Best way to sell a house?

[violagirl]

Hoping you guys can settle an argument.

My husband wants to sell our house within the next couple of years. We have been here for 9 years and the house is probably about 14 years old. In my opinion, for a quicker sale we will have to put some money into refreshing/upgrading the house in order to get it sold quickly. 

Part of our problem is neither of us is particularly handy or interior design oriented. 

But I think realistically we have to spend at least $20,000 upgrading the kitchen and bathroom. I think our actual cupboards are nice enough, but at our price point we need to upgrade the counter tops to quartz or granite. Put in a backsplash. I've always kind of hated the color of the floor tiles but might be able to get away with not replacing them. Replacing the lights and drawer pulls is probably the cheapest part of the kitchen reno. Whole house should be repainted inside.

Upstairs bathroom need to get rid of the blue wall tiles at the very least. Ideally replace all the tiles. Possibly replace the sink/counters. Upstairs bonus room over the garage will need to have the carpet replaced. 

I think if we did those upgrades the house would sell quicker and at a higher price - probably could price around $360,000+. 

His idea is to do nothing and price low and people will buy the house because it is cheapest. I said people do not buy houses rationally and the way it looks will influence buyers more than the price. 

If you could purchase a brand new house in all the current styles for the same price, most people wouldn't want to buy the older house and have to do renovations. On the other hand we have a location that the newer houses do not have. Our neighbour across the road cut down all the trees on his property and now we have a panoramic water view that was not there when we bought the place. 

So would you try to be cheapest house on the block or do a few renovations for a pricier but likely quicker sale?

I think he forgets that when we bought this house it was at the top of our price range and it was simply because we fell in love with the feel of it right away. 

[gregintenn]

I would interview several local realtors who sell LOTS of houses; Not your brother in law who does it nights and weekends. Pick one and follow their advice. They will get you the most out of your house, and more than be worth the commission they collect.

[tallguy]

I've only sold one house in my lifetime, and that number ain't goin' up, so take this for what it's worth....

It's only fourteen years old so really shouldn't be too bad.  Yes, if the carpet is in terrible shape you may have to do something.  And paint is a good idea.  But, YOU fell in love with it and bought it with the existing cupboards, countertops, and tiles, didn't you?  

[Bonny]

Apr 3, 2016 15:10:07 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Hoping you guys can settle an argument.

My husband wants to sell our house within the next couple of years. We have been here for 9 years and the house is probably about 14 years old. In my opinion, for a quicker sale we will have to put some money into refreshing/upgrading the house in order to get it sold quickly. 

Part of our problem is neither of us is particularly handy or interior design oriented. 

But I think realistically we have to spend at least $20,000 upgrading the kitchen and bathroom. I think our actual cupboards are nice enough, but at our price point we need to upgrade the counter tops to quartz or granite. Put in a backsplash. I've always kind of hated the color of the floor tiles but might be able to get away with not replacing them. Replacing the lights and drawer pulls is probably the cheapest part of the kitchen reno. Whole house should be repainted inside.

Upstairs bathroom need to get rid of the blue wall tiles at the very least. Ideally replace all the tiles. Possibly replace the sink/counters. Upstairs bonus room over the garage will need to have the carpet replaced. 

I think if we did those upgrades the house would sell quicker and at a higher price - probably could price around $360,000+. 

His idea is to do nothing and price low and people will buy the house because it is cheapest. I said people do not buy houses rationally and the way it looks will influence buyers more than the price. 

If you could purchase a brand new house in all the current styles for the same price, most people wouldn't want to buy the older house and have to do renovations. On the other hand we have a location that the newer houses do not have. Our neighbour across the road cut down all the trees on his property and now we have a panoramic water view that was not there when we bought the place. 

So would you try to be cheapest house on the block or do a few renovations for a pricier but likely quicker sale?

I think he forgets that when we bought this house it was at the top of our price range and it was simply because we fell in love with the feel of it right away. 

Clean it up, price it correctly and the buyers won't notice the rest.

And now here's the real kicker...why would you move?

