Which repairs are worth making before selling my East Bay home?

You are preparing your home for sale, not remodeling it for yourself. Start by decluttering before deciding how much to spend.

Imagine the home has already sold and you are getting ready to move. Pack away personal belongings, reduce excess furniture and use storage if needed. Then look at the rooms again.

You may discover that the home needs much less than you thought: thorough cleaning, a few repairs, paint touch-ups and attention to the areas that now stand out.

Make the home easier to fall in love with

Buyers respond to what they see and how the home makes them feel. Space, light and a well-kept appearance help them picture living there.

That does not mean every room needs staging or every surface needs replacing. The right preparation depends on your property, price range and the homes buyers will compare with it.

A kitchen that feels dated may still present well after cleaning and small improvements. A freshly remodeled kitchen may do little to overcome an unresolved problem elsewhere.

Address problems openly

Presentation should never hide a known issue. Tell your agent what happened, what was repaired and what remains unresolved. Some buyers will inspect, and a surprise can damage trust more than a problem explained at the beginning.

If work makes sense, arranging it before listing gives you time to choose contractors and compare estimates. Waiting until a negotiation can mean responding to a buyer's price for solving the same issue.

Decide whether a larger improvement serves the sale

Many buyers have neither the cash nor the time to remodel after purchasing. A home they can enjoy immediately may suit them better than one with a project list.

That can make selected improvements worthwhile. But a project needs more than the promise that the house will look nicer. What will it cost? How long will it take? What competing homes are buyers choosing? How much difference is the work likely to make?

The goal is to improve your result after the spending, not simply produce a higher selling price.

Walk through the house before hiring anyone

We would rather help you decide what matters before you commit to a contractor. Sometimes the recommendation is to do more. Sometimes it is to stop spending and present what you already have properly.

Before starting repairs, ask Alessandra to walk through your home and help prioritize the work that could matter to your sale.

Meet Alessandra Imanabadi
Co-Founder, Real Estate Advisor, Licensed Real Estate Broker

With more than 23 years of real estate experience serving the Bay Area and over $250M in negotiated and completed transactions, I bring local knowledge, careful analysis and experienced guidance to buyers and sellers throughout the Bay Area.

DRE #01390368 · NMLS #328245

Direct (510) 504-2528
NationwideFineHomes.com

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