The Easiest and Cheapest Remodeling Trick Often Ignored by Remodelers When Preparing a Home For Sale
Most People who are looking for a home to buy will tell their realtor 2 things.
1.
They don't want to have to do any work.
2.
They want a house that has a lot of light.
But home sellers will not do the one thing that will give prospective buyers what they want.
They won't do the task they could do that would make their home stand out from all the others.
They won't paint.
We moved 7 times in our late and unlamented corporate career.
And during those moves we learned that relocation companies, the companies that help with buying and selling transferees houses, generally only did one task to help a house sell.
They bought a lot of ivory paint and painted the houses inside.
That's all.
They didn't put in new kitchens with granite and SS or new bathrooms.
It would cost way more than it was worth.
But new paint makes houses look and smell new.
And a neutral color insures the new owner's stuff will work in the house.
But there is another important thing paint can do for any house.
Most buyers want a house with a lot of light.
And color can bring light to any space without having to do the expensive stuff like buying better lighting or more windows.
Our current neighborhood has a lot of rustic cottage houses, log houses, and chalets, all of which are dark and a bit depressing.
But they are in a really great and scenic location.
Most of them are tricked out with wood paneling and beams and really bad early American décor.
They are mostly second homes that are used by Floridians to escape the summer heat.
Some of the newer houses are large.
Maybe 3,600 square feet for $500,000 or more.
They are all dark and rustic, too.
And all the houses here are slow to sell.
Some take years.
If you show people interior photos of the houses they invariably say, "Oh, that's a lot of paneling.
" or "It's really dark.
" On the other hand we got a full time home in a great location for not too much money.
And I don't mind painting at all.
In fact I enjoy it.
It's the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to completely change the character of a house.
It's an appeal issue.
People don't like dark houses (especially in our very wooded and shady location).
All those houses and lots of others need is some paint.
Anyone can paint a few walls.
And it makes any house more attractive to more potential buyers.
If you need to sell a home and sell a home now, then give people what they want.
Make your house feel light and airy with paint.
1.
They don't want to have to do any work.
2.
They want a house that has a lot of light.
But home sellers will not do the one thing that will give prospective buyers what they want.
They won't do the task they could do that would make their home stand out from all the others.
They won't paint.
We moved 7 times in our late and unlamented corporate career.
And during those moves we learned that relocation companies, the companies that help with buying and selling transferees houses, generally only did one task to help a house sell.
They bought a lot of ivory paint and painted the houses inside.
That's all.
They didn't put in new kitchens with granite and SS or new bathrooms.
It would cost way more than it was worth.
But new paint makes houses look and smell new.
And a neutral color insures the new owner's stuff will work in the house.
But there is another important thing paint can do for any house.
Most buyers want a house with a lot of light.
And color can bring light to any space without having to do the expensive stuff like buying better lighting or more windows.
Our current neighborhood has a lot of rustic cottage houses, log houses, and chalets, all of which are dark and a bit depressing.
But they are in a really great and scenic location.
Most of them are tricked out with wood paneling and beams and really bad early American décor.
They are mostly second homes that are used by Floridians to escape the summer heat.
Some of the newer houses are large.
Maybe 3,600 square feet for $500,000 or more.
They are all dark and rustic, too.
And all the houses here are slow to sell.
Some take years.
If you show people interior photos of the houses they invariably say, "Oh, that's a lot of paneling.
" or "It's really dark.
" On the other hand we got a full time home in a great location for not too much money.
And I don't mind painting at all.
In fact I enjoy it.
It's the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to completely change the character of a house.
It's an appeal issue.
People don't like dark houses (especially in our very wooded and shady location).
All those houses and lots of others need is some paint.
Anyone can paint a few walls.
And it makes any house more attractive to more potential buyers.
If you need to sell a home and sell a home now, then give people what they want.
Make your house feel light and airy with paint.