[emma1420]

I think a lot of it is going to depend on the market in your area and how much more you can sell it for with the updates. Personally, I wouldn't do any updates unless the the items you are replacing need replacement due to wear or are so personal that they would turn a buyer off.  in a good market a super clean well maintained but slightly dated home will sell fine, and you won't get your money back from the updates.

[violagirl]

Apr 3, 2016 15:32:52 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Apr 3, 2016 15:10:07 GMT -5 violagirl said:

And now here's the real kicker...why would you move?

Notice I said my husband wants to sell. I would buy the back field and get some horses if I had my choice. 

He hates house ownership. He hates worrying about things and the maintenance that is required. He does worry more than your average homeowner so I guess he has a point. 

At this point, we have pets though, so my preference would be to stay here for the next 10 years or so and then sell and move to an apartment. He wants to sell now, but we would have to move to another house so I'm not sure the point but I'm going along. At the very least, we could move to a smaller, less expensive house like a duplex or something and at 40 years old have no mortgage. So I don't think that's a bad thing. A place in the city would definitely have less yard to take care of. 

I am willing to move to an apartment but will always need at least one dog. Thats where my foot comes down. 

[mroped]

Unless the kitchen or carpet or whatever else is in a disastrous shape, I wouldn't bother fixing them. Or repainting for that matter!
What Greg is saying makes sense and it might be a place that buyers just wanna get in. They will change the kitchen and bathrooms and carpet after they move in. Rarely happens that two women/men/families have the same taste.

[gacpa]

Yes, I am a real  dog person too, and it would be a dealbreaker for me if I didn't have a four legged furry one at home.  I have owned at least two dogs since 1989.  My husband would prefer just one dog, but I am a two dog person.  Getting older though, might have to settle for just one going forward.  It is getting harder to keep up with two, especially one that is high energy.

I hope the situation will work out to your satisfaction and you will be happy.

[Deleted]

Definitely talk to a couple of realtors who know the market well and, if you have time, visit some comparable open houses. Two completely different data points but in 2003, pre-HGTV, hot market, very HCOL area, I sold a modest Cape Cod with almost no improvements and had multiple offers. I think it was attractive because it was a low-priced entry into a desirable area and it was in good working condition- just not the latest expensive finishes. Last year, LCOL area, took 2 months and 40 showings to sell a 30-year old standard McMansion with some upgrades (bamboo flooring and great gas cooktop in kitchen, granite countertops, 1980s wallpaper and popcorn ceilings gone, deck enclosed windows replaced). LOTS of whiny feedback about stuff being dated. Appliances weren't stainless steel. Really discouraging.

Useful stuff we did: de-cluttered and had professionally cleaned. Realtor brought in a stage who gave us advice on moving our own stuff around and "editing" (having empty spaces on bookshelf and displaying artwork, hiding family photos, etc.) Definitely a plus that we put porcelain tile in 2 small bathrooms, replacing plastic linoleum in one and carpet (ick!) in the other. Painted a corroded outside light fixture a flat black, repainted a couple of rooms with colors the realtor thought were too extreme. (This was all DIY.) Bought warranty coverage protecting buyer for issues with house a year after purchase.

Stuff I regret: DH decided we needed to get the cement pad around the pool redone because there were a couple of cracks. It took far longer than they said (we nearly didn't have it done before the house was listed), cost $5K and I don't think anybody cared. Unfortunately, DH found that a drain in the basement was running slow and there was a blockage that required a guy with a jackhammer. $3K to fix that. I doubt the buyers cared; we should have ignored it and bought a few stainless steel appliances instead. Landscaper the realtor suggested mostly dumped bark mulch all over (including a few new plants we'd put in that they buried). Heck, I could have done that.

Don't go overboard. Tastes change so much and can vary. Your dream, updated backsplash could be hideous to a prospective buyer.

[wmpeon]

I think it's more important to have a clean blank slate, than it is to have fancy finishes. As long as it is clean and in good condition, much is forgiven.  It's also important not to go too personal with colors and design.  I recall one townhome I visited where the owner was very proud of a human skull he collected and his war memorabilia.  It was a nice place, but that was a turn-off. 

