Category Archives: Increasing Real Estate Values

Regina Ludes, Associate editor of The Residential Specialist wrote in the May/June 2012 magazine that “A home doesn’t need all the bells and whistles in order to sell. It just needs to look loved.” We agree with this statement. Consider two motorcycle owners: One loves his bike and it is clean and shines. The other owner never cleans his bike and it is dirty and dingy. It is obvious which bike is more desirable and will bring the highest price. It is the same with homes. A cared for (loved) home will bring a higher value and sell faster.
Homeowners appear to be getting this also. A HomeGain survey of real estate agents this year found that the highest return on investment for a do-it-yourselfer is to clean and declutter. It’s easy to understand that cleaning and decluttering would give homeowners their highest return because of the low to no cost to clean and declutter. Basically, if they do it themselves there is no cost involved. A Coldwell Banker professionals survey found that 94% of sellers are getting rid of clutter and making cosmetic changes and 78% of sellers are more willing to depersonalize their home. It is a competitive environment and the homes that “look loved” are the ones that achieve greater value and less time on market.