View My profileTips On Getting Your Price
Spend time before you spend a dime on selling a Southern California home! Some investments – like painting and yard work - involve relatively little cash outlay yet return many times their cost in the final selling price. Other improvements, that you may think add value, have no significant impact.
Planning is everything. There’s one piece of advice we would give every owner of Southern California real estate, regardless of the circumstances. Plan first, then do! Careful planning is a prerequisite to undertaking any home improvement project, major or minor.
Catch’em at the curb. "Curb appeal" isn’t just catchy real estate jargon. It recognizes the fact that many buyers will form their first and often strongest opinions before they step out of their car or view your Laguna Beach home on the internet. Remember, buying a home is first and foremost an emotional commitment, especially for first-time buyers. You may have a long list of logical reasons why your home is worth your asking price, but a buyer reacts emotionally to what he or she sees.
Paint. It should come as no surprise that surveys show that painting the exterior of your Southern California home results in the greatest return on time and money invested when compared to other improvements done for selling purposes. An investment of $1,000-$2,000 can mean adding $3,000-$5,000 to your asking price.
Landscaping. Another key first impression is made by the grounds of your Southern California home. If you can improve the attractiveness of your landscaping without spending a lot of money, you can add a good 5 to 10 percent to the value of your home. Minimally, you should prune existing trees, shrubs, and bushes, clean out dead plants and weeds from the flower beds and replace them with colorful flowering plants.
Don’t neglect the minor details. It’s often the little things that really stand out. If your mailbox is in poor shape, replace it. Varnish or repaint your door if it needs it. The difference in the impression your Laguna Beach home makes on prospective buyers will be dramatic.
Keeping your Southern California real estate tidy and picked-up. The home should always be model perfect on a daily basis. Toys put away, towels and clothes picked-up and the house smelling fresh.
If we can be of any assistance in advising you on getting the optimal price for your home, call our Coastal Property Experts anytime at 949-922-8490.