[souldoubt]

As mentioned it's largely dependent on where you live and the housing market in your area.  Interview multiple realtors but keep in mind the more your house sells for the more they make so you putting money into the house benefits them.  You can always sell a house as is, whether or not it sells is again dependent on your asking price and the market.  When my grandparents house was sold per their trust the only work the trustees had done to the house was to get it to pass inspection because termite damage to the balcony and roof was extensive.  Beyond that the house hadn't been upgraded in 15+ years and there was no shortage of interest but that was in a fast rising market.  Personally I couldn't see myself putting money into cosmetic things to increase the value before selling my place but if I couldn't sell it otherwise I might change my tune.

[gregintenn]

Apr 3, 2016 16:09:26 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Apr 3, 2016 15:32:52 GMT -5 Bonny said:

And now here's the real kicker...why would you move?

Notice I said my husband wants to sell. I would buy the back field and get some horses if I had my choice. 

He hates house ownership. He hates worrying about things and the maintenance that is required. He does worry more than your average homeowner so I guess he has a point. 

At this point, we have pets though, so my preference would be to stay here for the next 10 years or so and then sell and move to an apartment. He wants to sell now, but we would have to move to another house so I'm not sure the point but I'm going along. At the very least, we could move to a smaller, less expensive house like a duplex or something and at 40 years old have no mortgage. So I don't think that's a bad thing. A place in the city would definitely have less yard to take care of. 

I am willing to move to an apartment but will always need at least one dog. Thats where my foot comes down. 

What are his concerns? He just sits around and worries about something that might break? He doesn't care for a weedeater?

I know it doesn't really relate to the question you've posed, but you have me curious. I couldn't imagine not owning my home.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Find a realtor. I don't like to put money into anything I dot have to.

I'm also curious about your husband's distaste for home ownership. In concerned that he'd just transfer his worry elsewhere once the house is sold.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I realized I didn't answer the original question. As buyers, we don't buy houses that need a lot of work. We are not handy people, we don't want to do major house projects.

[haapai]

Have you ever sold a house before?  Has you ever, as an adult, lived in a house that was being prepped for sale or shown? 

[haapai]

Why is getting the house sold quickly a consideration for you two?  Other parts of your post make it sound like you're just planning on moving into an apartment in town.  If that were the case, you'd probably be far less interested in selling the place quickly than the average seller. 

[violagirl]

I have always lived in a house. After living in a small basement apartment with him for about 3 years I had enough and said we either had to buy a house or move to a bigger apartment. At the time, in the area we wanted to be in there really were no apartment buildings, so we bought a house. Not a big house but it was ours. We learned a lot. 

When I say his home ownership worries are more than your usual home owner I mean - we live maybe 500m from the bay and he worries about global warming and rising seas. If it is windy, he lies awake all night worrying about shingles blowing off the house. In the spring when the snow melts, he lies awake worrying about the basement flooding. One winter the drain pipe for the drain tiles got backed up with snow and we got less than 1/4 inch of water in our basement which was fixed as soon as we figured out the problem and unclogged the pipe and he was ready to sell the house. We put in a sump pump (the biggest one he could find).  I joke that when it occasionally goes off I can see the water level in the bay going down Then did about $15,000 of landscaping in part to mitigate an easement ditch beside the house that can overflow sometimes in the spring. To me, if it is windy and a shingle blows off, I dont' lie awake worrying, I'll call someone to fix it if it happens. But he is complicated. His mind immediately goes to worst case scenario in most situations and I have to talk him down. 

It is kind of emotionally exhausting to constantly have to talk him down into rational thinking especially when he is normally very logical.  I'm not opposed to going to an apartment but we have animals, it could be at least 10+ years until they die off, so his apartment dream is in the future anyway. My preference woudl be to stay here, do the maintenance required, get to enjoy it for a few years and sell at that time. Plus the idea of trying to prep and stage  a house with dogs and cats is just not something I look forward to. Last time we only had 2 cats and that was a pain to cart them and all their stuff out of the house everytime we had a showing. 

It also took 2 years to sell our last house. Mainly because we priced it slightly too high, but I think we could have gotten more interest in it if we had staged it better, but even then he didn't want to spend any money on staging. 

I believe having a few realtors in would help get a gauge on what would get our house sold. But I'm not going to waste their time if he is just talking and not going to act. 

