When listing and selling your Portland home you want to add value, not destroy it, yet many people do some things or they might forget to do some things that actually can kill your home's value. Here are some of the top things that could ruin the value of your house.
Cracks in the pavement.
This is one of those things that nobody really pays attention to unless you're buying a home or having one inspected. Cracks in your driveway, sidewalk, and pavement can be a sign of larger problems. It may be a good idea to re-seal the surface of your driveway before putting your house on the market. These cracks can also affect the appraisal process so you don't want to decrease the value of your home.
Unkept yard.
Buyers will see the outside of your house first whether it's in a listing flyer or online so your outside curb appeal has to be amazing. If there are weeds growing up, and unmaintained yard, trees, and bushes that are overgrown, it can be assigned to potential buyers that the inside is even worse. When the outside is amazing buyers will want to see the inside.
Water features.
Ponds, pools, and fountains might be great to look at but buyers immediately see a high maintenance issue. If you have a pond or a pool on your property make sure it is as clean as possible. Buyers don't want to see algae, grass, leaves, or other things clogging up any type of water feature but this doesn't necessarily mean you have to fill it in either. Just try carefully if you have a water feature and talk to your agent about the best way to promote it and showcase it.
Bad neighbors.
This can be a tricky one because there's not much you can do about it. If your neighbor's homes are a zombie property, meaning that they are boarded up and vacant or if they just don't take care of their property and it easily shows on the outside, this can be a hard selling point for buyers. Buyers see neighbors houses and if there sugar cars in the driveway or on the yard and the house looks like it's falling apart, buyers probably won't want to look at your house either.
Street traffic.
If you live in a busy road it can decrease your property's value. While there's not a lot you can do about it, considering putting up a fence or showcasing more appealing and attractive offers of your house might be your only option.
Related: How to Sell a House on a Busy Street
Outdated materials.
While keeping up with the Joneses can be a struggle, not doing so it all can really lower your home's value. Do you still have paneling on the basement walls? Avocado green kitchen or bathroom appliances, or carpet that has simply lost its luster? It's time to upgrade. You have to know what buyers are seeing that's comparable to your property and if they're finding homes with beautiful upgrades, they're not going to pay more for yours.
Buyers want to see the house as they might envision it and while that might be difficult to do, if you know what else they're looking at out there you can create a home that's very comparable.
Every home is different so for details and suggestions on how to stage your home for sale give us a call. Our agents are very familiar with how to stage, market, list, and sell your Portland or Vancouver area home.
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