home with stainless steel appliances. • The most important factor - that appliances were available in the home.
Potential buyers want appliances included and will pay more for them, especially if they are new or in excellent condition. In one survey, buyers indicated that they were willing to pay up to $13,500 for a property with new(er) appliances (yet, replacing appliances with nice higher end ones should not cost more than $8,000). New appliances could be what sets a house apart from the one for sale across the street. If new appliances are out of reach, offer immaculately clean and fully functioning existing ones. Appliance colors must match. No matter how well your black dishwasher works, if the other appliances are stainless steel - replace it with stainless steel. Sometimes, lovely high quality appliances can be had through "open box" or resellers at much better prices. They need not be brand new, they just have to not look dated.
UPDATING HARDWARE
Carefully inspect your bathroom and kitchen hardware (including drains). If it is unsightly or worn, replace it. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Your house will potentially be their new home. Old, worn-out fixtures are not going to speak to them the way nice, new shiny ones will. Replacing rusty shutoff valves with new ones speaks volumes to a buyer about the seller's level of care. Your door hardware, unless damaged or worn, need not be replaced. A good cleaning and polish will most often do the trick. However - if it is loose, the key sticks, or the elements are mismatched - replace it all.
40
Powered by FlippingBook