One of the least expensive and most impactful things an owner can do when getting their home ready to sell is painting.  Painting gives the home a fresh feeling and a clean smell; both very important to prospective buyers.  I have a great painter I refer to my clients.

The next big thing is to put in new carpet if at all possible.  Of course, the owner doesn’t need to put the upper grade of carpet and padding and it can make a huge difference in showings first of all, then offers and ultimate sales price.  If the owner does not put in new carpet, then the buyer will always mentally calculate a higher price for replacing that carpet. 

Next on the list of things that are important to buyers is updating.  Has the kitchen been updated (usually most important to buyers because it’s the most costly).  Bathrooms updated?  Fixtures updated?  Speaking of fixtures, updating fixtures can be one of the lesser expensive updates that can make a huge difference.  Replacing all the doorknobs in the house, water and light fixtures are great things to do.

In my years in real estate, I’ve seen cases where people update their homes to sell and not for their own enjoyment.  If you think you might be selling a few years down the road, make a plan to update a couple of items a year so the cost is spread out over time and so that you can enjoy the improvements.