Some prep work before you list your home for sale in San Diego can make your life easier in many ways. It can speed up the selling process and achieve a higher selling price. It can also bring you some enjoyment in the results before the sale is set in motion. Like with any investment, you want your home improvement projects to bring you the biggest return. And those projects are…

Maintenance & basic upkeep

Maintenance works related to plumbing, roof, windows and the exterior can gobble up sizable budgets, so buyers will rather choose a house that doesn’t have issues with these basic systems. It’s easier to live with a functional 90’s kitchen than with a musty basement or faulty windows.

What’s more, research and experience show that a huge deal of home buyers do some remodeling shortly after buying property. They plan on it even before the deal is clenched and that’s why they focus on listings that are in great shape. You should also remember that you are competing with newly remodeled homes in today’s market – if you can tag your home as “lovingly maintained”, you will fare well.

Curb appeal

Unless you live in a glass house, don’t leave your exterior looking neglected when trying to market your home. You can’t ignore the “first impression” challenge. Requiring less than a second to make, first impressions can set the tone for how the potential buyer will evaluate your home in general.

Areas that would benefit from some upgrade are: the front door, the siding and the landscape. Does the color of your home exterior look welcoming and inviting? Does the home appear well-kept? Is the landscaping tidy and pleasant? A small investment in these areas will go a long way in getting those buyers across the door.

Bathroom and kitchen remodel

Of all house remodeling projects, these two recoup most. Minor projects of up to $15,000 tend to have a return above 100%, whereas major projects will return around 90%. Major remodeling will be around 10 to 15 percent of the home’s worth.  

But, before you bring a hammer to your outdated kitchen, you’ll want to check whether there are any more pressing matters to attend to (what we discussed in the first point). When you remodel to sell, go for neutral colors and designs, because buyers will want to envision how they will personalize the space.

Additions

Additions and conversions are also very valuable remodeling projects. If your home is the only home in the neighborhood with one bathroom, you will want to add another. The same goes for master bedroom – if your home is the only one around without a master bedroom, it makes more resale sense to invest in adding one instead of remodeling the kitchen, for example.

The most popular additions and conversions are: bathroom, master bedroom, family room, sunroom and dedicated rooms like home theaters, game rooms, craft rooms, yoga rooms, etc.

Sore points

There could be areas around your home that draw attention in a negative way. Is there a rickety step, a patchy door or flooring that screams past decades? You could ask a friend or relative to help you identify spots in your home that are off-putting, which you can fix or get rid of. Or you can hire professionals to help you and guide you through the whole prepping process.

Prep your house for sale in San Diego with the help of experts

Home Sales San Diego boast a whopping 100 years of collective experience in the LOCAL market. Whatever is happening on the San Diego real estate market, we know about it. Stay tuned to the San Diego listings, find out what your home is approximately worth or reach out to us at 858 205 9131. We are here for you!