Prepping a house for Sale

My last child is at CHS and I will likely be selling my big (expensive to heat), beautiful (expensive to maintain) house in the not-too-distant future. Over the years realtors have recommended to sellers that they update/improve certain aspects of the home. Below is a list of potential pitfalls in my 1912 Maplewood house. I'd like to get in front of this and try to start making necessary updates now. My question: Which are most important to today's Maplewood home buyers/where should I invest my $$?

1/Oil tank removal (will happen this spring)

2/Install central air

3/Update 3rd floor bathroom (currently a claw foot tub, '80s era sink, toilet and wide-plank wood floor)

4/Replace front brick walkway and steps that are starting to crumble

5/Replace 2nd floor hardwood floors that are not in good shape

6/Update interior of detached garage

7/Replace/repair old wooden windows

8/Something else (kitchen is good and other bathrooms have been renovated)

number 4

The best thing you can do is ask a realtor to come in to your house and advise you.  It is not too early.  If you have one in mind call him or her.    If you have not yet chosen a realtor, pick one or two and ask them to come in and advise you.  You will not be obligated to them,  but they will stay in touch with you, hoping to get your listing. .

While I think the people on MOL are pretty savy, you will get the best advice from a realtor who is in front of buyers every day and knows what might scare them away ( an oil tank)  and what they are looking for.  A realtor will be able to take a good honest objective look at your home and advise you to spend your money most effectively.

Your list includes some things that are not necessary , and you seem to leave out some items I would probably recommend.

Without having seen your home here is a preliminary list

Oil tank is a must.   Although there is no actual law requiring that oil tanks be removed, I have not come across a buyer who is willing to accept one in several years . 

Fix anything that is in disrepair,  peeling paint, loose railings, anything that is broken etc.

PAINT PAINT PAINT.   Fresh paint is a home sellers best friend.   Often the difference between a dump and a jewel is simply a fresh coat of paint.   Wallpaper is out, gray paint is in.   Unless your house has been freshly painted in a neutral color with a cool palate ( gray is best)  then painting should be your priority after repairs and oil tank.   You will achieve $10 to $100 Dollars in increased value for every $1 you spend painting.

DECLUTTER   DECLUTTER DECLUTTER   DECLUTTER   - you will probably get rid of a lot of stuff when you move.   DO IT NOW.   Most homes show best with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the stuff most people live with.  I can not emphasize this enough.

Exterior - peeling paint, wood rot, Front door and entrance to house should look perfect and inviting.  Doorbell should be working.   Front door lock should be easy to operate ( this is important).  You mentioned that your front steps are crumbling - repair or replace them.   I cant judge the walkway without seeing it.

Overgrown shrubbery should be cut back or replaced.  All front paths should be in clear of shrubbery.  

Floors:  sparkly refinished floors help a lot.  You mention replacing 2nd floor hardwood floors.  Not sure if that is necessary.    It depends on their condition and the value of your house.  If you hope to sell your home for over $1,000,000 I would say maybe.   If your home is worth $350,000 I would say probably not.   Any value in between could be a gray area and I would reserve judgment until I saw them in person.

Don't worry about the interior of your garage.  No one cares.  It should be structurally sound.  Other than that you can use it to hold all the stuff you will need to remove from your home to make it look better when it goes on the market.

Installing central air is a question mark.  Depends on the cost of installation and the value of your house.     If your house is in the top tier in Maplewood and South Orange it would almost be expected.  It will make your house more sellable but you wont make a big profit by doing it.   if you spend $20K on AC you will likely increase the value of your home by the same amount.   Oil heat can be a significant negative.  I have seen some buyers refuse to look at homes with oil heat.  So if I had a choice between replacing an oil fired boiler with a gas one, or installing central air - I would replace the boiler.

When was your kitchen updated?  Aesthetics have changed so dramatically in the last several years that I am finding that many kitchens done 10 to 12 years ago are looking very dated already.  I know this is ridiculous but that is the way it is.    Also, the importance of aesthetics depends on the value and size of your house.   If your house is more likely to be a starter house then you will have 20 or 30 somethings as your likely buyers and their taste is from a different planet.   If your house is a move - up house, then your likely buyers might be in their 40s and their tastes often are not as foreign to people in their 50's or older.

3rd floor bath, if the claw foot tub is in good repair keep it.  Consider reglazing it if it looks shabby.   Replace the dated sink and vanity and any dated fixtures.  You can likely update that bathroom for under $1000. 

Windows might be a good idea.  It really depends on the condition of the ones you have, and on the cost.  

It sounds as if you have already started.  That's good.   Most people do not understand that timing is really really important when selling.   In this area the month you put your home on the market can make a 10% difference in what you sell your home for.  So consult your realtor for the most optimum time of year and be ready to go at that time.