[chiver78]

if your house is only 14 years old, why would you need to update counters/bathrooms...?

[tallguy]

When I say his home ownership worries are more than your usual home owner....

Okay, well in that case....

Keep the house.  And get him into therapy.  (Or kick his ass until he grows up and learns how to truly think rationally.)  You are far better off having the adult make the decisions, and irrational fears are not a sign of one.

I, by the way, am likely one of the most logical and rational persons you will ever encounter, and I have a VERY hard time reconciling such fears and that you "constantly have to talk him down" with the idea that he is "normally very logical."  There is a basic incongruence there that you have to recognize.  

[tskeeter]

Apr 3, 2016 15:10:07 GMT -5 violagirl said:

Hoping you guys can settle an argument.

My husband wants to sell our house within the next couple of years. We have been here for 9 years and the house is probably about 14 years old. In my opinion, for a quicker sale we will have to put some money into refreshing/upgrading the house in order to get it sold quickly. 

Part of our problem is neither of us is particularly handy or interior design oriented. 

But I think realistically we have to spend at least $20,000 upgrading the kitchen and bathroom. I think our actual cupboards are nice enough, but at our price point we need to upgrade the counter tops to quartz or granite. Put in a backsplash. I've always kind of hated the color of the floor tiles but might be able to get away with not replacing them. Replacing the lights and drawer pulls is probably the cheapest part of the kitchen reno. Whole house should be repainted inside.

Upstairs bathroom need to get rid of the blue wall tiles at the very least. Ideally replace all the tiles. Possibly replace the sink/counters. Upstairs bonus room over the garage will need to have the carpet replaced. 

I think if we did those upgrades the house would sell quicker and at a higher price - probably could price around $360,000+. 

His idea is to do nothing and price low and people will buy the house because it is cheapest. I said people do not buy houses rationally and the way it looks will influence buyers more than the price. 

If you could purchase a brand new house in all the current styles for the same price, most people wouldn't want to buy the older house and have to do renovations. On the other hand we have a location that the newer houses do not have. Our neighbour across the road cut down all the trees on his property and now we have a panoramic water view that was not there when we bought the place. 

So would you try to be cheapest house on the block or do a few renovations for a pricier but likely quicker sale?

I think he forgets that when we bought this house it was at the top of our price range and it was simply because we fell in love with the feel of it right away. 

As a veteran of nearly a dozen home purchase/home sale transactions I have some strong thoughts on selling homes.  First, there are two types of buyers.  Those looking to buy cheap.  And those looking for a move in ready house that will take no repairs.

The folks looking for cheap are cheap in every aspect of the transaction.  No matter how low the listing price, they will lowball you even further.  And they will want you to pay the closing costs, often because that don't have the money needed to buy your house.  And repaint or recarpet.  And closing will be delayed for weeks or months while the cheapie buyer struggles to arrange financing.  The other cheapie buyer is a flipper or landlord, looking to buy distressed properties at below market prices.  Either of these cheapie buyers is likely to consume lots of your time and cost you several additional mortgage payments before the house is sold.

The folks looking for move a ready houses are more than happy to pay a fair market value for what they get.  Often, these folks are doing corporate relocations.  So, they don't have a lot of time to house shop, they are often experienced buyers so you don't have newbe buyer delays, and they aren't buying their forever home, so they are willing to live with some things that other buyers fuss and dither (and waste your time) over.

My advice is to get the house in the best shape possible without over spending.  Then deal with serious and financially qualified buyers.

[justme]

You really need to see whether that investment translates to more than that in price.The complex I was looking in, and ultimately bought, has a mix of no updates since it was built in 2002 and completely redone. But the redone ones didn't translate until a hugely different price tag. They did sell quicker than un upgraded or horribly upgraded.

I put a little research into it and found it how much new floors cost, a ballpark on new cabinets, etc and wouldn't bid 10k more just because they put in 6k of floors. Especially when I liked the floors enough to keep but would not have chosen them.

A unit just sold for basically 50k more than what I paid for in August. New floors, new appliances, new bathroom cabinets and replaced tubs with new tile showers. Oh and it looks like they kept the shitty cabinets but put in granite counters.

