Possible choices to help it sell:
- New carpet throughout (old carpet is worn but cleans up relatively well, no stains)
- New stove (old one isn't terrible but it's seen better days)
- Minor re-do of 80's 1/2 bath - new light, vanity, toilet, flooring
- Replace open shelving in laundry room with cabinets
- Update all the cheap 80's light fixtures
- Update all the worn door hardware
- Plant grass in the back yard (currently dirt, with a few trees, which isn't unusual in this price range)
- Change the river rock mulch in the front yard to wood chips, install new edging to replace the red scalloped concrete stuff
- Replace about 8 feet of very weathered fence on the side/front of the house
Right now it's not in the budget to do all of these.
A year ago I would've said "Don't mess with anything that the buyers would want to change anyway." But visible deficiencies, even with allowances, tend to attract a DIY or flipper crowd who will lowball you and maybe even have trouble completing the sale. You want the people who are willing to give you more money if it gives them less work.
Spouse watches a
lot of HGTV, so I ran this post by her. I've learned that the vast majority of buyers want a place that doesn't need any work. They don't want a home-improvement project-- they want to move in, decorate a little, and be able to entertain before they go back to work to pay for the mortgage. If you don't already, you might want to watch HGTV's "Get It Sold" and "Curb Appeal" to see what kind of demographic you're dealing with. Listen to the [-]whining[/-] comments on "My First Place" and "House Hunters".
As for the money, your budget should consider how much hassle you're willing to endure and how long you're willing to carry the place on the market. As summer stretches on toward fall, how many open houses, how many impromptu showings, how many realtor's listings do you want? How many price reductions or changes of strategy? Or would you rather spend what it takes up front for maximum impact and a quick sale, even if you spend a little more to avoid bigger losses later?
Considering those thoughts, spouse and I suggest replacing the carpet with something neutral and light-- perhaps a beige or light tan-- and the highest-quality padding you can find. If you're not willing to replace the stove, then at a minimum replace the burners & drip pans. Definitely overhaul the bathroom, particularly with a modern Kohler low-flush toilet. And absolutely replace the fence… the entire fence, not only the weathered portion.
Other suggestions that may save a little budget money: Homeowners have been updating 1980s lighting fixtures by spraypainting them matte black or dark bronze. You could go all-out on the front door's hardware, maybe do the side/back exterior doors, and skip the interior doors. Instead of planting yard grass you could put down as little sod as possible and as much mulch as you can get. Add big mulch rings (36" diameter) around the trees, spread mulch around gardens or other shrubs, and consider marking out a path with paving stones or gravel.
We don't see anyone fretting about laundry room shelves or river-rock landscaping. But your area may have a different style.
I try to ignore the décor and judge the property by its material condition. Do the windows need attention? Cleaning, repairing their hardware, or updating the blinds/drapes? No dings on the walls. No stains on the walls or the ceilings, even if you have to repaint the entire interior. No plumbing leaks anywhere, and no stains on the walls inside the sink cabinets. No stained or drippy toilets. Spotless faucets everywhere, or at least a new faucet in the kitchen sink and public bathroom. No mineral deposits or stains on any faucets, sinks, drains, tubs, mirrors, or bathroom glass doors-- especially in the grout. Fresh caulk. No rust or mess on the water heater. Shiny furnace, no cobwebs on the igniter assembly, clean filters. Clean appliances (if they're included with the house). Clean fireplace, spotless chimney, easy-to-operate flue. No dust/dirt on the moldings, windowsills, door frames, or tops of the doors. No issues with doorway weather seals or thresholds. No dings or holes in the window screens. No leaky exterior faucets or sprinklers. No damp basements. Extra points to homeowners willing to show off attics & crawl spaces. Some homeowners hire cleaning crews who specialize in moveouts or sanitizing homes.
The HGTV shows are pretty brutal about open houses. Zero clutter (even if you have to hire professional decluttering assistance), no personal possessions on the horizontal surfaces, and no pictures on the walls. Bare furniture only and minimal furniture at that. No piles of junk in the garage, and maybe even an empty garage if you can stash the cars elsewhere. Everything absolutely squeaky clean… at least a slight odor of cleansers with the potpourri. You want buyers to imagine their stuff personalizing the space, not browsing your stuff. Buyers can figure out what to do with a living room but if you have other large rooms (like a full basement) then you may need to stage furniture to give buyers a clue as to how they'd use the space-- a media room, a home office, a kid's recreation corner, a laundry niche, a workshop wall, whatever. A typical Hawaii open house may be fully staged-- or totally empty if the paint & carpet are new-- but they sell a lot faster if they're completely depersonalized.
It might all be more sweat equity than most homeowners care to tackle. If you're using a realtor, they usually have a roster of businesses & people they call on to help "fix up" a home for sale.