Kitchen and Bath: Focus on these high-impact areas. Buyers are most turned off by dirty, grungy bathrooms and kitchens. Nobody wants to eat in a place they feel is nasty. Likewise, no one wants to be naked in a disgusting place. Now that doesn’t mean you can create stunning bathrooms and kitchens, while leaving the rest of the home a mess, and still expect to sell your house for top dollar. Just be sure to address your bathroom and kitchen first. Keep this inmind: potential buyers might forgive a less than stellar child’s room, but a questionable bathroom or kitchen could cost you a sale. So, let’s get started. You’ve done a deep clean of the whole house, and you most likely painted it as well, including the bathrooms and kitchen. Now it’s time to move on to another important issue, appliances. This can be a good idea or a money pit. Fortunately, you can follow a few guidelines, to make the big decisions. Should you buy new appliances? It depends on your situation. No doubt, new appliances make an impact with buyers. The National Association of Realtors® did a survey of buyers in the market over the past several years and found: • Buyers were somewhat or very interested in buying a home that featured new appliances. • Roughly 17% of the respondents preferred stainless steel. • The most important factor: appliances were available. • Buyers who were unable to get their sought-after appliances said they would have been willing to pay, on average, nearly $2,000 more for them. Potential buyers want appliances included and will pay more for them, especially if they are new, or at least in excellent condition. If you can afford it, new appliances might be the feature that sets your house apart from the home for sale across the street. If new appliances are out of your reach, offer buyers your immaculately clean, fully functioning existing ones.
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