Jan

24

Keep It Nice and Tidy

January 24, 2008 |

Homes are not selling easily.  House prices are falling.  2007 challenged the old-age idea that Real Estate doesn’t go down (at least in a nationwide level).  Investing World Today suggests reasons why a particular home may not be selling, worthy of reading when you need to sell a home in this very difficult market.  In my opinion it is simply not a time to sell.  If you happen to have money and/or good credit, it may be a time to buy.  For most of us, it is a time to keep the house clean, nice and tidy.

One thing I have decided to do is to build a good list of all of the things that need to be fixed in my home and start addressing a couple of them each week.  It is ultra important to keep the old to-do-list smaller now.  The main reason being that in a difficult market, if I ever need to sell my home it will be easier to sell it if it looks nice and is in good repair.  If I do not need to sell the home, it will not deteriorate as fast during the years I will have to wait until it is a good time to sell.

In these kind of times it is worth to think about “bang for the buck”.  Although Corian countertops and maple/hardwood floors are on the list of things I want to do on my home, there are others that do not cost too much but go a long way to keep the value of my house.  Think of cheap things:

  • Paint and trim.
  • Caulk.
  • Cracks.
  • Doors that don’t close easily.
  • Driveway sealers.
  • Landscaping (a basic, well kept one).
  • Powerwashing siding.
  • Keeping the deck stained.
  • Replacing broken screens.
  • Keeping carpets spot free.

What other inexpensive ways can you find of keeping your home in sellable state even if it is not for sale?


Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. TheWalrus on January 24, 2008 11:52 pm

    Very good article. It’s more important to keep your house “clean and tidy” (sellable) in these markets. If worst comes to worst and you HAVE to sell, you already have an edge over somebody who neglected routine maintenance.

    It is also an EXCELLENT time to buy, like you pointed out. Real estate investors that aren’t in it for speculation are absolutely loving this market.

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