Happy March! Can you believe it’s almost Spring?
Lately, we’ve been getting this question a lot: Should I fix up my home before selling? It’s an excellent question!
Why? Because homeowners are staying put longer than ever before. According to a recent study, the average homeowner has been in their home for 11.9 years—almost double the 6.5-year average in 2005. This isn’t just because of baby boomers wanting to “age in place.” Many homeowners are also locked into ultra-low mortgage rates from the pandemic era, making it harder to move.
But back to the big question: To fix or not to fix?
The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. We go through a decision tree to think through it
✔️ Is the home a fixer? And if so, how big of a fixer?
✔️ Who’s the likely buyer? First time homebuyer or investors?
✔️ How’s the local market? Will updates actually bring a return?
✔️ What’s the seller’s financial situation and timeline?
The reality is, remodels take time, and markets shift quickly. Plus, unexpected costs can pop up with renovations (there’s always something once they start taking down the walls!)
That’s why we generally focus on repairs & improvements that impact appraisals and insurability — because, let’s face it, insurance companies are super picky these days (I just dealt with this myself—more on that next time!).
Speaking of “to fix or not to fix”… we recently helped a wonderful seller in San Ramon sell their home without doing any cosmetic updates. We had a full renovation plan in place, but before work even started, we negotiated a great offer off-market. The seller was happy, the buyer was happy, and we avoided remodeling and uncertainity with the market.
We even made a fun video about it—take a look!
So, before you spend time and money on updates, let’s chat. No obligation, and you might be surprised at what we recommend.