Seller’s Job Jar

Dear Pat,
We’ve heard about a million suggestions from friends about work we should do to our house before going on the market, but we really don’t have the time or money to do everything. What’s most important?
---Cut to the Chase

Dear Cut,
Welcome to my Most-Frequently-Asked-Question club. While my sympathies go out to those readers who have read much of this information in previous columns, it is true that home preparation is probably the most important aspect of the job I do for sellers. So let’s look at it from three sellers’ perspectives:

“I just want to get out.” If this is you, Cut, then I suggest you (1) mow the lawn, (2) move half your possessions to the garage, especially from the basement, and (3) clean the house within an inch of its life. Thorough cleaning is cheaply done, and can be just as effective as paint and repair on an otherwise dirty home. Keep the stuff in the garage, call a savvy Realtor to get a market opinion for a sale on an “as-is” basis—and be prepared to spend some money anyway if certain hazardous or unlivable conditions exist (your wiring glows in the dark, or rain pours in from your roof.).

“I want a good price, but I can’t do everything.” This is the average seller stance, and while as a listing agent I push to get the house in the best possible selling shape, I realize that most people really don’t have the time, money or skills required to obtain the highest price for their home. But, in addition to items 1, 2 and 3 above, this seller should make sure that (4) the mechanicals are in good working order, including roof, furnace (cleaned and tested), water heater, plumbing and electrical systems; windows should all operate properly; (5) all exterior wood surfaces should be free of peeling paint, stucco patched and fences put in good shape. Remember, any “work” that a buyer sees can become an item mentally subtracted when that buyer is trying to decide if the house is worth your asking price. Finally, the most important of all, item (6): pull the carpet to expose the hardwood floors. Have them sanded, if necessary, even if you have to borrow the money for the job (about $2.75 sq. ft.).

“I want top dollar, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” The seller who does have the time, money and vision to invest will always get the best and fastest return, under any market conditions. In addition to items 1 through 6, above, this seller should make sure the walls and ceilings are crack-free, woodwork gaps are filled, and walls are painted in designer colors. Make sure every room, even the basement, and particularly the kitchen, sparkles with an eye-popping appeal. This doesn’t require an expensive remodel so much as a trendy “look” (say, shiny pans hanging from a sturdy ceiling rack, or a fern in the corner). Older gravity furnaces, working OK or not, should be replaced with new energy-efficient heating plants. Drain tile the basement if there’s any moisture. The seller who doesn’t give the buyer anything significant to mentally subtract from the asking price may well see the opposite happen: buyers who start mentally adding to the asking price to compete with other offers on the house.