Selling a Fixer-Upper (Successfully!)
How can I sell you? Let me count the ways!
Most posts talk about the importance of getting your house in the best shape to sell for the highest price in the least amount of time. That is the most common circumstance for a sale and those are excellent principles to follow. Unless for whatever reason, your circumstance is different.
Perhaps what you want or even need is to sell a property that isn’t in great shape and getting the property into great shape isn’t in the expense account?
There are several reasons a house may not be in the best shape for a sale:
1. It’s been a rental and although you’ve maintained the common area and exterior, your renters may not have done the same with the interior
2. Due to health or other unavoidable issues the owners couldn’t maintain the property in top condition.
3. The property has been vacant for a while and maintenance simply wasn’t a priority.
As prices continue to rise in this current front range market, a home that is not so perfect might be perfectly priced for buyers on a budget. Anyone who knows a bit about remodeling and is willing to put in the work might view a less-than-perfect home as an opportunity to create a custom home to fit personal needs.
When getting a property in sale shape for the highest and best is not your main focus and just getting it sold is your most pressing concern, keep in mind that there are a few minor things you can do to make it appear better than it is, without spending too much time or money. These little cosmetic touches can go a long way:
1. Cleaning: A thorough, deep, whole-house cleaning creates a blank slate for prospective buyers who will be renovating anyway. If the task is too daunting to tackle on your own, don’t hesitate to hire a cleaning company.
2. Simple repairs: A fresh coat of paint, new light fixtures, or fixing faucet leaks will make the property more inviting and comfortable to a buyer who may plan to live on the property while renovating. Keep the fixes small and inexpensive – leave the large repairs to the next owner or flipper who purchases the property.
3. Above all, be transparent. Be sure to disclose any big problems, or get a pre-listing inspection so it is clear what the next owner may be up against. Your RE/MAX Alliance REALTOR® will have recommendations for inspection and renovation experts and is equipped to calculate a realistic market price.
Not every real estate transaction is of the common, garden variety, or straightforward kind. A problem property doesn’t have to be a dead-end when you see the challenge rather than an insurmountable mountain.
For every type of property someone is interested in selling there is always someone interested in buying. Discovering the right marketing plan to bring those two elements together is just one of the things your local RE/MAX Alliance agent does so well.
How can you sell a difficult property? Let your local RE/MAX Alliance agent help you count the ways!