a piece of property that everyone still wants to change. Ugly kitchens, terrible tile jobs, poor paint color choices....all avoidable, if they had consulted someone with a sense of the market.
Before you do anything major with a property, whether its to stay there forever, or prepare it to sell, please reach out to a professional realtor or designer for at least one piece of input.
We look at homes every day and we know what is in demand, and what is not. Now if you love beige more than anything while
you live there, of course have at it.
But if you're going to spend $5,000-7,000 to paint a house
in order to sell it....talk to a professional
before you choose that color.
If you have any questions about the market,
or specific questions about your house,
please reach out to our team anytime.