Kokomo Homeowners – Sweat Equity Pays Off!

An article in the May issue of Consumer Reports made me chuckle. It happened to be about getting the most value for your car when you trade it in. No, there really wasn’t anything funny about the article. It was good sound advice. Following the advice will surely get you more for your car when you are ready to trade.

What I chuckled about is that when I meet with Kokomo homeowners to talk about putting their house on the market, the conversation always turns to getting their house “show-ready.” Sometimes, it’s difficult to grasp exactly what that means. So I use an analogy that everyone in Kokomo seems to understand – Trading Cars!

Since most people trade cars more often than they sell houses, I bring up the topic of trading cars. That conversation goes something like this…

Me:  Have you ever sold a car or traded one in for a new car?

Seller:  Well, yeh…

Me:  Good! So tell me, when you decide to trade cars, do you just hop in the car and drive over to a dealership? Or do you do something before you head out to dealers?

Seller:  Oh, no! I don’t try to trade it in until I’ve cleaned it completely.

Me:  Oh, really? So, tell me what you do…

Usually the sellers comes-up with a long list of things they do to get their car ready to sell – wash and wax, wash the engine, scrub the tires, clean the windows, vacuum the interior, cleaning the upholstery and carpeting. And the list goes on…

Me:  And what about personal items – maps, books, the dog’s leash, other stuff you have in the car or the trunk?

Seller:  I take everything out that doesn’t need to be in the car.

Me:  Boy, that’s a lot of work! Why do you go to all that effort when you are getting rid of the car?

Seller:  So we can get the most money out of car. We want top dollar for it!

B-I-N-G-O!

Now, enough about cars and the scene I set. I want you to think about your house…

You want to get top dollar for your house don’t you? Why would you treat your house any differently than your car?

When you get your house “show-ready,” that means it is spotless! Inside and out! No crumbs, no dirt, no bathtub ring, no cobwebs, no stained carpeting, etc. Your house has to shine!

This brings me to one of the hardest things to broach with sellers and that is what some people refer to as de-cluttering. I prefer to think of it as getting a head start on packing. After all, you are moving, so you may as well get started!

Remember in the trading cars scenario, the sellers removed everything from the car they didn’t need. When selling your house you need to do the same thing.

Most of us have collectibles. We love them, they look great and we love to share them with others. Ask yourself one question… Do you want buyers to focus on your collectibles or do you want them to focus on your house?

Photographs are another thing that should be packed away. A couple of photos around the house are okay, but many of us have lots of photos on display. Do you want potential buyers to focus on your family photos or do you want them to focus on the house?

Two other areas where we often find too much “stuff” are the kitchen and the bathrooms.

Let’s start with the kitchen… Show off all the counter space you have (even if you don’t have much). Appliances on the counters eat-up space. Magnets and all they hold on the refrigerator need to go! And while you’re at it, clean out all the cupboards and get rid of anything you don’t use. You want an illusion of space!

Now to the bathrooms… Basically, everything needs to be stowed away. That includes toilet paper, feminine products, hairspray, make-up, hairdryers, curling irons, electric razors, cleaning products, etc.

And keep in mind, these two rooms must be absolutely spotless! In the bathroom – no hair in the sink, no toothpaste stains, no bathtub ring, etc. No crumbs, no spills, no odors, etc. in the kitchen.

And the finally, closets need to be addressed! Go through every closet in the house and get rid of anything you don’t use or wear. Pack seasonal items. If it’s summer, pack your winter clothes. If it’s winter, pack summer clothes. You want it to look like you have plenty of closet space.

So, when you are getting ready to sell your house, which is probably the largest investment you’ve ever made, give it the same treatment you’d give your car when you get ready to sell it. A little “elbow grease” on a car can make your car appear to be more valuable. By what? Maybe $1,000?

A little “elbow grease” on your house can reap you thousands of dollars in additional value! After all, you want the most money out of your house that you can get, don’t you?