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Fixing Up Your Home Posted: Fri January 30, 2009, 3:55 pm by Bill Metzker |
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If you don’t have a compelling reason to sell in the current market but think you might down the road in a year or two, you might want to consider updating, redecorating or even remodeling. Why? A couple of reasons, one right-brained and one left-brained. Right Brain (and your listing agent) will tell you that you’ll need to do everything possible to make your home stand head and shoulders above all the others in a similar price range in this tough market. Lefty says that it just might make you feel better to make your home look better for the length of time you may remain--even if you decide not to sell and stay there. My wife and I have just begun this exercise. We love our beautiful rowhome, but it has some flaws. Nothing major, and I won't go into them here. But we considered selling and looking for a detached house that might fit the bill.
Why not? Prices are down, and mortgage rates are really low. And there are lots of homes for sale in neighborhoods we like. A little updating, and our home could be quite competitive.
At the same time, we don’t know what our home would sell for nor how long it would take. And we really, really like our neighbors and neighborhood. Like so many sellers, we would like to sell, all things being equal, but we don’t have to sell. We thought that since we might do some updating to enhance our listing, why not go a bit further and correct some of the issues, if the work could be done at a reasonable price. That way, if we ended up selling, we’d have a great-looking home for sale, and if we stayed or if the home didn’t sell, it would be closer to the way we wanted it.
We hired a good interior designer, who will come, analyze what we want, draw the plans and give it to a remodeling contractor. With a written plan, we can pick and choose what we want to do, based on it’s cost-benefit result. By the way, this analysis is done annually by Remodeling Magazine.
A word on staging. In the big picture, I believe staging is overrated. Sure, it can do a lot of good, particularly in targeted areas (in fact, my listing service includes a stager’s walk-through). But the message we get from TV shows and the rest of the media is that staging will make your house sell for more money, regardless of market conditions.
While staging may have its place in your selling plans, I’m suggesting a bigger fixup—re-paint, re-tile, get new cabinets (or re-face the old ones), update the bathrooms, etc. You'll probably do some of it anyway, so why not go the extra mile? When you sell down the road, your house will show buyers that someone has really cared. And it may not cost all that much more than you’d have to spend just to get your house in show-shape for listing.
And in the mean time, you can live in a newer and more soothing environment.  Post a Comment :: (1 comments)
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| Mortgage Rates | Thu December 6, 2007, 11:27 am | Bill Metzker |
| The San Francisco Chronicle reports today, December 6, that mortgae rates have fallen to a two-year low. Freddie Mac... | ||
| People Buying and Selling | Tue November 27, 2007, 5:33 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Years ago, when I was part of a management team at a small, high-end department store, we frequently talked about why... | ||
| October Market | Mon November 19, 2007, 2:39 pm | Bill Metzker |
| October's data seems to continue September's trend--number of transactions dropping and prices still increasing a bit... | ||
| Market Comfort | Sun November 18, 2007, 12:13 pm | Bill Metzker |
| There are two basic types of stock market investors. One buys stocks to hold over time for retirement, college savings... | ||
| Politics, the Media | Thu November 8, 2007, 4:39 pm | Bill Metzker |
| We've all been inundated with the presidential race, and lately, more and more, we're being told who the primary... | ||
| Real Estate and the Media II | Tue November 6, 2007, 2:02 pm | Bill Metzker |
| The news media's effects on the market are, in my view, more ancillary that direct. I do not concur with many of my... | ||
| Real Estate and the Media | Sat November 3, 2007, 1:22 pm | Bill Metzker |
| At our last sales meeting, several experienced agents expressed irritation with the news media, blaming it for the... | ||
| More Fall | Tue October 30, 2007, 3:22 pm | Bill Metzker |
| For some of us, it's in our DNA to lament the end of the major league baseball season. It seems to me that more and... | ||
| Hillsboro Appreciation | Thu October 18, 2007, 4:41 pm | Bill Metzker |
