Yesterday I was showing homes in Sabino Mountain and noticed some things that I thought I would mention that would be helpful to future sellers. One home had an obviously leaky bathtub faucet. It had been leaking for so long that it left a stain on the tub. Also it had a very annoying chirping sound due to the need for battery replacement of a smoke detector. It is very important that all vacant homes be checked by the listing agent, if not the Seller, at least once a week. Another immaculate home that we viewed was very colorless. Adding some artifical or real flowers, colored pillows to the sofa and bedspread and colored towels, would have helped make the home show better.
Off we went to Shadows at Sabino and saw a beautiful one-story home with a pool on a cul-de-sac. That home needed carpet replacement in the master bedroom; although the home was immaculate and showed well, the master bedroom had stained very high and outdated shag carpeting. It probably would have cost the Seller $500 to replace the carpet and it would have made a big difference. This one was was priced well, especially since it had a sparkling pebble-tec pool with lush tropical landscaping. This home was range-priced with the upper range less than 400K .
In this strong Buyers’ Market it is very important to list price the house no more than 5% more than what should be the expected final price. The final price can be estimated based on the final price of similar homes that have closed escrow in the past 3 months. As mentioned in the past few paragraphs, making some minor changes will make some homes much more appealing to potential buyers.
When I have a vacant home listed for sale, I visit it at least once a week, and when I list a home I make suggestions on how to make the home show well. After all, a well-staged home will net the Sellers more money.