I won’t even begin to pretend this is my idea. Nor is it even a novel one at that. But, it’s true. It’s been said before and I’ll say it again.
Consistency is key.
When selling your home, it is imperative you keep this in mind. When my husband and I were in the market for our own personal residence we found ourselves, time and again, walking away from properties that initially seemed great on paper, but did not pass the test once we got inside.
One property stands out in particular. It was a three bedroom, two bathroom townhome with approximately 1,600 square feet. It was only five years old, moderately updated and listed at a fair market price.
So, why did we walk away?
The number one reason was the inconsistent flooring throughout the home. Seems silly, doesn’t it?
All we could see were dollar signs!
In just 1,600 square feet of living space, the current owners managed to squeeze in four different types of flooring. If you were to stand at the bottom of the stairs, you could see all four. Talk about an eyesore.
You’re probably thinking, “Why didn’t you look at the photos first?” and that’s a fair sentiment, but how many times have you been interested in a property only to find out that the professional photos completely oversold the home once you stepped inside?
I’m finding it common for homeowners to update one room at a time as they save the money to do so. While this makes perfect financial sense, it will certainly compromise your stance as a homeowner should you decide to sell your home before updating the other rooms.
Let me be clear here.
I absolutely do NOT recommend going into debt to complete all the updates you’d like, but I would urge you to wait just a little longer until you can take on the total project.
Many buyers will become completely turned off on the account of inconsistency. My husband and I are both licensed real estate salespersons and we know how to look past many of the basic flaws in a home that buyers often get hung up on and even so, there’s still a line for us too.
So, what do you do?
Think twice about those personal updates you want to make to your home and be patient.
Whether you’re redoing flooring, upgrading appliances, updating trim or just replacing switch plates and outlet covers, try to make each change in one fell swoop. Don’t give future buyers an opportunity to walk away on the account of inconsistency. Avoiding these minor speed bumps in the future sale of your home will set you up for a smoother (and faster) ride.
And hey, if you never decide to sell your home, then at least you’ll have all your floors updated at the same time.