What to Fix Up When Selling a House

No two homes are ever alike. This means your home is going to have a unique list of repairs to deal with. So how do you find these repairs and what do you do next? Do you repair or leave it alone?

The process of getting a property ready to list can seem intimidating. There is a long list. Clearing the inside and outside clutter, cleaning the home. Organizing and throwing out the junk you have not seen in years.

We all know it is easy to miss a lot of the wear and tear that happens to your home over the years. But when you start thinking about selling, the state of your home becomes much clearer. A home is an investment, and regular maintenance helps keep your investment strong.

Buyers often look for homes that require few repairs and are ready to Move in! A little prevention can spare you from the pain of watching a buyer walk away. A deal can fall apart because the home inspector found issues the buyer is not ready to deal with after closing.

Welcome to the world of Fixing to Sell. Now, you cannot just throw the listing on the market and hope for a buyer. You must prepare, and presentation is essential.

Who wants to pour more $$$$$ into the house they are leaving behind? You do. The last thing you want is for your buyer to walk away from the sale over a jiggly toilet seat handle. Deals falling through due to repair issues happen more often than you think.

Best Repairs Worth Making Before You Sell:

1. Cosmetics

As a rule of thumb, cosmetic renovations are normally cheaper than structural renovations. Buyers buy with their eyes, so now is the time to go through the interior in detail. Are there dents and dings on the walls and doors? Scratched moldings or worn-out paint? Spruce up the inside with a fresh coat of paint. Pick light, neutral and on-trend colors. Fix minor cracks in the wall. Cosmetics usually involves things that are clear and not hidden like wiring or plumbing. Replace worn or stained carpeting. Replace any chipped or cracked floor tiles or refinish scratched or dented hardwood. Replace old drapes and window coverings. Change the linens in bedrooms and towels in bathrooms. Put some fresh flowers in the kitchen.

2. Exterior

Curb Appeal. The exterior is the first thing buyers will see, so you want it to look great! Replace missing fence boards, add sod if the yard is looking like it needs it, clean up any junk that may have accumulated in the yard or on the outside. Change the house number or letterbox to something new and fresh.
Make sure the grass is mowed and that weeds are taken care of. Plant some flowers in the beds to add color and make the place feel homier. Trim the palm trees and bushes and don’t leave any garbage around.

3. Kitchen

Do not do a complete kitchen renovation unless you know you can make your money back on the sale. You can make minor repairs that will make your kitchen appear more inviting. Paint if necessary. Change the hardware on the cabinets. Install new fixtures. Replace the countertops with something more appealing (granite and marble are not necessary). The price of solid surface materials has come down in recent years so it might be worth getting an estimate.
With the appliances, buyers are going to expect these to work. If the oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, or range are out of order or in awful condition, consider replacing them.

4. HVAC

Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC) should be in good working order. It should be clean and free of leaks. Your thermostat should be operating properly. Hire an HVAC technician to complete a tune-up and change the AC filter. Make sure you get an assessment of your system’s condition.

Leaving repairs for a buyer is not a smart thing to do if you are looking to get the most money for your home. Now that you know what to look for. Have a pre-inspection done on your home, so you can fix the major issues before listing the property.

For other most common problem areas, you will need to hire a professional. Things like faulty wiring, drainage, roof problems, foundation problems, poor upkeep, and plumbing.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Should I Stage My Orlando Home Before Selling?


Is it Worth the Hassle to Stage My Orlando Home?

Shakespeare once said that “all the world’s a stage”… this also includes the house you want to sell for top dollar.  As a Realtor in Orlando, I can’t tell you enough how much of a difference it can make to set the stage before revealing your home to the world.

Unless you’re an interior designer, staging a home is not a do-it-yourself type of task. Staging involves hiring professionals with talent and skillsets for interior design. A good stager will give your house a makeover that will make you think twice about selling. By using temporary furnishings and décor, your house will get more than its share of “oohs… and aahs…” from potential buyers doing their walk-through.

Quality staging is not like an insurance policy by any means and there’s no guarantee that your home will sell for more money because of it. However, It is a great and powerful marketing tool. Great staging should present your home in its most flattering light and will keep you at the higher end of the comps in your area. Have you ever heard of the saying “dress for the job you want, not the one you have”? When selling a house… when want it to be dressed to the 9’s to get the price you want.

Staging helps potential buyers to visualize what their life could look like living in such an elegantly decorated home.

Staging Leads to Great Listing Photos

Great photography is a must when marketing your home for sale. By having pics of a staged home instead of an empty or messy home, you’ll increase your chances of finding an online buyer 10 fold. Especially these days the majority of home buyers start their search by looking through online listings before hiring a Realtor in Orlando, FL.

Before Hiring Stagers Consider This

In addition to being Realtors, we are also Orlando real estate investors, we’ve bought and rehabbed many houses over the years. I can tell you from my own experience that staging does help. Like… a lot. There’s always one or two buyers that ask if they can also purchase the furniture and decorations.

But don’t just take our word for it. Recently, a survey from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® revealed that:

Almost 80% of buyers’ agents claimed staging makes it easy for the buyer to imagine the property as their future home. It’s kind of like helping the buyer to dream it to achieve it so your real estate agent can make the sale.

40% of Orlando listing agents say that a staged home spends a lot less time on the market compared to an empty house. For you the seller, time saved could mean more money in your pocket and being able to move out sooner. Listing agents also claimed that staged homes will fetch a higher dollar amount… between 6-10%!

Some listing agents in Orlando will offer staging services to their clients but most of the time you’ll have to hire someone and pay for the staging yourself.

Professional home stagers will usually charge according to how many rooms you want staging. We pay roughly $700 per month when we stage a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house which includes everything from the furniture to décor.

What about staging the house yourself?

If you’re on a tight budget, then hiring a professional may not be an option for you. If this is the case, check out some Youtube video tutorials on the subject to help guide you. If you have a friend or relative with really nice décor in their house, you may want to ask them for some staging ideas.

Declutter and clean at the very least

No potential buyer is going to enjoy walking through a messy or dirty house. Take the time to declutter and clean it like it’s never been cleaned before. Move some furniture into the garage if you have to, organize household items out of sight, and remove anything that makes a room look smaller. You should also change out any burnt light bulbs and have the carpets shampooed.

Keep the closets neat and organized

Make sure they can see the space, buyers always want to check out the closets. Remove some things if you need to rather than having that “stuffed full” look. Consider putting away personal items like family photos, religious pieces, and maybe some artwork to make the house look more neutral.

Only focus on rooms that count the most

You don’t have to stage your whole house to impress buyers. We find that staging rooms where people spend the most time will make the biggest impression on buyers. Staging the kitchen, Living room, Dining room, bathrooms, and Master bedroom is more than enough to make a buyer take notice.

Don’t forget to stage your yard

Curb appeal is super important for getting potential buyers through the front door. Make sure your yard looks the best it can. A freshly cut yard, manicured bushes, and some colorful plants can make a huge impact on buyers and set the stage for what the inside looks like.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields