Curb Appeal: Should I Fix Up My Home Or Sell It As Is

You've decided it's time to move. Your current home no longer fits your needs and you've found the perfect new home to fit your family. Now what? Should you fix up your home or sell it "As Is?" In order to decide that answer you need to ask yourself a series of three important questions:

• How much money do I hope to get for my home?
• How does my home currently stack up against others in my neighborhood?
• How quickly do I want my home to sell?

Time and money are the two most important things to consider when selling your home. If fully updated and beautiful homes in your neighborhood are selling for $10,000 less than you want to make off the sale of your home, then you may need to readjust your expectations. What that scenario is telling you is that no amount of work (And money) will garner you the return you want on your new home. By getting a real estate agent to do a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) on your house and how it compares to other sales in your neighborhood, you will first have a better idea of how your home stacks up against the competition, and second have an idea of what price you can expect in your neighborhood. A thorough CMA will also give you an idea of how long it has taken for other homes in your neighborhood to sell. Once armed with more information you can make a few more decisions about projects that will make the most sense in order to increase the appeal of your home for buyers. Taking a look at this home seller's checklist will help you gauge which projects will really pay to help you sell your home. There are two main areas you need to focus on when assessing your situation and deciding just how far to go with the sprucing up of your home to make it sellable. The curb appeal and the interior spaces. For now let's focus on the exterior of your home and look at inexpensive fixes. Ask yourself, if you were to look at the front view of your home and had never seen it before, would you be likely to buy it? Are the trees and shrubs manicured, are leaves racked, grass mowed, flowerbeds weeded? Does it look friendly and inviting, or does it look like you are getting ready for Halloween decorations early? More often then not, it's more about elbow grease than actually dollars to increase your curb appeal, and increase the likelihood that your home will be inviting on first sight to those who may be looking. A day of racking, trimming, and cleaning will do wonders for your home. This is only your labor. A few dollars spent on flowers and mulch can be transforming to many homes. By working your way down the outdoor checklist, you will create the curb appeal to bring buyers into your home and begin to capture their interest. Without a good looking outside, you can't hope to entice them inside to decide whether your old space could be there new home. Image source: ©PhotoXpress.com