We listed my moms house last year for sale AS IS. It was in great shape. The buyer had a home inspection done. After they wanted the A/C replaced, All the screens replaced. The a/c was old but working fine. two of the screens had a few pencil size holes. Then they wanted the walls in the garage painted due to a few stains. Then they wanted the irrigation that was not even on the listing repaired. The list went on and on. I told the buyer, Do you know what AS IS means??? He was getting a great deal on this move in ready home. He ended up giving us full asking price and we did not do anything o the house.
Same thing happened to me when selling my apartment last March Exactly, listed it with the words as is After the inspection, a list of items total close to $15,000 including the HVAC replacement I laughed when reading your message because I thought exactly the same thing, do they know what the words “as is” actually mean ???😂😂😂
I'm 54 and my wife and I are VERY worried about our future, gas and food prices rising daily. We have had our savings dwindle with the cost of living into the stratosphere, and we are finding it impossible to replace them. We can get by, but can't seem to get ahead. My condolences to anyone retiring in this crisis, 30 years nonstop just for a crooked system to take all you worked for...
Agree especially when corporate execs get tax cuts from politicians we voted for 🤦♀️ while our taxes are forced to be increased, corps raise cost of goods w/out reason, billionaires buy multiple homes across the globe, buy private jets & pay no taxes on their purchases
Don't: Remodel kitchen and/or nath completely. Replace roof. Replace flooring Fix cracks in driveway or walkways Replace front door Replace window coverings Don't do major landscaping Do: Declutter Deep clean All good advice. Watch all the way for tips . Good advice and well done.
Very true but some of the times buyers (usually women) can not see past a bright red painted living room or orange backsplash in the kitchen. Most people will always accept a white backsplash and white walls. Sometimes it bettter to just paint walls yourself if you have decided to go bright personal colors on all the walls. I've been to to many homes where every bedroom is a different color (green, blue, and red) and the wife (buyer) just can't seem to get past it, even though its just paint and easily fixed.
As a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser for 43 years, I think this agent is "on point". Clean, and deodorized cannot be encouraged enough. Great advice!
Cleaning and decluttering is one of the biggest things you can do to show the space in your home and make it shine and sparkle and take all personal items and pictures and everything and put them away
I agree with all these points. Location is the most important part in my opinion. People want to remodel and make it "their own" A house's location is the selling feature.
Agree. I purchased my home bc it was on a quiet cul-de-sac, 3+ acres, peaceful, space between the neighbors. It was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't care what the kitchen or bathrooms looked like. It was 3 miles from the highway, blue ribbon schools, a horsebarn, open field "farmette" type of property, etc... Anything can be updated, but you can't change location.
I agree. As a builder I have done a lot of remodels and they NEVER pay off. Especially if someone is selling the house. But if you are living in it at least you get the Joemer have a nice refurbished house.
My husband and I toured the house we ended up purchasing while the owners were still living in it and at home. It was a crazy experience. Immediately, their little dog ran up to me and the wife yelled at her husband, "Don't let him pee on her!" After that, the lady loudly chattered non stop. She was a close talker, too! A very bewildered and sad old lady sat on the couch. I learned that her husband had died the week prior. The house was very clean looking, but I could smell a cat litter box in the bedroom, from where I stood in the dining room. All the rooms in the house had been sloppily painted in various bright Easter eggs colors, trim included. The fenced backyard was a blank slate, except for one scraggly rhubarb plant. The house, built in 1917, was structually sound and it had a three car garage, although narrow bays. We we were able to look past the garish paint, small closets, only one bathroom and no parking on our side of the street, and bought it. Never regretted it! First things we did was repaint the entire interior, take out the rhubarb plant, and plant trees and shrubs. I love changes we made to the place. My husband is gone now, but when or if I decide to downsize, I will not be doing anything but removing any clutter, personal items, and cleaning it well. New owners may want to paint over my soft, neutral walls and chop down the trees. I won't care, I'll be on to a new place.
We just sold my girlfriends house in a pretty prime area and the realtor- who was one of the better ones I've worked with and open to most of our ideas- was quite adamant on point and it was that no one should be in the house for a showing. Aside from comical situations like yours, her contention was that homeowners make buyers nervous and then they tend to fly through the tour, probably feeling like their intruding.. I get that not everyone can afford that luxury. It just happened my gf was now living at my house and we afford to keep it mostly empty, but it was Summer and the potential for her college age kids to be milling about was still a factor.
Some realtors have teams of trained people who know what must be fixed and how to make repairs. That recently happened to me and having things done this way saved time, reduced worry, and was well worth the money.
This is solid advice. I would add that when you are decluttering, remember to organize your closets and pantry because people do open closets. If they're too full, or you have too much furniture, consider renting a storage facility for a month or two as a short term solution to get them out of the way while you sell. It won't hurt because you will already be half packed when you leave. Also, a few new cushions will make your old bedspread look fresh, as well as your sofa or loveseat. Don't forget to replace anything broken or missing such as baseboards or switch covers or torn such as ratty towels or holes in the drapes. If you have pets indoors, make absolutely sure that their area is spotless.
Home inspector for over 20 years here. My take for the average home owner selling their home is do nothing other then making sure the home is livable. Working AC, furnace, water heater and so on. Don't do anything else except remove clutter and clean the place up as good as you can inside and out. Consider making repairs when they ask, some folks ask for everything others don't ask for anything. Why guess at it and potentially spend money you didn't need to spend? Also people have different taste then you so don't spend money on remodeling when they may just change it anyway.
Great advice. I pray when it’s time to sell my home it will be well received, without huge cost for repairs. Right now, I only have the money to keep up with repairs and replacements while I’m still living in my home. I can’t imagine having to replace my kitchen or entire flooring. The location of my home is a big plus, so that will help.
Back in the day, when I purchased my first home to live-in; that was Miami in the early 1990s, first mortgages with rates of 8 to 9% and 9% to 10% were typical. People will have to accept the possibility that we won't ever return to 3%. If sellers must sell, home prices will have to decline, and lower evaluations will follow. Pretty sure I'm not alone in my chain of thoughts.
If anything, it'll get worse. Very soon, affordable housing will no longer be affordable. So anything anyone want to do, I will advise they do it now because the prices today will look like dips tomorrow. Until the Fed clamps down even further, I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. You can't halfway rip the band-aid off.
consider moving your money from the housing market to financial markets or gold due to high mortgage rates and tough guidelines. Home prices may need to drop significantly before things stabilize. Seeking advice from a financial advisor who understands the market could be helpful in making the right decisions.
When ‘Carol Vivian Constable’ is trading, there's no nonsense and no excuses. She wins the trade and you win. Take the loss, I promise she'll take one with you.
I have seen a previous neighbor change out all their flooring before selling house. The new buyers changed it out before setting foot in the home. All this advice from Harold gives me heart. I do realize we most definitely fit into the 'Declutter and Deep Clean' category!!!
We are looking to sell our home. My wife had it built in '91 before we met. But I still had an inspector do a walk through, and he told me the same things. We will come down on the price for the new roof (it needs one) and on the other things as well that will need to be done. But I'm not painting, etc, etc, etc. Things TO DO are make sure you list special things you may have done as improvements, i.e., I put a bidet and small 5 gal water heater under the vanity in the master bath to feed the sink and bidet. Things like that.
My major peeve. I wanted to buy the worst house in our neighborhood. The gutters were rotted out, the fascia was rotten, or missing. The render was falling off, the garden was a disaster area. I had a Caterpillar D9 just itching to do the renovation. What did they do? They spent $180,000 doing the place up and sold it for $180,000 more than it was worth to me. Not only that it is still the ugliest house in the suburb. It has all the charm of a Mexican cowboy movie jail house. Instead, they could have been out of there 6 months earlier and living their dream on their yacht.
Since my 88 year old daddy w Alzheimer’s was in an Alzheimer’s unit the last 6 months of his life , during which time I as his POA couldn’t legally sell his rental properties, I took the opportunity to freshen up the paint through the whole house, took out old worn out carpet( most tenants these day have pets)replaced w vinyl plank flooring in various shades of neutrals. In 2023 I had to replace the 30 year old central heat & air unit. In June I had the roof replaced. I am confident that it will make some family a nice home. 11:01
I would suggest three things not mentioned and fairly easy to do: spackling and painting walls, replacing or installing missing molding or baseboards, and refinishing floors or renewing flooring such as carpet cleaning. I have seen houses that wouldn't move on the market get a new "floor lift" by sanding and refinishing the floors, and a nice paint job, and suddenly, they sell for twice the original asking price!
I disagree. with flooring. Most will go want to pick the flooring they want. if you can sand and do it your sefl then it is worth it. but sanding and rifinishing can be expensive.
@@lindakincaid4530 I sanded and refinished the flooring in only one bedroom. It was so unsightly, I figured I couldn't make it look worse. It was HARD work, took a long time, and I will never do it again! But it only cost about $200 to do it, versus over $1k to have it done. Turned out great, by the way.
A few years ago, good friends decided to downsize and move. They poured a boatload of money into the house to fix it up, remodeled the kitchen, all the baths, painted, landscaped, all the things you said not to do. When it was done, the house was spectacular. I took one look at it and asked myself, why do they want to move, I would love to live here. Anyway, I went home and decided that I wanted my house to look good enough to sell tomorrow. We remodeled some very old and needy bathrooms, our kitchen, and the cabinets. I can't tell you how many people came in and asked a) are we moving? and b) can they buy it? We absolutely love our "new" home, the market value went up in value dramatically, we enjoy every minute we are living here without the moving hassles! (Well, yes our friends did downsize, and they lost tens of thousands in the process.) Excellent video, very sound advice.
We sold my mother's house last year. It had not been touched much since the sixties but it had large rooms, was in a great location with a big back garden and was structurally sound so we sold it on its potential. We did not do a thing to it apart from clearing the gardens. The new buyer completely remodelled it and it now looks lovely.
As a former realtor in Beverly Hills, this is exactly what I did to my house to make it sell quicker and a realtor that I have wanting to sell it tell me the exact opposite, but I’m right in reference with you and I agree with you 100%
The realtor on this video is a smart guy and he has a lot of common sense but most realtors are dummies, just like most people in any profession, they are not very good at it. Only A very you are the real deal!
Not trying to diss realtors, but they are working on commission based on the selling price, they don't deduct the amount you put into the house to get it ready to sell. Some unscrupulous realtors looking out only for their commission may encourage you to put thousands into it before the sale so they can get a higher commission.
AGREED, Agreed! We have bought and sold many homes during our married lives and I can say that when shopping for new homes when I walked into a cluttered house or house with very distinctive colors Or ANY house with odors it was an IMMEDIATE turn off. Closets that were packed full of stuff for some reason would always be such a turn off to me I couldn’t see anything else. Even tho I realized all that stuff would be removed, it just cluttered my minds eye when looking.. I HIGHLY recommend to people rent a storage unit and put ur stuff there while trying to sell then CLEAN UR CLOSETS and any other clutter in the home. Pet stuff also a turn off since we do not have pets the thought of a lot of pet hair dander etc also a deal breaker for me. I don’t mind a neat clean home that has a dog or cat but a home that obviously has several pets and the owners maybe not the cleanest people EEWWW , no thanks..
We are planning on selling here in Florida. Our AC was over 20 years old but still functioning. 2025 sees change in regfrigerant and cost of new units will be aprox 15% or higher than 2024, plus lack of inventory of 2024's.We elected to replace now and still had hard time finding a unit. Hope we didn't make a mistake but its done now.
Sold mother in laws house. Never remodelled since purchased in 1980. Spent some money removing junk but did nothing else. Sold within a day for asking price. There is no hard and set method of selling.
I have been watching housing prices near me bc I intend to sell soon. NJ is a hot market now. A 70's ranch home -3br2bath- nearby had the original kitchen, original bathrooms, hardwood floors, carpet in the bedrooms, cul de sac location priced at $449,500. It was very clean. It sold in 9 days for $575k - $125k over asking!!!
When I redid, I redid, using what I had. I always wanted different cupboards, but I liked mine, just didn't like the darkness of the wood, So, I painted the raised part of the doors, and drawers, and created a tuxedo style. I went a step further by painting my created island using a bookshelf for one side, a plain side, to which I added molding. A spice rack for the kitchen end, and a double door with molding, on the dining room end which housed my pretty serving dishes. I took the brightness factor a step further by painting the sides of the top cupboards the same cream color, to add brightness to the kitchen window area, and the same for the two bottom sides of the over the stove cupboard sides. POP, went my whole area, making the flow of a one room bright area. It was once an L shape. I also added real tile to the kitchen floor, and pulled part of that L, now open area up into the dining room, by adding a jut out with the tile, and set the island on that. I now love everything about my kitchen, except for the stainless appliances. I always detested that stainless idea. They are SO much harder to keep clean than my plain white appliances. When I move, I will purchase used, if I can't get white, or anything except stainless. When my daughter was enthralled with my son's log cabin, she asked...Mom, can you make my bedroom log? I did, and it was SO cozy. You CAN do anything, but make it homey, and people will buy it, and if they don't like it, paint is an easy answer.
Great video! I’ve been telling people pretty much the same thing for years and only ever been told I was wrong because their agent told them to do all those things! I would tell them “Of course they want you to dump as much money into your house before selling because it will increase the price and their commissions!” You are an honest real estate agent! I would use you if I were ever crazy enough to move to California!
Ummm. If a house sells for $30,000 more that’s about $900 in commission if the agent gets half of six. Then they would split with their broker so probably $600-750. Your comment is ludicrous. It’s just well known updated homes sell faster and for more money. It doesn’t mean that the total investment is returned.
@Dantan: I am in your shoes right now. Friends wanting to sell. Their preferred agent (some neighborhood clown) gave them a laundry list of stuff that will take weeks and five figures of cash. I told them do one specific thing and then sell As Is. They did not listen to me.
@@user-hm5zb1qn6g I agree people go too far overboard when selling their homes. One should remodel for their own pleasure not to sell. I have seen brand new kitchens get ripped out after someone remodeled because they were selling. But again, at 2.5% which is where most commissions in my area are to one side of the listing, only ends up around $187.50 per $10k in my pocket. The real purpose is that it sells faster and sells for more but there’s a $$ point where it’s pointless.
I've been looking for a house for a while and I hate having to consider a more expensive price because the owner made cheesey, unattractive remodel. I'd rather do it myself. I do think smell has an effect good and bad
When I was house shopping and had a limited budget, the houses in my price range could not pass even half an inspection. Many had new roofs but rotted floor joists that caused the floors to sag. One house was so bad it was a ski slope going down the middle of it. Flippers think they can paint and update a few things and jack the price up, but one flipper had all the plug sockets wired wrong. The inspector said I would have to get an electrician in there before anything else. One house had no sub flooring so when it rained, it came in under the kitchen door., but the owner provided sandbags to help with that. One house had a mystery stair case from a closet to the attic that was sealed. The inspector got in and reported bats and rodents plus an abundance of feces. It also still had asbestos under the siding. I probably spent around $800 total for 7 inspections but it was worth not buying a nightmare. The house I bought was a foreclosure and needed a new roof, but the foundation was solid and the HVAC only 5 years old. The house was a rental so even the toilets had to be replaced. Everything was broken. Obviously, it was an revenge eviction, but it was cheaper to replace those things than repair a flooring issue and other demons.
I’m in Florida and the housing market here over the last 7-8 years is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Homes that were bought for $130K in 2015 are now being sold for $590k. I’m talking about tiny, disgusting, poorly built 950 square foot shit boxes in quiet mediocre neighborhoods. Then you’ve got Better, average sized homes in nicer neighborhoods that were $300K+ 10 years ago selling for $750k+ now. Wild times.
A recession as bad it can be, provides good buying opportunities in the markets if you’re careful and it can also create volatility giving great short time buy and sell opportunities too. This is not financial advise but get buying, cash isn’t king at all in this time!
You are right! I’ve diversified my 450K portfolio across various market with the aid of an investment coach, I have been able to generate a little bit above $830k in net profit across high dividend yield stocks, ETF and bonds.
@@hunter-bourke21bravo! I appreciate the implementation of ideas and strategies that result to unmeasurable progress, thus the search for a reputable advisor, mind sharing info of this person guiding you please?
*Gertrude Margaret Quinto* is the licensed fiduciary I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.
The roof is a must……the insurance company may ask you to replace it if it is too old or has damage. They can refuse to give you insurance. This happened to my daughter.
yes, a roofer friend told me this is a new thing...the insurance companies won't insure a roof that is older than 10 years, even with a 40 year shingle.
Solid advice. Although, I do small, inexpensive improvements to my house starting the day I move in so I can enjoy them. But small, inexpensive improvements add up over time making my house more desirable than my neighbors. I get to enjoy the improvements, AND my house sells for slightly more but way faster.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own opinion about what to do and what not to do to sell. Any new upgrades that you do can be added on to the price of your home. I have been making some changes and doing up grades. One of the things not mentioned was any updates should be disabled and senior compatible. In today's housing market, May 2024, many families are living together more. Senior parents living with their children, disabled individuals living with relatives, children with grand parents. So disabled or senior access has become a factor. Wider doors for wheelchair access. Walk- in tubs, and open construction ( no walls between rooms) has seen a huge trend. And possibly half baths. So if you are adding on rooms or doing any renovations, even changing doors. This is definitely something to consider. Also, the easier access to and inside your home is much easier for the buyer to obtain a loan. Therefore a quicker less tedious process for you the seller And the buyer.
Your advice is pretty much correct in my opinion. It does however also depend on the individual property, the market, and how over optimistic you are on the price.
It will add to the value when selling, but it will net you less when you look at cost to sale price. A new roof may cost 15-20k but only add 5-10k to what a buyer would pay. If roof is actively leaking then definitely replace. Best to sit down with realtor to look at some of those items.
It depends. If it’s a single level home in an area with a majority of double storey homes, the buyer may intend to expand upwards. They won’t care what the roof looks like.
Was responsible to sell my parent's house. Removed all furniture. A contractor painted all interior walls & power washed the outside. I spruced up the garden. The house sold after sitting on the market a year. Everything cleaned & neat!
This advice is good for 2024. In 2021 in the middle of the pandemic my brother in law got a ton back (bidding wars) in return after remodeling the kitchen and master bathroom, adding a bathroom in the finished basement. The new buyers took it even further but it was the exterior, adding rooms, replaced all the windows, paint and rear landscaping. They’re still working on the house. Iol
This was an excellent video! When we discuss what needs to be totally updated to sell our house I always tell my husband that we need to leave some things for our buyers to do after they move in! Clean and bright with fresh paint and new hardware works wonders!
We inherited a 930sf 55+ condo -- untouched since it was built in 1970. The previous tenant(s) left stinky, carpeting, worn bathroom, dated kitchen cabinets, broken appliances, dangerous wiring and more that must be replaced since we're not selling "as is". Sure, our buyer might have enough $ to reno this place to their personal tastes, but the prevailing word is they neither have the time or desire to take on a project of this magnitude when they're already downsizing, relocating, in bereavement, have health challenges, or just need to get on with their remaining years in a clean, modernized and attractive home. A unit where all the "work is already done" is golden around here.
dont forget to declutter your closets! Cabinets and closets, clean and roomy, as well as a nice stack of perfect towels, helps women imagine their things and how they will fit and look
The OPINIONS presented in this video are in direct opposition to what every realtor we have used in the last 20 YEARS has told us in respect to kitchens & bathrooms. KITCHENS & BATHROOMS SELL HOMES ~ never forget that! Additionally, flooring is also very important. Our home had 2 offers with escalation clauses WITHIN 24 HOURS because we renovated the kitchens & bathrooms as well as installed hardwood floors. We got $10,000 over asking! So the "proof" that our realtor's advice was 100% spot on is in the selling price.
This is exactly why a realtor needs to look at the situation. For example, If a kitchen remodel is going to cost 40,000-50,000 and you get 10,000. The question that needs to be asked can I paint cabinets, changing hardware ect for 5k and get asking??? Which means netting 25,000-30,000 more money. I had clients do a light kitchen rehab, (spent $3000), change out dated and stained flooring and get 40,000+ over asking.
It really depends on how bad the kitchen and bathrooms were before you remodeled them. When we bought our house in Palm Springs, we knew that the kitchen and bathrooms needed to be redone, but we preferred to do that ourselves and remodel them to our taste - not the sellers taste, which would have been horrible. We are now preparing to sell our house in Los Angeles, and the realtors have told us only to deep clean the kitchen and bathrooms - no remodeling necessary, even though the bathrooms have not been touched since 1996. We definitely would not get our money back if we spend it on the kitchen and bathrooms, but then they are not that bad and are fully functional. We are not painting our maple cabinets in the kitchen either.
@@larsedik For a few hundred or so you can install a nice new toiler, faucets, towel bars, maybe lighting and fresh paint in the bathrooms. (these are almost all projects you can do yourself in a day or two if you really want to save...) These changes will make the bathroom look much nicer along with that deep clean.
LESS IS MORE. Suggestion: you might want to consider removing “that sound” when words pop up or photos change throughout the video. Its repetitiveness is very annoying. I could not watch the video through to the end because of that. I get what you were trying to do, but it’s a bit excessive. IMO. I really don’t enjoy being critical, however I had to comment on this.
My house won’t even go on the market. I’ve had so many say they would like to buy my house if I ever wanted to sell and some of them have only seen the outside. It’s a mad world.
I have a log home n my home had wooden shaks n needed repairs badly. So I had a new roof installed. My son n I replaced bathroom n sinks fixtures.. I badly needed a new furnace, water heater, and new ac .After my husband passed, so did the furnace. so I put in a new one along with a dated water heater. I plan on light landscaping with potted plants for staging. The house will be completely bare, and the house will be deep cleaned as a log home does tend to collect dust. Plus, I hired someone to stain the outside deck n do minor repairs. B4 selling my son will power wash the outside n the deck again. Dust and bird poop tend to appear . I know I need new carpet in master bedroom n loft area, but if needed, I will offer $$ compensation. B4, my husband passed away. we built a 2 stall garage. The 13 acres have 3 pole barns . We will power wash all three b4 putting the house up for sale. If you're interested ? The house is in Michigan.
I always heard a kitchen remodel was a good investment but to your point I discovered it was not a good return on investment when I did it to my home in San Antonio that I recently sold. The appraiser did not give me much credit for it. Now the kitchen did need to be remodeled when I bought the house 4 years earlier so I don't regret that I did it but I discovered I did not receive all of that money back as once led to believe.
Yes, kitchen and bathroom remodels are futile. You will just get your money back out, and that doesn’t compensate you for all the planning and the aggravation during construction. You should only do those things if you are going to live there and enjoy them.
We put in new driveway and entry walkway because it was lifted up and down in some places 3" and was dangerous. Bids were $12000-$6100, took $6100 and they did beautiful job. They removed tree roots 4-5" thick!
Please don't put new carpet down. Let people chose their own flooring. I have walked away from houses with new carpet because I hate carpet and couldn't stand the thought of ripping it up and sending it to the landfill or living with it for years
We had a house that we HAD to change the carpet. No one could see past the outdated green color. We changed the carpet...the house sold. My advice..bite the bullet and put in a new neutral shade if needed. People cannot see past it.
We recarpeted my Mother's living room less than a year before she passed, and the women who bought the house on the walk through told me she was ripping up the carpet to redo the hardwood floors underneath.
Please oh please do not fill the entire house with ugly, cheap laminate floors. Some of the patterns are absolutely awful, but I do believe they also give off formaldehyde fumes for years.
Too many people are too obsessed with their own concept of "what is green" - as they drive their SUV's, fly to their vacations, drink bottled water and buy massive quantities of polyester clothing specifically designed to disintegrate and polute our water tables and therefore our bodies as quickly as possible.
Take your family pictures down, ditch the kids toys , empty closets ,garage and basement . Remember to ask a stranger to smell your house if you have pets, frequently people are so accustomed to the smell of their pets dank aromas it’s a real turnoff .Get out of the house when the buyers come and remember you are moving get almost everything worth saving packed and into a storage unit off the property - you’ll be very happy when moving time comes .
Here's what I told my agent when she insisted we renovate the kitchen before putting it on the market... Only a crazy person would rip out solid wood cabinets and replace them with the garbage they make these days. Unless you're changing the layout it's nuts to rip out functional cabinets.
Wait for the inspection. Possibly you just have to give a credit or make some limited repairs or a combination. Completely doing the whole roof is expensive and a mess but if it has to be OK, but only if it has to be. And giving a credit for an entire new roof would be preferable to actually doing that roof.
The best thing any seller can do is list the home as it REALLY is and price accordingly. Have your home inspected and put the report with the listing, price accordingly and move on. Anything other attempt is a scam used in an attempt to bring in a higher price trying to hide issues with the home. Again, it is what it is, attempting to turn it into anything else is just wrong.
Its funny because every home is different. People gave me the exact advice this guy just said they all said I was an idiot for doing the bathroom kitchen and a large beutiful deck. Well i paid 140 k for my house the kitchen i did for 10 k bathroom 5 k deck was 12-15k. so for 35k in stuff my house walked for 415k so I think if something is unique or one of a kind as my land was making it nice will only grow your return
We are getting ready to sell my mom’s house. We put new gutters…gutters were 35 to 40 years old and not functional well. We put new HVAC…gas furnace was leaking…movement in flame so furnace was shot…at least 25 years old. The second bathroom was redone…wasn’t functioning for years…floor had sunk in…redone for around $2,000 so reasonable. I will probably get it appraised because we have no idea how much it is worth…4 bedrooms, 2 baths…hope it sells fast…western North Carolina.
It sounds like you performed necessary repairs that would detract from the home's market price. Probably a sound investment, since a home inspection would have found these major issues and then it would appear that NO maintenance had been done to the property, even if it had.
In our region its still a strong sellers market with minimal inventory. As a buyer you take what you can get unless the home is truly a dud. Then you have room to negotiate. Roughly 10 to 20% fit this category and still only sit for less than 30 days.
Your advice is sound. We have made much of our fortune from residential real estate. We always renovate our home to make it as comfortable and modern as possible. But every change we make is with resale in mind. That doesn’t mean we skimp on our changes because we achieve great enjoyment from the result and, if we over-capitalize, it will just mean the house sells instantly and that is a pleasure. In our late 70’s, we are very mindful that we should be ever ready to sell and move on. However, we have added an Italian lift, whole of home voice activated lighting and sound and hand rails because it is in our interest to stay in our home as long as possible to enjoy it and let inflation and market forces make it irresistable to the potential buyer.
always do home as if your gonna sell it. neutral colors etc. but to high quality. paint ceiling same as walls make life easy. put code for paint under switch plate.
Anyone heard of moving within California and being told by your new home insurance to take photos of your previous home to ensure you looked after it before they will insure your new one??
I had to laugh at $300 to reglaze a tub/shower. Where I live in Florida, quotes ranged from $500-825. Our tub was reglazed previously and that does involve more work and adds to cost.
I would say re-staining or painting is a value add without a big expense. The issue to check on first before you start is termite damage. I would probably get a termite report first to see if there are some boards that may need to be replaced before staining or painting.
My son moved into a home 2 years ago with a wrap around deck and 2-tiered deck in the back. The whole thing was painted with some kind of cheap paint that was just to make it look good and get the place sold. It's peeling off now and the whole thing needs re-done and properly stained.
Don't remodal the kitchen and bathrooms. Cleanup and replace the bathroom. Don't get a new roof, just patch it. Make all flooring the same throughout. Don't replace the front door. Just repaint. ...
Some of the advice is relevant, but not all of it. It's pretty general, but not all properties are the same all and not all prospective buyers want to have to update a new house themselves.
What does deep clean really mean? Mop floors and vacuum/shampoo carpets? Are there service that do this? we can do the basics, but it never feels that clean.
You also need to declutter. Closets declutter. If your are moving why bring stuff to the next house you really do not need. Less to pack & move. Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores take donations.
Clean behind things, on top of cupboards, doors and ceiling fans (use ammonia to degrease anywhere near the kitchen, but keep it well ventilated).Get into corners with an old toothbrush. Mopping still leaves residue, make sure there is a second go with the mop water coming out clean. Scrub around the base of taps, dissolve limescale buildup by soaking bathroom fittings in vinegar overnight and scrubbing, polishing dry, Ensure limescale and soap buildup is removed from tiles and glass in the shower and polish dry with microfibre. Remove mould from shower grout. Clean power point faceplates. Clean the backs of door handles. Remove any cobwebs. Get windows sparkling clean inside and out. Pressure wash hard paving. If there is mould or detritus on the outside walls of the house pressure wash it off. Clear and rinse gutters. Open windows to clear any residual smells. Clean the oven and its racks, and any griller tray, clean cooktop burners, and gas cooktop trivets. Clean around the sides of a stove, make sure it is taken out of its niche and the sides degreased. Take the fridge out and clean behind it.
I had a home inspection prior to putting up a for sale sign. Reason being is it allowed me to fix the necessary items that might cause a loss of sale or a severe less offer.
Hard to declutter when you have lots of stuff, when maybe you are moving to a bigger house. Personally I like my stuff and hate when an outside party thinks everyone else should downsize. Ok I’m getting off the subject. Just sayin.
Maybe, but whatever anyone does with smells, do not repeat do not use an oil diffuser. Smells artificial and as if there is something you are trying to cover up.
I detest those chemical scented candles and “air freshener” products. They are toxic petroleum waste product packaged, advertised, and foisted off on consumers. Clean doesn’t have a scent. If I smell fragrance, it’s a red flag that the seller is trying to mask an odor.
So glad to hear this. Cuz i always heard just the opposite! No i dont luve there, not looking to buying or selling a house (I wish). Was uust curious. Thank you!
First of all, no need to upgrade anything. Main thing will always be to have everything very clean and decluttered. When in doubt, its better to remove than to re-make.
Nothing ever changes (in a sellers market for sure). It's still location first and the overall features (size, design) of the home. Other than paint, you will never get your money back. You may only break even doing the work yourself. In a buters market, you can do stuff to help it sell faster, but you're still better off financially doing nothing.
My house is 30 years old and could use new windows to lower electricity consumption in Florida. Since I am not sure if I will stay in this house, I have not pulled the trigger on this very expensive project. New windows mean all of them, including the sliding glass doors, need to be replaced either with hurricane code windows or add the cost of new shutters. I don't even live in a flooding zone. Min $20K last time I checked. Is there any chance I would recover my investment when selling?
We listed my moms house last year for sale AS IS. It was in great shape. The buyer had a home inspection done. After they wanted the A/C replaced, All the screens replaced. The a/c was old but working fine. two of the screens had a few pencil size holes. Then they wanted the walls in the garage painted due to a few stains. Then they wanted the irrigation that was not even on the listing repaired. The list went on and on. I told the buyer, Do you know what AS IS means??? He was getting a great deal on this move in ready home. He ended up giving us full asking price and we did not do anything o the house.
Good for you!
When I sell it will be as is.
I guess they felt like they had nothing to lose by trying.
Same thing happened to me when selling my apartment last March
Exactly, listed it with the words as is
After the inspection, a list of items total close to $15,000 including the HVAC replacement
I laughed when reading your message because I thought exactly the same thing, do they know what the words “as is” actually mean ???😂😂😂
@@escapist502 Yup, And when they can`t find anything really wrong they nit pick stuff.
Yah the buyer wants you to hand them a new house.
I'm 54 and my wife and I are VERY worried about our future, gas and food prices rising daily. We have had our savings dwindle with the cost of living into the stratosphere, and we are finding it impossible to replace them. We can get by, but can't seem to get ahead. My condolences to anyone retiring in this crisis, 30 years nonstop just for a crooked system to take all you worked for...
@Alethia-q9s That's actually quite impressive, I could use some Info on your FA, I am looking to make a change on my finances this year as well
@Alethia-q9s I will give this a look, thanks a bunch for sharing.
Agree especially when corporate execs get tax cuts from politicians we voted for 🤦♀️ while our taxes are forced to be increased, corps raise cost of goods w/out reason, billionaires buy multiple homes across the globe, buy private jets & pay no taxes on their purchases
Don't:
Remodel kitchen and/or nath completely.
Replace roof.
Replace flooring
Fix cracks in driveway or walkways
Replace front door
Replace window coverings
Don't do major landscaping
Do:
Declutter
Deep clean
All good advice. Watch all the way for tips . Good advice and well done.
Thank you!
Thanks
Declutter & clean & clean. If you can't deep clean hire people to clean. Your house needs to be spotless.
Thanks!
The tip to power wash outside is also good
People will change it for their taste no need wasting money on something you are selling.
Right. Carpet is bad.
Very true but some of the times buyers (usually women) can not see past a bright red painted living room or orange backsplash in the kitchen. Most people will always accept a white backsplash and white walls. Sometimes it bettter to just paint walls yourself if you have decided to go bright personal colors on all the walls. I've been to to many homes where every bedroom is a different color (green, blue, and red) and the wife (buyer) just can't seem to get past it, even though its just paint and easily fixed.
Exactly!
As a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser for 43 years, I think this agent is "on point". Clean, and deodorized cannot be encouraged enough. Great advice!
Thank you for your comments
Cleaning and decluttering is one of the biggest things you can do to show the space in your home and make it shine and sparkle and take all personal items and pictures and everything and put them away
I agree with all these points.
Location is the most important part in my opinion. People want to remodel and make it "their own" A house's location is the selling feature.
Agree, location is also a selling point for many ppl.
Agree. I purchased my home bc it was on a quiet cul-de-sac, 3+ acres, peaceful, space between the neighbors. It was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't care what the kitchen or bathrooms looked like. It was 3 miles from the highway, blue ribbon schools, a horsebarn, open field "farmette" type of property, etc... Anything can be updated, but you can't change location.
I agree. The house I bought is in the middle of all the school locations. Since I'm a substitute teacher, that was a massive plus.
I agree. As a builder I have done a lot of remodels and they NEVER pay off. Especially if someone is selling the house. But if you are living in it at least you get the Joemer have a nice refurbished house.
@@steveperreira5850 Do you advise clients that they should not hire you to remodel if they are planning on selling ?
My husband and I toured the house we ended up purchasing while the owners were still living in it and at home. It was a crazy experience. Immediately, their little dog ran up to me and the wife yelled at her husband, "Don't let him pee on her!" After that, the lady loudly chattered non stop. She was a close talker, too! A very bewildered and sad old lady sat on the couch. I learned that her husband had died the week prior. The house was very clean looking, but I could smell a cat litter box in the bedroom, from where I stood in the dining room. All the rooms in the house had been sloppily painted in various bright Easter eggs colors, trim included. The fenced backyard was a blank slate, except for one scraggly rhubarb plant.
The house, built in 1917, was structually sound and it had a three car garage, although narrow bays. We we were able to look past the garish paint, small closets, only one bathroom and no parking on our side of the street, and bought it. Never regretted it! First things we did was repaint the entire interior, take out the rhubarb plant, and plant trees and shrubs.
I love changes we made to the place. My husband is gone now, but when or if I decide to downsize, I will not be doing anything but removing any clutter, personal items, and cleaning it well. New owners may want to paint over my soft, neutral walls and chop down the trees. I won't care, I'll be on to a new place.
We just sold my girlfriends house in a pretty prime area and the realtor- who was one of the better ones I've worked with and open to most of our ideas- was quite adamant on point and it was that no one should be in the house for a showing. Aside from comical situations like yours, her contention was that homeowners make buyers nervous and then they tend to fly through the tour, probably feeling like their intruding.. I get that not everyone can afford that luxury. It just happened my gf was now living at my house and we afford to keep it mostly empty, but it was Summer and the potential for her college age kids to be milling about was still a factor.
Some realtors have teams of trained people who know what must be fixed and how to make repairs. That recently happened to me and having things done this way saved time, reduced worry, and was well worth the money.
Re This advice - do this while living in the house !! You’ll love it and never leave :)
This is solid advice. I would add that when you are decluttering, remember to organize your closets and pantry because people do open closets. If they're too full, or you have too much furniture, consider renting a storage facility for a month or two as a short term solution to get them out of the way while you sell. It won't hurt because you will already be half packed when you leave. Also, a few new cushions will make your old bedspread look fresh, as well as your sofa or loveseat. Don't forget to replace anything broken or missing such as baseboards or switch covers or torn such as ratty towels or holes in the drapes. If you have pets indoors, make absolutely sure that their area is spotless.
Home inspector for over 20 years here. My take for the average home owner selling their home is do nothing other then making sure the home is livable. Working AC, furnace, water heater and so on. Don't do anything else except remove clutter and clean the place up as good as you can inside and out. Consider making repairs when they ask, some folks ask for everything others don't ask for anything. Why guess at it and potentially spend money you didn't need to spend? Also people have different taste then you so don't spend money on remodeling when they may just change it anyway.
Great advice. I pray when it’s time to sell my home it will be well received, without huge cost for repairs. Right now, I only have the money to keep up with repairs and replacements while I’m still living in my home. I can’t imagine having to replace my kitchen or entire flooring. The location of my home is a big plus, so that will help.
Back in the day, when I purchased my first home to live-in; that was Miami in the early 1990s, first mortgages with rates of 8 to 9% and 9% to 10% were typical. People will have to accept the possibility that we won't ever return to 3%. If sellers must sell, home prices will have to decline, and lower evaluations will follow. Pretty sure I'm not alone in my chain of thoughts.
If anything, it'll get worse. Very soon, affordable housing will no longer be affordable. So anything anyone want to do, I will advise they do it now because the prices today will look like dips tomorrow. Until the Fed clamps down even further, I think we're going to see hysteria due to rampant inflation. You can't halfway rip the band-aid off.
consider moving your money from the housing market to financial markets or gold due to high mortgage rates and tough guidelines. Home prices may need to drop significantly before things stabilize. Seeking advice from a financial advisor who understands the market could be helpful in making the right decisions.
I will be happy getting assistance and glad to get the help of one, but just how can one spot a reputable one?
When ‘Carol Vivian Constable’ is trading, there's no nonsense and no excuses. She wins the trade and you win. Take the loss, I promise she'll take one with you.
She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran an online search on her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.
Thank you. What I’m hearing from you is basically clean it up. I couldn’t agree more.
Hey Katie, good evening also how are you feeling today... God loves you and your households ❤🕊️😇
I have seen a previous neighbor change out all their flooring before selling house. The new buyers changed it out before setting foot in the home. All this advice from Harold gives me heart. I do realize we most definitely fit into the 'Declutter and Deep Clean' category!!!
We are looking to sell our home. My wife had it built in '91 before we met. But I still had an inspector do a walk through, and he told me the same things. We will come down on the price for the new roof (it needs one) and on the other things as well that will need to be done. But I'm not painting, etc, etc, etc.
Things TO DO are make sure you list special things you may have done as improvements, i.e., I put a bidet and small 5 gal water heater under the vanity in the master bath to feed the sink and bidet. Things like that.
Thanks for these tips. I’m sure there are items that some may dicker with, but this is a great starting point.
My major peeve. I wanted to buy the worst house in our neighborhood. The gutters were rotted out, the fascia was rotten, or missing. The render was falling off, the garden was a disaster area. I had a Caterpillar D9 just itching to do the renovation. What did they do? They spent $180,000 doing the place up and sold it for $180,000 more than it was worth to me. Not only that it is still the ugliest house in the suburb. It has all the charm of a Mexican cowboy movie jail house. Instead, they could have been out of there 6 months earlier and living their dream on their yacht.
Since my 88 year old daddy w Alzheimer’s was in an Alzheimer’s unit the last 6 months of his life , during which time I as his POA couldn’t legally sell his rental properties, I took the opportunity to freshen up the paint through the whole house, took out old worn out carpet( most tenants these day have pets)replaced w vinyl plank flooring in various shades of neutrals.
In 2023 I had to replace the 30 year old central heat & air unit.
In June I had the roof replaced.
I am confident that it will make some family a nice home.
11:01
I would suggest three things not mentioned and fairly easy to do: spackling and painting walls, replacing or installing missing molding or baseboards, and refinishing floors or renewing flooring such as carpet cleaning. I have seen houses that wouldn't move on the market get a new "floor lift" by sanding and refinishing the floors, and a nice paint job, and suddenly, they sell for twice the original asking price!
I disagree. with flooring. Most will go want to pick the flooring they want. if you can sand and do it your sefl then it is worth it. but sanding and rifinishing can be expensive.
that's because people have a tough time visulizing what the home would look like..+ people buying homes are just outright lazy & don't do the work
@@lindakincaid4530 I sanded and refinished the flooring in only one bedroom. It was so unsightly, I figured I couldn't make it look worse. It was HARD work, took a long time, and I will never do it again! But it only cost about $200 to do it, versus over $1k to have it done. Turned out great, by the way.
Not @ 8 percent interest
New paint and sanded floors equals 2x original list? I don't think so....
A few years ago, good friends decided to downsize and move. They poured a boatload of money into the house to fix it up, remodeled the kitchen, all the baths, painted, landscaped, all the things you said not to do. When it was done, the house was spectacular. I took one look at it and asked myself, why do they want to move, I would love to live here. Anyway, I went home and decided that I wanted my house to look good enough to sell tomorrow. We remodeled some very old and needy bathrooms, our kitchen, and the cabinets. I can't tell you how many people came in and asked a) are we moving? and b) can they buy it? We absolutely love our "new" home, the market value went up in value dramatically, we enjoy every minute we are living here without the moving hassles! (Well, yes our friends did downsize, and they lost tens of thousands in the process.) Excellent video, very sound advice.
We sold my mother's house last year. It had not been touched much since the sixties but it had large rooms, was in a great location with a big back garden and was structurally sound so we sold it on its potential. We did not do a thing to it apart from clearing the gardens. The new buyer completely remodelled it and it now looks lovely.
Nice!
As a former realtor in Beverly Hills, this is exactly what I did to my house to make it sell quicker and a realtor that I have wanting to sell it tell me the exact opposite, but I’m right in reference with you and I agree with you 100%
The realtor on this video is a smart guy and he has a lot of common sense but most realtors are dummies, just like most people in any profession, they are not very good at it. Only A very you are the real deal!
Not trying to diss realtors, but they are working on commission based on the selling price, they don't deduct the amount you put into the house to get it ready to sell. Some unscrupulous realtors looking out only for their commission may encourage you to put thousands into it before the sale so they can get a higher commission.
AGREED, Agreed! We have bought and sold many homes during our married lives and I can say that when shopping for new homes when I walked into a cluttered house or house with very distinctive colors Or ANY house with odors it was an IMMEDIATE turn off. Closets that were packed full of stuff for some reason would always be such a turn off to me I couldn’t see anything else. Even tho I realized all that stuff would be removed, it just cluttered my minds eye when looking.. I HIGHLY recommend to people rent a storage unit and put ur stuff there while trying to sell then CLEAN UR CLOSETS and any other clutter in the home. Pet stuff also a turn off since we do not have pets the thought of a lot of pet hair dander etc also a deal breaker for me. I don’t mind a neat clean home that has a dog or cat but a home that obviously has several pets and the owners maybe not the cleanest people EEWWW , no thanks..
Simple and great advice! So true - I am always amazed that people don’t clean and declutter when trying to sell their home
And people think everyone loves their family pictures and memorabilia .
@markbrautigam2502 Lolol....I don't want to see your family pictures or your kids' toys around. And get rid of unnecessary furniture.
@@markbrautigam2502I don’t consider framed photos on the walls as clutter. Try coming to my mom’s house! THAT is clutter!
@@markbrautigam2502a house I looked at had framed pics of baby ultrasounds of all 3 kids. No, no.
Most people don’t even know how to clean properly. Whether it is their house for themselves
We are planning on selling here in Florida. Our AC was over 20 years old but still functioning. 2025 sees change in regfrigerant and cost of new units will be aprox 15% or higher than 2024, plus lack of inventory of 2024's.We elected to replace now and still had hard time finding a unit. Hope we didn't make a mistake but its done now.
Sold mother in laws house. Never remodelled since purchased in 1980. Spent some money removing junk but did nothing else. Sold within a day for asking price. There is no hard and set method of selling.
Your price was too low.
Depending upon the location.
I have been watching housing prices near me bc I intend to sell soon. NJ is a hot market now. A 70's ranch home -3br2bath- nearby had the original kitchen, original bathrooms, hardwood floors, carpet in the bedrooms, cul de sac location priced at $449,500. It was very clean. It sold in 9 days for $575k - $125k over asking!!!
When I redid, I redid, using what I had. I always wanted different cupboards, but I liked mine, just didn't like the darkness of the wood, So, I painted the raised part of the doors, and drawers, and created a tuxedo style. I went a step further by painting my created island using a bookshelf for one side, a plain side, to which I added molding. A spice rack for the kitchen end, and a double door with molding, on the dining room end which housed my pretty serving dishes. I took the brightness factor a step further by painting the sides of the top cupboards the same cream color, to add brightness to the kitchen window area, and the same for the two bottom sides of the over the stove cupboard sides. POP, went my whole area, making the flow of a one room bright area. It was once an L shape. I also added real tile to the kitchen floor, and pulled part of that L, now open area up into the dining room, by adding a jut out with the tile, and set the island on that. I now love everything about my kitchen, except for the stainless appliances. I always detested that stainless idea. They are SO much harder to keep clean than my plain white appliances. When I move, I will purchase used, if I can't get white, or anything except stainless. When my daughter was enthralled with my son's log cabin, she asked...Mom, can you make my bedroom log? I did, and it was SO cozy. You CAN do anything, but make it homey, and people will buy it, and if they don't like it, paint is an easy answer.
Great video! I’ve been telling people pretty much the same thing for years and only ever been told I was wrong because their agent told them to do all those things! I would tell them “Of course they want you to dump as much money into your house before selling because it will increase the price and their commissions!” You are an honest real estate agent! I would use you if I were ever crazy enough to move to California!
Thank you!
Ummm. If a house sells for $30,000 more that’s about $900 in commission if the agent gets half of six. Then they would split with their broker so probably $600-750. Your comment is ludicrous. It’s just well known updated homes sell faster and for more money. It doesn’t mean that the total investment is returned.
@Dantan: I am in your shoes right now. Friends wanting to sell. Their preferred agent (some neighborhood clown) gave them a laundry list of stuff that will take weeks and five figures of cash. I told them do one specific thing and then sell As Is. They did not listen to me.
@@user-hm5zb1qn6g I agree people go too far overboard when selling their homes. One should remodel for their own pleasure not to sell. I have seen brand new kitchens get ripped out after someone remodeled because they were selling. But again, at 2.5% which is where most commissions in my area are to one side of the listing, only ends up around $187.50 per $10k in my pocket. The real purpose is that it sells faster and sells for more but there’s a $$ point where it’s pointless.
I've been looking for a house for a while and I hate having to consider a more expensive price because the owner made cheesey, unattractive remodel. I'd rather do it myself. I do think smell has an effect good and bad
When I was house shopping and had a limited budget, the houses in my price range could not pass even half an inspection. Many had new roofs but rotted floor joists that caused the floors to sag. One house was so bad it was a ski slope going down the middle of it. Flippers think they can paint and update a few things and jack the price up, but one flipper had all the plug sockets wired wrong. The inspector said I would have to get an electrician in there before anything else. One house had no sub flooring so when it rained, it came in under the kitchen door., but the owner provided sandbags to help with that. One house had a mystery stair case from a closet to the attic that was sealed. The inspector got in and reported bats and rodents plus an abundance of feces. It also still had asbestos under the siding. I probably spent around $800 total for 7 inspections but it was worth not buying a nightmare. The house I bought was a foreclosure and needed a new roof, but the foundation was solid and the HVAC only 5 years old. The house was a rental so even the toilets had to be replaced. Everything was broken. Obviously, it was an revenge eviction, but it was cheaper to replace those things than repair a flooring issue and other demons.
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😅
Phew, well done 😂
Asbestos under the siding is fine.
That was great no nonsense advice that makes sense. Thank you.
I’m in Florida and the housing market here over the last 7-8 years is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Homes that were bought for $130K in 2015 are now being sold for $590k. I’m talking about tiny, disgusting, poorly built 950 square foot shit boxes in quiet mediocre neighborhoods. Then you’ve got Better, average sized homes in nicer neighborhoods that were $300K+ 10 years ago selling for $750k+ now. Wild times.
A recession as bad it can be, provides good buying opportunities in the markets if you’re careful and it can also create volatility giving great short time buy and sell opportunities too. This is not financial advise but get buying, cash isn’t king at all in this time!
You are right! I’ve diversified my 450K portfolio across various market with the aid of an investment coach, I have been able to generate a little bit above $830k in net profit across high dividend yield stocks, ETF and bonds.
@@hunter-bourke21bravo! I appreciate the implementation of ideas and strategies that result to unmeasurable progress, thus the search for a reputable advisor, mind sharing info of this person guiding you please?
*Gertrude Margaret Quinto* is the licensed fiduciary I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.
She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran a Google search for her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.
The roof is a must……the insurance company may ask you to replace it if it is too old or has damage. They can refuse to give you insurance. This happened to my daughter.
It might be a must for the buyer...
yes, a roofer friend told me this is a new thing...the insurance companies won't insure a roof that is older than 10 years, even with a 40 year shingle.
Thank you. This is really helpful information. We’ve been in our house 20 years. A lot of this we can do. We’d have over fixed things.
Solid advice. Although, I do small, inexpensive improvements to my house starting the day I move in so I can enjoy them. But small, inexpensive improvements add up over time making my house more desirable than my neighbors. I get to enjoy the improvements, AND my house sells for slightly more but way faster.
I realize that everyone is going to have their own opinion about what to do and what not to do to sell. Any new upgrades that you do can be added on to the price of your home. I have been making some changes and doing up grades. One of the things not mentioned was any updates should be disabled and senior compatible. In today's housing market, May 2024, many families are living together more. Senior parents living with their children, disabled individuals living with relatives, children with grand parents. So disabled or senior access has become a factor. Wider doors for wheelchair access. Walk- in tubs, and open construction ( no walls between rooms) has seen a huge trend. And possibly half baths. So if you are adding on rooms or doing any renovations, even changing doors. This is definitely something to consider. Also, the easier access to and inside your home is much easier for the buyer to obtain a loan. Therefore a quicker less tedious process for you the seller And the buyer.
Higher ADA toilets, ADA faucet handles, and lever door handles.
Your advice is pretty much correct in my opinion. It does however also depend on the individual property, the market, and how over optimistic you are on the price.
Young buyers today for the most part want move in ready. They don’t want a fixer upper.