| In the September RMLS report for Portland Metro, three regions clocked in with better than 9% appreciation. Southest... | ||
| Things I Wish For | Thu October 18, 2007, 3:24 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I love Fall. In Nevada, where I grew up, the changing light just before sundown glimmered a pale gold as the distant... | ||
| Correction | Sun October 7, 2007, 9:50 pm | Bill Metzker |
| A trivia buff site URL correction, from an earlier blog: poodwaddle.com doesn't go anywhere very interesting, but... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Wed October 3, 2007, 1:59 pm | Bill Metzker |
| My daughter, Sarah, had decided to do her own blog. You can follow her thoughts by clicking Istanbuls Stranger. If... | ||
| Tech Support | Thu September 27, 2007, 2:28 pm | Bill Metzker |
| My grandfather was a teamster (a real one) in the early 1900's. His advice was to always buy the best, because the best... | ||
| Market Trends | Mon September 17, 2007, 2:49 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Well, it continues to be a great market if you're a buyer and a so-so one of you're selling. In the Hillsboro MLS... | ||
| The Market | Sun September 16, 2007, 9:46 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I worked an open house in Sherwood today. Yeah, it's a long ways away, but you do what you have to do. There were... | ||
| Amusing Website | Thu September 13, 2007, 12:09 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Check this one out: poodwaddle.com It's for true trivia lovers!... | ||
| Foreclosures | Thu September 13, 2007, 11:57 am | Bill Metzker |
| Interesting info from Civic Realty, a PDX firm specializing in short sales and mortgage workouts: 1. What percentage... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Thu September 6, 2007, 3:25 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Long-time readers of this blog know that I occasionally write about my daughter, Sarah, who lives in Istanbul with her... | ||
| Market Trends | Thu September 6, 2007, 3:11 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Market data and trends from RMLS has been out for a few days. While it's too soon to make any definitive judgments,... | ||
| Giants' Fans | Tue August 28, 2007, 8:55 am | Bill Metzker |
| Is anyone excited about the future of the SF Giants? I remember the Braves in the early 1990's, when they were a... | ||
| Zillow | Thu August 23, 2007, 11:48 am | Bill Metzker |
| Over the weekend, I once again became a non-agent house hunter. I think real estate agents often forget what it's like... | ||
| Market News | Wed August 15, 2007, 4:17 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Watch for (or if you don't get it--ask for) my newsletter, coming out probably next week. It talks about market... | ||
| Orenco Station | Mon August 6, 2007, 4:06 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I just returned from a wedding of my young cousin at Lake Tahoe, CA. Wonderful time! She's an adorable young woman,... | ||
| Market Conditions | Fri July 27, 2007, 5:33 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Activity was slow, then it tapered off. Wish I had some good news, but it seems as though buyers are outta here so... | ||
| Thanks | Tue July 17, 2007, 4:28 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Before I forget, I'd like to give a quick and sincere thank you to all the neighbors who have referred someone to me,... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Tue July 17, 2007, 4:21 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Well, Sarah and baby Ender departed for Turkey on Monday after staying with us for a month. They're gone and we're... | ||
| Home Sales | Tue July 17, 2007, 4:00 pm | Bill Metzker |
| This is the time when I'm supposed to offer some sort of perspicacious analysis of the market data (see the link Data... | ||
| Fallout from Politickin' | Thu July 12, 2007, 12:07 pm | Bill Metzker |
| My July 3 blog generated the second highest number of replies since this site began. One neighbor said she was... | ||
| Pardoning Scooter Libby | Tue July 3, 2007, 3:22 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Newshounds have been patiently waiting for the moment when President Bush would/should/might/won't pardon Scooter... | ||
| Currently Reading | Tue July 3, 2007, 2:37 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I'm currently reading Cosmic Jackpot by renowned physicist Paul Davies, author of the popular work, "The Mind of God."... | ||
| Market News | Wed June 27, 2007, 12:26 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Well, it's in: For May,listings are up and both closed and pending sales are down 8.3% and 16.4% respectively.... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Wed June 20, 2007, 10:49 am | Bill Metzker |