The guy bought it in 2009 for 100k. Not sure when he rehabbed it? For him it was a great deal even if he paid 50k so someone else did the work. But I still have no idea how he got that much when units were going for 150-170 six months ago.

I'm going to be able to put in new ac, new appliances (both already done), new floors and new cabinets/counters for at most 20k and get to pick it all myself.

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2016 22:57:48 GMT -5 justme said:

You really need to see whether that investment translates to more than that in price.The complex I was looking in, and ultimately bought, has a mix of no updates since it was built in 2002 and completely redone. But the redone ones didn't translate until a hugely different price tag. They did sell quicker than un upgraded or horribly upgraded.

I think that's the key to why realtors push you to make all those improvements. They make as much on a quick sell as they do on one that takes months- maybe even more on the quick sell, since the price is generally reduced if it sits on the market too long.

 

[Cookies Galore]

Does your husband have an anxiety disorder? I have GAD and it can be hard to not let it rule my daily life. I have irrational fears and I KNOW they're completely irrational, but they still exist and I have to work them out. I'm also the level-head, organized, money-minded one in the relationship. Lol.
We're in the process of buying our first house, so I don't have advice for selling, but I do understand (I think) where your DH's mind is. We make settlement in early June and I'm already bugging out about what I know are irrational things (what if there's a ghost and I'm too afraid to go pee in the middle of the night? Will I still have to check to stove and front door when I do get up to pee in the middle of the night?), but I'm totally fine with all of money projects we'll have to tackle over the next few years. Just because someone has irrational fears doesn't mean they themselves are irrational people or that they need to grow up.
I would also suggest therapy. If he does have anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy is helpful. I don't take drugs for my anxiety, but I do have clonazepam on hand for when I can't calm myself down.

[resolution]

You might want to research adding a bunch of insurance riders and a home warranty to make your husband feel more secure.  It would probably be a lot cheaper than a kitchen remodel and would keep your pets happy.

[Bonny]

Apr 3, 2016 21:41:22 GMT -5 violagirl said:

I have always lived in a house. After living in a small basement apartment with him for about 3 years I had enough and said we either had to buy a house or move to a bigger apartment. At the time, in the area we wanted to be in there really were no apartment buildings, so we bought a house. Not a big house but it was ours. We learned a lot. 

When I say his home ownership worries are more than your usual home owner I mean - we live maybe 500m from the bay and he worries about global warming and rising seas. If it is windy, he lies awake all night worrying about shingles blowing off the house. In the spring when the snow melts, he lies awake worrying about the basement flooding. One winter the drain pipe for the drain tiles got backed up with snow and we got less than 1/4 inch of water in our basement which was fixed as soon as we figured out the problem and unclogged the pipe and he was ready to sell the house. We put in a sump pump (the biggest one he could find).  I joke that when it occasionally goes off I can see the water level in the bay going down Then did about $15,000 of landscaping in part to mitigate an easement ditch beside the house that can overflow sometimes in the spring. To me, if it is windy and a shingle blows off, I dont' lie awake worrying, I'll call someone to fix it if it happens. But he is complicated. His mind immediately goes to worst case scenario in most situations and I have to talk him down. 

It is kind of emotionally exhausting to constantly have to talk him down into rational thinking especially when he is normally very logical.  I'm not opposed to going to an apartment but we have animals, it could be at least 10+ years until they die off, so his apartment dream is in the future anyway. My preference woudl be to stay here, do the maintenance required, get to enjoy it for a few years and sell at that time. Plus the idea of trying to prep and stage  a house with dogs and cats is just not something I look forward to. Last time we only had 2 cats and that was a pain to cart them and all their stuff out of the house everytime we had a showing. 

It also took 2 years to sell our last house. Mainly because we priced it slightly too high, but I think we could have gotten more interest in it if we had staged it better, but even then he didn't want to spend any money on staging. 

I believe having a few realtors in would help get a gauge on what would get our house sold. But I'm not going to waste their time if he is just talking and not going to act. 

I don't  want to come off as flip or sarcastic  but the suggestion for him to get therapy is valid. As a former real estate agent i  saw a lot of cases where people had perfectly fine homes but wanted to move for emotional reasons. Therapy would have cheaper.