HP - I think the ; roof , windows & water heater replaced adds quality value when selling . ~ JDS/CT
It will add to the value when selling, but it will net you less when you look at cost to sale price. A new roof may cost 15-20k but only add 5-10k to what a buyer would pay. If roof is actively leaking then definitely replace. Best to sit down with realtor to look at some of those items.
It depends. If it’s a single level home in an area with a majority of double storey homes, the buyer may intend to expand upwards. They won’t care what the roof looks like.
@@Alicia-ij6gtgood point
@@LivinginVenturaI got the roof replaced on my daddy’s rental property done for $7,200.
It would not have passed an inspection as it was. 11:25
Awesome thanks makes me feel alot better because that was all the things that I focused on when preparing my house for sale 😁
Good job!
Was responsible to sell my parent's house. Removed all furniture. A contractor painted all interior walls & power washed the outside. I spruced up the garden. The house sold after sitting on the market a year. Everything cleaned & neat!
This advice is good for 2024. In 2021 in the middle of the pandemic my brother in law got a ton back (bidding wars) in return after remodeling the kitchen and master bathroom, adding a bathroom in the finished basement. The new buyers took it even further but it was the exterior, adding rooms, replaced all the windows, paint and rear landscaping. They’re still working on the house. Iol
Thanks for sharing
This is excellent advice. This guy deserves more subscribers.
Excellent video with great money-saving advise!
This was an excellent video!
When we discuss what needs to be totally updated to sell our house I always tell my husband that we need to leave some things for our buyers to do after they move in! Clean and bright with fresh paint and new hardware works wonders!
Thank you!
Great practical advise. It's a seller's market now where I live and houses are sold before advertising and open homes.
FOMO!
We inherited a 930sf 55+ condo -- untouched since it was built in 1970. The previous tenant(s) left stinky, carpeting, worn bathroom, dated kitchen cabinets, broken appliances, dangerous wiring and more that must be replaced since we're not selling "as is". Sure, our buyer might have enough $ to reno this place to their personal tastes, but the prevailing word is they neither have the time or desire to take on a project of this magnitude when they're already downsizing, relocating, in bereavement, have health challenges, or just need to get on with their remaining years in a clean, modernized and attractive home. A unit where all the "work is already done" is golden around here.
dont forget to declutter your closets! Cabinets and closets, clean and roomy, as well as a nice stack of perfect towels, helps women imagine their things and how they will fit and look
The OPINIONS presented in this video are in direct opposition to what every realtor we have used in the last 20 YEARS has told us in respect to kitchens & bathrooms. KITCHENS & BATHROOMS SELL HOMES ~ never forget that! Additionally, flooring is also very important. Our home had 2 offers with escalation clauses WITHIN 24 HOURS because we renovated the kitchens & bathrooms as well as installed hardwood floors. We got $10,000 over asking! So the "proof" that our realtor's advice was 100% spot on is in the selling price.
This is exactly why a realtor needs to look at the situation. For example, If a kitchen remodel is going to cost 40,000-50,000 and you get 10,000. The question that needs to be asked can I paint cabinets, changing hardware ect for 5k and get asking??? Which means netting 25,000-30,000 more money. I had clients do a light kitchen rehab, (spent $3000), change out dated and stained flooring and get 40,000+ over asking.
How much did the remodel cost?
It really depends on how bad the kitchen and bathrooms were before you remodeled them. When we bought our house in Palm Springs, we knew that the kitchen and bathrooms needed to be redone, but we preferred to do that ourselves and remodel them to our taste - not the sellers taste, which would have been horrible.
We are now preparing to sell our house in Los Angeles, and the realtors have told us only to deep clean the kitchen and bathrooms - no remodeling necessary, even though the bathrooms have not been touched since 1996. We definitely would not get our money back if we spend it on the kitchen and bathrooms, but then they are not that bad and are fully functional. We are not painting our maple cabinets in the kitchen either.
Terrific video, thank you!
@@larsedik For a few hundred or so you can install a nice new toiler, faucets, towel bars, maybe lighting and fresh paint in the bathrooms. (these are almost all projects you can do yourself in a day or two if you really want to save...) These changes will make the bathroom look much nicer along with that deep clean.
LESS IS MORE. Suggestion: you might want to consider removing “that sound” when words pop up or photos change throughout the video. Its repetitiveness is very annoying. I could not watch the video through to the end because of that. I get what you were trying to do, but it’s a bit excessive. IMO. I really don’t enjoy being critical, however I had to comment on this.
Thanks, I will notify my editor.
Didn't bother me. I'm still not even sure what @Paxton is referring to.
Lol, agreed!! Especially since i listen to most videos on 1.5 speed
I agree too many sound effects. Painful
@Paxton-br9gt If that slight sound bothers you enough to write a “book” in chat, you need medication and go back on your bipolar meds! You’re sick
My house won’t even go on the market. I’ve had so many say they would like to buy my house if I ever wanted to sell and some of them have only seen the outside. It’s a mad world.
I have a log home n my home had wooden shaks n needed repairs badly. So I had a new roof installed.
My son n I replaced bathroom n sinks fixtures.. I badly needed a new furnace, water heater, and new ac .After my husband passed, so did the furnace. so I put in a new one along with a dated water heater.
I plan on light landscaping with potted plants for staging.
The house will be completely bare, and the house will be deep cleaned as a log home does tend to collect dust. Plus, I hired someone to stain the outside deck n do minor repairs. B4 selling my son will power wash the outside n the deck again. Dust and bird poop tend to appear .
I know I need new carpet in master bedroom n loft area, but if needed, I will offer $$ compensation.
B4, my husband passed away. we built a 2 stall garage.
The 13 acres have 3 pole barns . We will power wash all three b4 putting the house up for sale.
If you're interested ? The house is in Michigan.
Sounds like you did all the right things to get it ready
I always heard a kitchen remodel was a good investment but to your point I discovered it was not a good return on investment when I did it to my home in San Antonio that I recently sold. The appraiser did not give me much credit for it. Now the kitchen did need to be remodeled when I bought the house 4 years earlier so I don't regret that I did it but I discovered I did not receive all of that money back as once led to believe.
Yes, kitchen and bathroom remodels are futile. You will just get your money back out, and that doesn’t compensate you for all the planning and the aggravation during construction. You should only do those things if you are going to live there and enjoy them.
Solid advice, however please note, the sound effects and background "music" are very annoying
We put in new driveway and entry walkway because it was lifted up and down in some places 3" and was dangerous. Bids were $12000-$6100, took $6100 and they did beautiful job. They removed tree roots 4-5" thick!
Please don't put new carpet down. Let people chose their own flooring. I have walked away from houses with new carpet because I hate carpet and couldn't stand the thought of ripping it up and sending it to the landfill or living with it for years
We had a house that we HAD to change the carpet. No one could see past the outdated green color. We changed the carpet...the house sold. My advice..bite the bullet and put in a new neutral shade if needed. People cannot see past it.
We recarpeted my Mother's living room less than a year before she passed, and the women who bought the house on the walk through told me she was ripping up the carpet to redo the hardwood floors underneath.
Please oh please do not fill the entire house with ugly, cheap laminate floors. Some of the patterns are absolutely awful, but I do believe they also give off formaldehyde fumes for years.
Sure beats “even worse” carpet.
What do u suggest instead for flooring?
@@RG-hf4et I use quality luxury vinyl. Easy to clean easy to work with. Very durable. Comes in every design to fit what ever design you need.
Too many people are too obsessed with their own concept of "what is green" - as they drive their SUV's, fly to their vacations, drink bottled water and buy massive quantities of polyester clothing specifically designed to disintegrate and polute our water tables and therefore our bodies as quickly as possible.
@@RG-hf4etWe went with hardwood flooring. Raised our asking price by $10,000.00 and looked GORGEOUS!
Take your family pictures down, ditch the kids toys , empty closets ,garage and basement . Remember to ask a stranger to smell your house if you have pets, frequently people are so accustomed to the smell of their pets dank aromas it’s a real turnoff .Get out of the house when the buyers come and remember you are moving get almost everything worth saving packed and into a storage unit off the property - you’ll be very happy when moving time comes .
Remove your pets for showings! I toured a home with a crated dog in the basement. (I love dogs!) That poor thing was scared to death! 😢
Thank you. Blessings to you...
Those are some thoughtful tips - appreciate them!
Here's what I told my agent when she insisted we renovate the kitchen before putting it on the market...
Only a crazy person would rip out solid wood cabinets and replace them with the garbage they make these days. Unless you're changing the layout it's nuts to rip out functional cabinets.
You are absolutely correct. Better to paint or refinish, add hardware in order to sell
If purchasing home through FHA loan I think the roof has to be in good condition.
My next video on what hurts an appraisal addresses this. FHA can require a 2 year certification if the appraiser calls it out.
