Get Your House Ready to Show to Austin Area Home Buyers

A house that "sparkles" on the surface will sell faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both are structurally well maintained.

From experience, REALTORS^® also know that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. Additionally, Austin area buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is well maintained, they assume that what they can't see has probably also been well maintained. In readying your house for sale, consider:

• how much should you spend to prepare your house for sale?
• exterior and curb appeal
• interior appeal

Before putting your house on the Austin real estate market, take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal.

How Much Should You Spend to Prepare Your Austin Area House for Sale?

In preparing your home for the Austin real estate market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive polishes and touch-ups to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen.

We are familiar with buyers' expectations in your neighborhood and can advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made and which improvements are most effective. Don't hesitate to ask us for advice.

Maximizing Exterior and Curb Appeal

When preparing to put your Austin area home up for sale, your first concern is the home's exterior. If the outside, or "curb appeal" looks good, people will more than likely want to see what's on the inside.

Here are some tips to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal to buyers:

• Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered. 
• Regularly trim hedges and weed lawns and flowerbeds.
• Be sure your front door area has a "Welcome" feeling.
• Paint the front door.
• In spring and summer, add a couple of pots of showy annuals near your front entrance.
• In snowy areas, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
• Check foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and deterioration, and fix any problem areas.
• Remove and repaint any peeling paint on doors and windows.
• Clean and align gutters.
• Inspect and clean the chimney.
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
• Reseal old asphalt.
• Keep the garage door closed.
• Store RVs and old cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.

Maximizing Interior Appeal

You want your home to look as spacious, bright and clean as possible. Also the home should look neutral – without a lot of your personal and sentimental objects - so buyers can begin to imagine living there.

Here are some tips to enhance your home’s interior appeal to buyers:

• Give every room in the house a thorough cleaning and remove all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms actually rent storage garages and move half their furniture out, creating a sleeker, more spacious look.
• Use a professional cleaning service every few weeks while the house is on the market.
• Remove the less frequently used, and even daily-used items from kitchen counters, closets, basement and attic to make these areas more inviting.
• Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter.
• Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms: they should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free.
• Repair dripping faucets and showerheads.
• Buy showy new towels for the bathroom, and put them out only for showings.
• Spruce up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by installing new curtains and cabinet knobs, or applying a fresh coat of neutral paint.
• Clean walls and doors of smudges and scuff marks.
• If necessary, repaint dingy, soiled or strongly-colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
• Check for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement, and fix any problem areas.
• Seal basement walls if there are any signs of dampness or leakage.
• Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint and tiles.
• Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings and other woodwork.
• Inspect and repair the plumbing, heating, cooling and alarm systems.

Preparing Your Austin Area Home for Sale - Guide to Small Repairs and Fixes

If you're getting ready to move out or let prospective home buyers snoop through your home, you should check and fix, if necessary, the following common problem areas.

Indoor Repairs

• Repair leaky faucets, sinks, dishwashers.
• If you see any sign of wall mildew or dampness, check for broken pipes inside the walls.
• Replace rusted, leaky garbage disposals.
• Replace significantly cracked floor tiles.
• Tack down loose carpeting or restretch and reattach wall-to-wall carpets.
• Repair holes in walls (from doorknobs) and other damage.
• Repair split door jams.
• Test and ensure that all light fixtures and wall outlets work properly.
• Remove or bring to code any jury-rigged garage, workshop, attic or basement wiring.
• Remove soap scum, mildew and stains from bathrooms and kitchens.
• Empty and clean all cabinets.

Fireplaces

• Check fireplace gas valves and dampers to ensure proper operation.
• Repair cracks to fire box and outside chimney.
• Install chimney-top spark arrester.

Exterior Repairs

• Repair loose railings, steps and outdoor carpeting.
• Bring exterior lighting to code or remove.
• Replace cracked window panes and window caulking.
• Replace torn screens.
• Make sure all windows open and close properly and smoothly.
• Repair wobbly fencing and replace rotting wood.
• Repair sticky gates and broken latches.
• Replace broken sprinkler heads and repair leaks.
• Check that garage doors hang properly and that door openers work.
• Install missing gutters and downspouts.
• Clean any debris and get rid of any junk.

Pools and Spas

• Repair pool/spa leaks and cracks, plus cracks in coping.
• Check operation of heater, pump, filter and underwater lights.
• Repair clogged spa jets.

Landscaping

• Trim back tree limbs from house or eaves.
• Cut back ivy and other vegetation from wood-paneled exteriors.
• Weed and edge all beds.
• Clean any debris.

Selling Your Austin Area Home – Do You Improve It or Leave It?

