“Small Dollars to make your Home ‘Buyer Ready’ to Sell in 2013” Jason Bernabei, TriCastle Realty & Mortgage

Jason Bernabei, TriCastle Realty & Mortgage, The Realty Insiders

 “Small Dollars to make your Home ‘Buyer Ready’ to Sell in 2013” 

DEL MAR: January 21, 2013 – Goooooooooddd Monday morning Sannn Dieegooo! On this third Monday of the New Year, I thought it would be a good time to examine some of the “New Year’s Resolution”-type things that you can do as a Home Owner looking to get your home in a position to sell.

While home improvement sends dollar signs spiraling through the minds of most folks, there are some simple, low cost things that can be done in order to get your home to present better for showings.

The first actual impression (beyond the pics in MLS) that a buyer will likely notice is the outside of your home, or “curb appeal.” Curb appeal, like any first impression, is vital to the sale of your home. Easy measures can be taken to enhance curb appeal. Trim bushes, keep the grass cut, and clean up the yard in order to best present your home, for that all-so important first impression.

Inside the home, painting the walls of the room a light, neutral color can open up the space, so that it appears more spacious, and thus more inviting. For small dollars you ought be able to replace old light fixtures with new ones, same for the paint. 

In the bathrooms, if your tub has seen better days, have it resurfaced, or do it yourself. Remove mildew stains in, or around, baths and showers. Replace stained silicone seal and grout, where needed. Check all light fixtures for burned out bulbs. Add lighting, if necessary, to make the bathroom brighter. Remember, sellers tend to view bathrooms as potential money-pits, comparative to other standard rooms in the house (which brings me to the kitchen).

The kitchen can be the single biggest money-pit in the house, and if real dollars need to go into revamping and upgrading a part of the house, this may be where your money is best spent. Most people spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen, and some basic things can be done to make it present better, just basic cleaning and sprucing up can make a BIG difference to a potential buyer. Rather than renovating entirely, consider refinishing or painting the cabinets. Install new, clean-looking handles for very small dollars. Add a new back splash, if you think it will help, if you can throw some money into it.

Little things can mean big profits in a sale, can make the difference between a prospective buyer making an offer, and can make the difference of the size of the offer to the tune of thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars! Spring is fast approaching! The market is trending up, up, up and away. This may be your year to sell! Contact me, Jason Bernabei, and my wonderful team at TriCastle Realty, with offices in Del Mar and Banker’s Hill, to sell, buy, refinance, or ascertain purchase mortgage lending today! Happy to help! J

Check back in with me next Monday for a second installment on how to get your home in buyer-ready shape for small dollars. Until then, have a great week San Diego!

Jay’s Outlook: sunny

Jason Bernabei, TriCastle Realty & Mortgage, The Realty Insiders