I was asked to look at a home in West Bloomington last week. It had been on the market for quite awhile and there is a new Realtor taking over. Not sure of the exact circumstances, but a Granddaughter lives in the home and "The Family" is involved. I'm assuming that it's owned (or was owned) by a Senior Citizen.
My first impression was that it is a really nice house. It was built in 1963. When I entered, I realized pretty quickly that it hasn't been updated much. The Realtor had suggested that the carpet be replaced and the walls painted, which had been done.
As I walked around the house, there are many areas that need updating. This house is selling for $274,900, so I know people will want it in move in condition. But, looking around, you could invest quite a bit of money to refresh it. And sometimes, one project leads to another and another and….
It's my philosophy that you should spend just enough to get a house sold, but not get carried away.
The light fixtures, cabinets, hardware, wallpapered areas and bathrooms were dated. So is it worth completely updating this house? I don't think so.
Here is what I suggested:
- Replace the entry light. It's the first impression and it's hanging quite low.
- Remove the swinging doors that are the entrance to the dining room.
- Replace all the cabinet hardware.
The items I suggested will be less than a $500 investment and will drastically improve the look of the house. It's my opinion that the house can sell with this smaller investment.
The house has minimal furniture, so I also suggested staging the house properly. As an example, the master bath is tiled in baby blue. Updating the bathroom would be costly and I'm not sure they would get their money back. I would stage this with brown towels, brown accessories and brown window treatments. The color scheme is in right now and the brown will diffuse the blue.
This is a quality home that needs a little help to sell. Someone will be very happy in this home.
I'll let you know how it goes.
