When you’re planning to put your house on the market, plan to do some repairs, redecorating and curb appeal touch-ups before you show it. If you don’t, your house may linger for months without interest and you likely won’t get the price you want once you do receive an offer.
This is true in across the country: Mississippi homes for sale, although in a state with the lowest cost of living in the nation, require the same attention to detail as those in New York or California. In fact, Mississippi homes for sale might have a bit of an advantage in that the materials and labor costs wouldn’t require as much of a cash outlay.
Bathrooms and kitchens are the big sellers and (if yours need re-doing) will usually take up a fairly large chunk of your pre-sale renovation budget as well as some time to physically do the work, so planning well in advance of your first open house is a good idea.
If the floors are in good shape, then a good clean and polish should be sufficient. All carpets should be professionally cleaned just before showing the home. A fresh coat of paint throughout the home is a relatively small investment, although the time factor can be significant.
If time is an issue, at least make sure necessary touch-ups are completed, with perhaps the high-use areas (kitchens, bathrooms and foyers) being first in line for paint jobs. Look for and repair small items like peeling wallpaper, holes in the walls from hanging pictures, or tiles that have lifted over time. Make sure dripping taps are fixed and all lights work.
These are details that (although small in and of themselves) can have a cumulative negative effect on a potential purchaser.
Selling in the spring or early summer is always nice because you have nature on your side in terms of lush landscaping. If you have never taken the time to plant a garden, pick up potted shrubs and flowers from your local nursery or, better yet, hire a gardener to plant the bushes and plants directly into your front yard.
The front walkway should be an inviting lead into your home. If the concrete porch is crumbling or the stairway handrail is rusted or wobbly, you’ve got to put some money to spruce up your home’s curb appeal.
Similarly, the purchaser should be able to picture himself in your backyard, playing with the kids, entertaining or just relaxing in a hammock. If you need to landscape the yard or build even a small deck to make it more inviting, your efforts and expenditure will be rewarded in the sale price.
Go general in your planning, not specific — you don’t know if the people buying your home will be a family with young children, a professional couple or a single person. Don’t put a play structure outside; a patio area is a non-specific improvement that can be enjoyed by whoever purchases the home.
RE/MAX of Mississippi (http://www.remax-mississippi.com/mississippi-real-estate.aspx) is a real estate brokerage that specializes in Mississippi homes for sale. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
[tags]Mississippi homes for sale[/tags]
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