| Istanbul meets Portland Metro for about a month, as daughter Sarah arrived with son (grandson) Ender James over the... | ||
| Mortgage Rates, House Prices | Wed June 13, 2007, 5:31 pm | Bill Metzker |
| What will rising mortgage rates do to house prices? Last week, a client closed a loan at 6.2% or so. The loan had... | ||
| Survivor | Thu June 7, 2007, 5:08 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I've written a little about my daughter in Istanbul, but this time, I'd like to talk about my younger son. Ben is 31... | ||
| Istanbul Update | Wed June 6, 2007, 11:39 am | Bill Metzker |
| Chores we consider routine in the U.S. have a different slant in Turkey. Here's sarah's rendition of a recent outing... | ||
| Hamlet Follow-up | Sat June 2, 2007, 12:04 pm | Bill Metzker |
| How do I deal with the conflict raised in an earlier blog? I pretend as hard as I can that I'm buying the house and... | ||
| Lobbyists | Sat June 2, 2007, 12:02 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Between 1998 and 2004, 43% of ex-congressmen and congresswomen became lobbyists at salaries near or exceeding $1... | ||
| A Hamlet Moment | Wed May 30, 2007, 2:49 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Ever thought your real estate broker wasn't representing you? I was having lunch with an attorney friend at Hale's... | ||
| Latest Market Action | Wed May 30, 2007, 10:19 am | Bill Metzker |
| We have a mixed market in Portland Metro. Closed sales increased a measly 1.4%, while new listings shot up 23.1%.... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Mon May 21, 2007, 3:09 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Sarah's mother-in-law, Sirin, called her again to ask about Ender. Sirin says, "How is he," and Sarah says, "He's... | ||
| Market Musings | Tue May 15, 2007, 4:35 pm | Bill Metzker |
| It's weird how some homes are staying on the market for months, while others are still getting multiple offers. The... | ||
| Market Report | Tue May 8, 2007, 4:54 pm | Bill Metzker |
| ORENCO STATION MARKET REPORT (Last Five Months from 5/8/07, according to RMLS) Rowhomes ... | ||
| March Market Action | Mon April 30, 2007, 4:52 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Portland Metro is showing clear signs of slowing. New listings have increased nearly 24% (check the Data and Trends... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Sun April 22, 2007, 9:26 am | Bill Metzker |
| My daughter, Sarah, has been fretting over getting her new baby son, Ender James, an American passport. She's had to go... | ||
| Last Place Giants | Tue April 17, 2007, 1:09 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I kind of suspect the SF Giants will trade for some major offense. They've got a closer available in Benitez and even a... | ||
| Market Musing | Mon April 9, 2007, 12:04 pm | Bill Metzker |
| The latest RMLS reporting period (ending 2/28/07) notes a 5.2 month supply of homes in the Portland Metro area. It's... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Sun April 1, 2007, 12:21 pm | Bill Metzker |
| We just returned from nine days and eight nights in wonderful Istanbul and can confirm that our new grandson, Ender... | ||
| EFIS, LP Siding | Sun March 18, 2007, 7:55 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Two months ago, I submitted an offer for clients on a home in the $300,000 range (not in the Orenco neighborhood, I... | ||
| House Values | Wed March 14, 2007, 1:56 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Before looking at a house on which she thought she might want to make an offer, a buyer sent me a list of homes sold in... | ||
| Low Mortgage rates | Thu March 8, 2007, 3:00 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Th San Francisco Chronicle reports today that mortgage rates hit the lowest point yet for 2007. Freddie Mac says that... | ||
| Market Time | Mon March 5, 2007, 2:41 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I'll be updating the market Data and Trends later today or tomorrow, but there's really not much new. The current... | ||
| Economic Development | Tue February 27, 2007, 3:38 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Yesterday, I attended a part of an all-day economic trends workshop at the civic center downtown (thanks to a tip from ... | ||
| It's a Boy! | Mon February 26, 2007, 2:11 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Sarah gave birth to a marvelous and healthy baby boy. Ender James weighed in at 8 lbs. after kind of a hard birth from... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Tue February 20, 2007, 3:09 pm | Bill Metzker |
