To Upgrade (or Not) Before Selling Your Home

With all the decisions around selling your home, you may find yourself wondering if you should make some upgrades (or not) before your home is listed. It’s a natural and wise consideration. There can be sizable benefits on this type of financial investment. The key is to make upgrades where it makes the most sense and where the return on the investment (ROI) will help secure an offer on your home. This is where talking with a realtor will make all the difference. Your agent will help to guide you towards making smart upgrades and will see your home objectively. For instance, you may think white cabinets in the kitchen is the only thing buyers want and your agent may know the homes in your community mostly contain wood cabinetry. Why does it matter? Those shopping this location may be drawn to the community because the homes are known to be built in a certain style with specific features.

Here's another example: The homeowner may have a fondness for color. The walls throughout the home are bold, rich colors which blend well with the neutral furnishings. Or, there’s an adorable mural hand-painted on a bedroom wall. The reality is that bold wall colors or highly customized touches may not be for everyone. Your agent may recommend repainting throughout using a neutral color. The same can be said for neutral flooring whether you have carpet that is showing some wear and has a few stubborn stains or the home has varying flooring materials in each room.  

Whether or not you’re a fan of the popular home makeover or house flipping tv shows, you’ve probably known friends who have sold their homes. It’s easy to get caught up in choosing upgraded finishes and be drawn to granite countertops when most homes in your neighborhood use another material. It’s better to talk with your agent before heading to the home center so you will have a plan for which materials to consider. The tv show hosts won’t know your location the same way your local community realtor is invested in the area. Your agent can help you walk the fine line between standing out to highlight your home for the gem that it is and being over the top to the point where you won’t be able to get return back on the investments being put into the home.    

There have been times that homeowners upgrade something that prospective buyers wouldn’t see as a problem and skip past something that truly needs some attention. Your agent understands what is selling plus has the market insights to help sellers recognize where the best ROI can be found. What applies to one home isn’t always the same across all homes. So, when an agent is asked “What do I need to upgrade in my home to encourage offers?” The agent will usually answer, “May I come visit your home and walk-through?”

Rooms That Deserve Attention

Kitchens and bathrooms are two types of rooms that are important to any household and where we spend a lot of time. It makes sense that these rooms function well and often these rooms yield a high ROI when enhancements are made.

Home Upkeep and Cleanliness

It’s a given that a prospective buyer is attracted to a clean and well-maintained home. Buyers get discouraged when they purchase a home and then it comes with a to-do list of repairs and things that need to be replaced.

Talk with Sara Nguyen

I encourage you to schedule an appointment with me to talk about upgrades before you begin anything. You may learn that where you planned to focus may not be what requires a change. As your agent, I know the housing market, understand what buyers are asking to see in a home, and am an excellent resource to help guide you so your home shows at its best. Let’s connect soon.

Since 2004 Sara Lyn Nguyen continues to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate around the Houston area to those she serves. Sara is a multi-year award winning REALTOR® and relocation specialist where her clients trust her to have up-to-date information on the real estate market. She has been one of Gary Greene’s Multi-Million Dollar Top Producers, and citywide was the #2 Top Producing agent in 2020, #3 in 2021, and #2 in 2022. When it’s time to buy, sell, invest, or relocate speak with a trusted professional knowledgeable in the homes and neighborhoods of Fort Bend/Sugar Land and the surrounding region.