FHA also doesn’t like peeling paint
Also make sure the plumbing and HVAC are in working condition
Although FHA does offer a rehab loan
Wait for the inspection. Possibly you just have to give a credit or make some limited repairs or a combination. Completely doing the whole roof is expensive and a mess but if it has to be OK, but only if it has to be. And giving a credit for an entire new roof would be preferable to actually doing that roof.
It’s real simple. Unless it’s an absolute show stopper, unless you can do better than recoup the cost of a remodel or whatever, don’t do it.
Thank you!
Yes, I have been wondering about this very thing. Thanks for your advice.
Guess I’ll have to remove all
My hoarding “treasures”!
The best thing any seller can do is list the home as it REALLY is and price accordingly. Have your home inspected and put the report with the listing, price accordingly and move on. Anything other attempt is a scam used in an attempt to bring in a higher price trying to hide issues with the home. Again, it is what it is, attempting to turn it into anything else is just wrong.
I thought full disclosure was the law? 🤔
@@tebelshaw9486 Joke of the year, compare any inspection report to the disclosure and prepare to laugh.
@@tebelshaw9486 paint over mold is not full disclosure.
Its funny because every home is different. People gave me the exact advice this guy just said they all said I was an idiot for doing the bathroom kitchen and a large beutiful deck. Well i paid 140 k for my house the kitchen i did for 10 k bathroom 5 k deck was 12-15k. so for 35k in stuff my house walked for 415k so I think if something is unique or one of a kind as my land was making it nice will only grow your return
We are getting ready to sell my mom’s house. We put new gutters…gutters were 35 to 40 years old and not functional well. We put new HVAC…gas furnace was leaking…movement in flame so furnace was shot…at least 25 years old. The second bathroom was redone…wasn’t functioning for years…floor had sunk in…redone for around $2,000 so reasonable. I will probably get it appraised because we have no idea how much it is worth…4 bedrooms, 2 baths…hope it sells fast…western North Carolina.
It sounds like you performed necessary repairs that would detract from the home's market price. Probably a sound investment, since a home inspection would have found these major issues and then it would appear that NO maintenance had been done to the property, even if it had.
It took me 4 years to sell my parents' home in PA. I made all necessary repairs and it ended up selling during Covid,
no inspection done. 😢
In our region its still a strong sellers market with minimal inventory. As a buyer you take what you can get unless the home is truly a dud. Then you have room to negotiate. Roughly 10 to 20% fit this category and still only sit for less than 30 days.
Depends on the area. Where I live, everyone wants turnkey so they can jump into their busy job at Google, Apple, or Tesla.
As long as they can pay for turnkey
Would you paint the walls before placing your house on the market ?
If the walls are a bit scuffed up or painted a color that is not a shade of white, then yes.
Your advice is sound. We have made much of our fortune from residential real estate. We always renovate our home to make it as comfortable and modern as possible. But every change we make is with resale in mind. That doesn’t mean we skimp on our changes because we achieve great enjoyment from the result and, if we over-capitalize, it will just mean the house sells instantly and that is a pleasure. In our late 70’s, we are very mindful that we should be ever ready to sell and move on. However, we have added an Italian lift, whole of home voice activated lighting and sound and hand rails because it is in our interest to stay in our home as long as possible to enjoy it and let inflation and market forces make it irresistable to the potential buyer.
Ive basically done most of this list but did it during required repair of home damage.
Very very good solid advice
Thanks!
always do home as if your gonna sell it. neutral colors etc. but to high quality. paint ceiling same as walls make life easy. put code for paint under switch plate.
Anyone heard of moving within California and being told by your new home insurance to take photos of your previous home to ensure you looked after it before they will insure your new one??
I had to laugh at $300 to reglaze a tub/shower. Where I live in Florida, quotes ranged from $500-825. Our tub was reglazed previously and that does involve more work and adds to cost.
Yep, inflation is pushing costs higher. The real gauge however is the tub replacement cost vs reglazing when deciding what to do.
@@LivinginVentura $3000 to replace.
Great video! Subscribed!
Thanks for the sub!
Thank you. I appreciate your help.
What about redoing decks before selling?
I would say re-staining or painting is a value add without a big expense. The issue to check on first before you start is termite damage. I would probably get a termite report first to see if there are some boards that may need to be replaced before staining or painting.
My son moved into a home 2 years ago with a wrap around deck and 2-tiered deck in the back. The whole thing was painted with some kind of cheap paint that was just to make it look good and get the place sold. It's peeling off now and the whole thing needs re-done and properly stained.
Ventura Highway in the sun shine where the days are longer and nights are stronger. There’s moon shine.
Don't remodal the kitchen and bathrooms.
Cleanup and replace the bathroom.
Don't get a new roof, just patch it.
Make all flooring the same throughout.
Don't replace the front door. Just repaint.
...
Like the colors of the cabinets
Some of the advice is relevant, but not all of it. It's pretty general, but not all properties are the same all and not all prospective buyers want to have to update a new house themselves.
Great tips here. Thank you.
What does deep clean really mean? Mop floors and vacuum/shampoo carpets? Are there service that do this? we can do the basics, but it never feels that clean.
Yes, there are cleaning services that can provide it. Deep clean goes after grout areas, stove, tubs, toilets and sinks. Often getting stains out.
You also need to declutter. Closets declutter. If your are moving why bring stuff to the next house you really do not need. Less to pack & move. Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores take donations.
Clean behind things, on top of cupboards, doors and ceiling fans (use ammonia to degrease anywhere near the kitchen, but keep it well ventilated).Get into corners with an old toothbrush. Mopping still leaves residue, make sure there is a second go with the mop water coming out clean. Scrub around the base of taps, dissolve limescale buildup by soaking bathroom fittings in vinegar overnight and scrubbing, polishing dry, Ensure limescale and soap buildup is removed from tiles and glass in the shower and polish dry with microfibre. Remove mould from shower grout. Clean power point faceplates. Clean the backs of door handles. Remove any cobwebs. Get windows sparkling clean inside and out. Pressure wash hard paving. If there is mould or detritus on the outside walls of the house pressure wash it off. Clear and rinse gutters. Open windows to clear any residual smells. Clean the oven and its racks, and any griller tray, clean cooktop burners, and gas cooktop trivets. Clean around the sides of a stove, make sure it is taken out of its niche and the sides degreased. Take the fridge out and clean behind it.
I had a home inspection prior to putting up a for sale sign. Reason being is it allowed me to fix the necessary items that might cause a loss of sale or a severe less offer.
Hello 👋 😊
My left ear thanks you for all the info.
Hard to declutter when you have lots of stuff, when maybe you are moving to a bigger house. Personally I like my stuff and hate when an outside party thinks everyone else should downsize. Ok I’m getting off the subject.
Just sayin.
Good advice. Make it presentable, clutter free and fresh clean. Also, we had a cinnamon bun smelling candle lit while it was being shown.
Nice job!!
Maybe, but whatever anyone does with smells, do not repeat do not use an oil diffuser. Smells artificial and as if there is something you are trying to cover up.
@@Alicia-ij6gt Good comment. And I think most "food" candles smell awful and artificial.
I detest those chemical scented candles and “air freshener” products. They are toxic petroleum waste product packaged, advertised, and foisted off on consumers. Clean doesn’t have a scent. If I smell fragrance, it’s a red flag that the seller is trying to mask an odor.
So glad to hear this. Cuz i always heard just the opposite! No i dont luve there, not looking to buying or selling a house (I wish). Was uust curious. Thank you!
That was very helpful. Thanks and cheers from Vancouver Island Canada❤
First of all, no need to upgrade anything. Main thing will always be to have everything very clean and decluttered. When in doubt, its better to remove than to re-make.
Absolutely! A clean and decluttered space can really help you focus and be more productive. Great point!
Excellent. Eye opening. Thank you very much!!! Best wishes from Encinitas, California.
Great video. Sensible help. Thanks much.
Nothing ever changes (in a sellers market for sure). It's still location first and the overall features (size, design) of the home. Other than paint, you will never get your money back. You may only break even doing the work yourself. In a buters market, you can do stuff to help it sell faster, but you're still better off financially doing nothing.
My house is 30 years old and could use new windows to lower electricity consumption in Florida. Since I am not sure if I will stay in this house, I have not pulled the trigger on this very expensive project. New windows mean all of them, including the sliding glass doors, need to be replaced either with hurricane code windows or add the cost of new shutters. I don't even live in a flooding zone. Min $20K last time I checked. Is there any chance I would recover my investment when selling?
Typically you would get around 50% of windows. So whatever you can save on electric bill would be above that.