Renting has its own issues. The loss of control and being at the landlords whim for lease renewal, rent pricing and the timing of repairs and upgrades can drive one equally nuts. Btdt!

[resolution]

Apr 4, 2016 8:44:45 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

We're in the process of buying our first house, so I don't have advice for selling, but I do understand (I think) where your DH's mind is. We make settlement in early June and I'm already bugging out about what I know are irrational things (what if there's a ghost and I'm too afraid to go pee in the middle of the night? Will I still have to check to stove and front door when I do get up to pee in the middle of the night?), but I'm totally fine with all of money projects we'll have to tackle over the next few years. Just because someone has irrational fears doesn't mean they themselves are irrational people or that they need to grow up.

Can you have a priest come out and bless your house? Our priest offers that to the congregation, although I don't know if anyone has ever taken him up on it. I think there is some kind of new age cleansing you could do as well, if you don't like the idea of a priest coming out.

[ohmomto2boys]

He hates house ownership. He hates worrying about things and the maintenance that is required. He does worry more than your average homeowner so I guess he has a point.

I think we are married to the same person.


I would definitely invest in painting the interior - that always freshens up a space.  Clean real well and not do the kitchen or bathroom.  However, it is good advice to talk to several realtors and their "feel" for the market when you get closer to selling.  

[Cookies Galore]

Apr 4, 2016 9:22:55 GMT -5 resolution said:

Apr 4, 2016 8:44:45 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

We're in the process of buying our first house, so I don't have advice for selling, but I do understand (I think) where your DH's mind is. We make settlement in early June and I'm already bugging out about what I know are irrational things (what if there's a ghost and I'm too afraid to go pee in the middle of the night? Will I still have to check to stove and front door when I do get up to pee in the middle of the night?), but I'm totally fine with all of money projects we'll have to tackle over the next few years. Just because someone has irrational fears doesn't mean they themselves are irrational people or that they need to grow up.

Can you have a priest come out and bless your house? Our priest offers that to the congregation, although I don't know if anyone has ever taken him up on it. I think there is some kind of new age cleansing you could do as well, if you don't like the idea of a priest coming out.

Lol, I don't actually believe in ghosts (or god), but I'm still a 34-year-old woman who is afraid of the dark! Irrational fears aren't supposed to make sense! Ha!

[gooddecisions]

The answer to your question totally depends on your market. In my market, upgrades don't get you anymore money, they just sell the home faster. A low price, in a good location with upgrades, sells the home immediately. Fair market value base on square footage with no upgrades, sits on the market. Above fair market based on square footage with lots of upgrades, sits on the market.

That said, if you don't really want to move and the issue is your husband's anxiety over maintenance- $20K can buy you many, many years of lawn service and maintenance.

As a landlord, all I do is make phone calls. In the end, the rent includes the cost of maintenance and repairs. I have one property that includes lawn service- again the rent reflects it. So, as a homeowner, you too can just make the phone call and include it in your maintenance budget- that is what your landlord will do if you choose to rent.

[violagirl]

I think probably the best thing would be to have some realtor opinions on some basic things we could do that would make it more sellable. On the other hand, I'm not going to trick the whole thing out more than I need to. 

Cookies Galore, I believe he is much like you in that he knows lying awake worrying about what might happen is not entirely logical but he can't stop himself. My philosophy about worrying is if it is out of my control (ie natural events), then I'll do what I can then deal with the consequences but no sense worrying about what ifs. It is a waste of energy. There is also an inclination toward perfectionism so I see where the lack of control is anxiety inducing to him. Sometimes I think maybe medication or therapy might not be a bad idea but that's his decision to make. 

 I say he can worry excessively and he would say I do not worry enough. When we can get to a middle ground we come out well, but to get there is the exhausting part. I find it kind of fascinating when it isn't annoying. 

As I have matured I am better able to suppress my impatience but it is work definitely. When I say his fears are irrational, I mean more disproportionate. 

I don't mind moving to a an apartment if he would have one less thing to worry about. There are definite advantages to living in a smaller, cheaper place. But my one caveat is i will always need one dog. One of our cats is chronically ill so I am in the process of deciding if I will put him down now or try to at least get him through one last summer. But that leaves 5 animals.