The interior of your home should be full of light.  Light sells.   Repaint any rooms painted in dark colors, and , sadly that usually means repainting your beautiful dark burgundy dining room.   There are very  few that still pass muster.  Unfortunately, the aesthetic has changed and 30 somethings view them the same way we used to view paneling and green shag carpet.   Personally I will always love them, and would find that painful, but again, that's the way it is.

If you have heavy dark draperies, especially with those beautiful fabric valances, remove them.  They will date and darken your home.

That's all I can think of for now.  Feel free to PM me or post here if you would like more advice.

I forgot to mention this:   If you still have asbestos on any pipes in the basement remove it.  Also, check your basement walls carefully for mold.   Once mold is identified by a home inspector it becomes a seller's nightmare -  you could be subject to rip off companies that prey on the fears of home buyer - air tests, draconian treatments.  Identify the problem before it becomes a problem and remove (safely and professionally)  it on your terms. 

1, 4, 5 and 7.

Sarah gives good advice, but the one thing on your list I would say please not to do is replace the Windows. Unless you spend $$$$ per window, generally replacement Windows are plastic garbage. 

I'll just tell you what my experience was.  Our house had a lot of curb appeal already but I agree with the poster above - make sure your entry and walkways look nice.  Instead of having a realtor come and advise you I'd advise you to have Leah Gomberg of Sweet Life by Design come do a consultation. I found her much more realistic than some of the realtors. 

She gave us a plan 3 months before our house went on the market and then she staged it for us.  We did redo the downstairs floors (not upstairs), some paint touch ups, a professional cleaning company that did things like baseboards and windows - our house sparkled at the open house. And absolutely no clutter.  Our kitchen was original as were the bathrooms and windows and we didn't have central air. It still sold well over asking in the first week. 

shh said:

Sarah gives good advice, but the one thing on your list I would say please not to do is replace the Windows. Unless you spend $$$$ per window, generally replacement Windows are plastic garbage. 

I whole heartily  agree with shh. Maybe get an estimate for getting them repaired. From a little research that I've done, the cost could be comparable. 

shh said:

Sarah gives good advice, 

Leaving windows aside (which I did, truncating shh's comment), that is the MOL understatement of the year. 

Corollary: sarahzm's post is the MOL post of the year (to date).  An example: this pearl

sarahzm said:


Also, the importance of aesthetics depends on the value and size of your house.   If your house is more likely to be a starter house then you will have 20 or 30 somethings as your likely buyers and their taste is from a different planet.   If your house is a move - up house, then your likely buyers might be in their 40s and their tastes often are not as foreign to people in their 50's or older.

I like that -  " ...different planet".

Not in need of her services now. But, if I was, and  if the rest of the package is like this, I'd consider having her work me.

Am I naive? Do all people in real estate know this stuff?

Leah Gomberg is wonderful.  I recommend her to all my clients.  I would go with both.   A lot of the advice would overlap, but I think The advice of both would be valuable.   In addition to visual prep a realtor would be helpful with advising how-to avoid home inspection disasters.    

And thank you dickf3 for your kind words !

My thoughts run along this line:  Remove ALL the negatives first get to square 1.  Then upgrade,

1 and 4 absolutely.  5??  Can floors be sanded/refinished?  7-Repair windows-- what's wrong w/ them?  Decluttering is more removal of negatives.  This includes reducing furniture, rarely used anythings etc.  How old is your wall paper?  If it's or another era- no matter how good condition, remove it unless consistent with with the house's 'era'.   I'd also start removing negative landscaping.  Dump or refresh radiator covers.  Either way make sure rads are working.  You get the idea.

Once you've removed the negatives start painting- as someone suggested.  Some folks try to pick currently fashionable colors, to appeal to potential buyers.  I don't agree- it's your home pick colors that make YOU happy while you're still living there.  Then let the new owners do what they want.  After painting the ceilings and walls reassess what other things NEEDS to be done.  Ask a friend for an honest walk thru.

One additional concern to add to the oil tank, asbestos, mold, etc. environmental list: Lead water pipe coming from the curb into your house. These are common in older homes, and home inspectors have started calling them out. A nervous buyer may then expect you to remove the pipe and replace with copper.

My friend moved from S.O. to Mpl. He invited his friends to tour the house he was selling.... offering pizza, beer and soda to the guests.

He put notepads in each room and ask people to tour the house and list their suggestions for what would increase the selling price. He had one notepad on a table on the way out the front door for them to list overall considerations.

He took their suggestions and subtracted the costs from his repair budget and made some repairs.

I think the house in question looks amazing. I would get a great realtor in who really know his/her stuff, get advice, stage if needed and reap the rewards. Hope you plan to stay in town!!

Sarah's advice is great.  I wouldn't crowd-source something this important.  Get a real estate agent you trust.