Should you make home improvements when you plan to move anyway? Generating curb appeal and using model home staging techniques are better ways to spend your money than loading up on major home improvements when it's time to sell your home in any market. Curb appeal and staging won't work if your home is a wreck.

Both market conditions and your home's condition dictate what additional projects you should complete before you open your home to prospective buyers.

Seller's Market:

Leave most improvements for the buyer: In a seller's market, the rule of thumb is to leave most home improvements to the buyer. You probably won’t increase your sales price enough to cover the cost of the work and time, and second-guessing what the buyer will want in appliances, decor and finishes could cost you the sale.

Reduce your asking price so it reflects your older kitchen or bathroom instead of squandering time and money on a major remodeling job that people might hate.

Disclose any work done without a required permit: One exception to the above rule of thumb, however, is righting a wrong. That is, if you or a previous owner completed work on your home without a required permit, make it right before you attempt to sell: either

• disclose that you did not obtain a permit,
• or obtain a permit and either complete the work yourself,
• or leave it up to the buyer to complete the work in the way they desire.

First, in many states, you and your agent are required to disclose known conditions that could affect the value or salability of your home. If you don't and a home inspector or appraiser uncovers unpermitted work, you could be liable for nondisclosure and the lender could stall the deal.

Ultimately, you could be required to have the local building officials inspect the work in order to obtain a permit. Before you get a permit you also may have to complete any unfinished work. In any case, if the work isn't to code, you could be forced to tear it out, especially if it's a safety hazard.

But that's not the worst of it. If, after close of escrow, the buyer discovers work completed without a permit and the local building department decides not to approve the work, a chunk of the home's value could become a legal issue. Any difference in value based on what was not permitted at the time of sale, becomes a point of litigation.

What to improve: All sellers should perform deferred maintenance repairs to fix or replace broken items and systems. Put the home and its components in good working order by replacing missing roof shingles and broken or cracked windows. Repair driveway cracks and straighten listing fences. Make sure doors, gates, lights, plumbing fixtures and other items are all working properly.

Buyer's Market:

Make sufficient improvements to get a market edge: In a buyer's market, along with making certain your home and its components are all up to code, the idea is to give your home a marketing edge – without over doing it.

The improvements you should make aren't necessarily those that give you a return on your money. Instead, they should be largely generic, cosmetic improvements that enhance your home's functionality, efficiency and aesthetics – all to give it a contemporary feel.

What to improve: Often that simply means cleaning up and removing clutter. A new coat of paint, new carpeting, freshly manicured landscaping, updated fixtures, windows, doors and other touches will put your home in the best light.

Let the buyer take care of major fixes: If an inspection or appraisal turns up the need for major corrective work, say due to termite or moisture damage, leave money in escrow with instructions for the escrow officers to pay the contractors once they complete the work.

Let the buyer select the contractors based on several fair bids and have the work done after the close of escrow to avoid a construction zone in your home while you are trying to sell it.

If the buyer supervises the work, you won't incur liability for it and the lender knows the property will be restored to its proper condition, which enhances its loan value.

Practicing Good Seller's Etiquette

When your Austin area home goes on the market, you're not only opening the door to prospective buyers, but also sometimes to unknown vendors and naïve or unqualified buyers. As with any business transaction, there is an expected protocol to how sellers, buyers and their respective agents interact. Should you find yourself in a sticky situation, alert your agent so he or she can address and remedy the problem. 

The aggressive agent
When your agent puts your house on the market, typically all promotional materials state clearly that your agent is the primary contact for buyers and buyers' agents. However, sometimes a buyer's agent will contact a seller directly to try to either win over their business or cut the seller's agent out of the deal. This is not reputable behavior and you should report it to your agent immediately if it happens to you. 

The unscrupulous vendor
Have you ever started a business or moved into a new house and suddenly found your mailbox full of junk mail? Unfortunately, this also can happen when you put your house on the market. When you sell your home, it necessitates all kinds of new purchasing decisions and less-than-ethical vendors are keenly aware of this. Though MLS organizations enforce rules on how posted information is used, some companies have found ways to cull information from various sources to produce mass mailing lists. If you find yourself regularly emptying your mailbox of junk, let your agent know. He or she can tap the appropriate sources to prompt an investigation into the matter. 

The naïve buyer
Yard signs, Internet listings and other advertisements can generate a lot of buzz for your home. Some prospective buyers - particularly first-timers - will be so buzzed to see your home that they'll simply drop by. If this happens, no matter how nice these unexpected visitors are, it's best not to humor their enthusiasm by discussing your home or giving an impromptu tour. Instead, politely let them know that your real estate agent is in charge of scheduling tours and provide them with the agent's contact information. If you attempt to handle these surprise visits on your own, you might inadvertently disclose information that could hurt you during negotiations down the road.