| A baby alert just arrived from Istanbul. Saturday will mark Sarah's 42nd week of her pregnancy. Her water is okay,... | ||
| Listed and Sold | Tue February 20, 2007, 2:36 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I don't know how many real estate agents live in our neighborhood, but please-if you're going to list your home for... | ||
| Reality Bites | Tue February 20, 2007, 11:08 am | Bill Metzker |
| Reality does bite at times. In January of this year, closed sales in the Portland Metro area fell 9.4%, while new... | ||
| Market Musings | Fri February 16, 2007, 10:21 am | Bill Metzker |
| A seller called me yesterday on her home, which I have listed for sale. She lowered the price last week from $250,000... | ||
| There Are Faces I Remember | Thu February 15, 2007, 2:01 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Why do real estate agents nearly always have their mug shots on their business cards? I've done a random interview... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Mon February 12, 2007, 3:35 pm | Bill Metzker |
| A warning from the Turkish doctor! Sarah's doctor is a German-Turk. Or Turk-German. She's Turkish, but grew up and... | ||
| Market Heating Up? | Mon February 12, 2007, 3:28 pm | Bill Metzker |
| We drove through several East Side Portland neighbrhoods yesterday to look for invesment properties. I was struck by... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Sun February 11, 2007, 9:59 am | Bill Metzker |
| We're going crazy. It occurred to us first thing this morning that Sarah's baby is due today. We called, and... | ||
| Pending Sales (Redux) | Thu February 8, 2007, 1:25 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Today I re-thought the issue of posting pending sales. I think I'm right not to post them as "solds," but I probably... | ||
| Rowhome Insurance | Tue February 6, 2007, 4:58 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Most major companies offer two types of homeowner insurance--detached and condominium policies. Insurance for detached... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Sun February 4, 2007, 9:59 am | Bill Metzker |
| Sarah finally sent us pictures of herself so we could see what she looked like when pregnant. A very emotional moment... | ||
| What Happened in 1971? | Tue January 30, 2007, 9:24 am | Bill Metzker |
| 1971 Was a big year. Here are a few of the events that occurred: New York Times begins publication of classified... | ||
| Quick Notes | Mon January 29, 2007, 9:39 am | Bill Metzker |
| Several people have asked when stuff gets updated. Like this blog, maybe, or market stats. I've tried to be as regular... | ||
| Market Time by Type | Fri January 26, 2007, 5:24 pm | Bill Metzker |
| The average time-on-market varies by residence type, i.e., condominium, rowhome/townhome, or detached home. For the... | ||
| Istanbul Diaries | Tue January 23, 2007, 4:20 pm | Sarah Metzker |
| More from daughter Sarah on idiosyncracies of Istanbul society. She teaches there and along with her husband, Engin,... | ||
| Market Update | Tue January 23, 2007, 2:37 pm | Bill Metzker |
| Ok, according to Regional Multiple Listing Service: All of Portland Metro has a 4.5 month supply of houses. Closed... | ||
| Market Opinion | Wed January 17, 2007, 2:40 pm | Bill Metzker |
| After visiting with all the other agents, I think we're in a nether market. Not "neither," as in neither buyers' nor... | ||
| Stasis | Wed January 3, 2007, 11:45 am | Bill Metzker |
| We had our first REMAX sales meeting for 2007, where the Hillsboro agents kvetch in the conference room. Actually, we... | ||
| Istanbul Diary 12/17/06 | Wed December 27, 2006, 10:36 am | Bill Metzker |
| Well, my daughter finally got around to e-mailing us pictures of our first grandchild. This has been difficult for... | ||
| A Modest Proposal | Wed December 13, 2006, 1:14 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I'm English major. I worry about lots of stuff. Not just sometimes, but somewhere between all the time and most of... | ||
| All Real Estate Is Local | Mon November 6, 2006, 2:26 pm | Bill Metzker |
| OK, real estate market time! We've all read the news articles and have seen statistics. So, what does that mean to... | ||
| Istanbul Diary | Sun November 5, 2006, 5:58 pm | Bill (and Sarah) Metzker |
| ISTANBUL, Turkey -My daughter, Sarah, lives in Istanbul, where she's married to Engin Erdemir. Sarah, who received her... | ||
| Voice Mail Hell | Sun October 22, 2006, 3:14 pm | Bill Metzker |
| I'll try to be both accurate AND useful with this blog, depending on the time of day I might be writing it--in which... | ||
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