On Tuesday night I hear Vero chatting with someone and it sounds like she is offering up information on our house. I find this odd but wait until she is done (read: she is ignoring my frantic arm-waving to catch her attention. She is cunning.) and find out that Vero’s Dad has let someone in Hearst know that we are looking to sell our house sometime this year. Turns out he is coming into town this weekend and is hoping to look at some places to buy for his daughters who are students.
Now, if you didn’t know already, I have been slowly preparing the place for final sale worthy appearances. For example, I went through the basement and basically through garbage worthy items into a pile. However, I have not thrown anything out from that pile yet…mattresses, old clothes, bikes, computer monitors…luckily for us, the phone call came on garbage night so I hauled out a slew of garbage to the curb and the basement looks semi-respectable now.
Actually, the place looks quite spotless now. We even removed a few personal photos from the walls (which I have heard, but cannot believe, affects the sale of a house). Photos were taken, fact sheets were prepped, and now the house is actually pretty decent (except for the garage. Oh that garage is like the aftermath of Hiroshima) and we’ll keep it that way for awhile.
My only dilemna at this moment is to properly ascertain how much my property is worth. I have a few leads on this, be it my research for the past few years on what houses have been listed as on my block, or real estate agents willing to nice and give me a comparison report of houses around the area. I am interested in what they have to report and the only outstanding question is this:
iplaying: Thrasher – Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps
How much difference in price does a finished vs. unfinished basement bring? Are we talking $5K? $10K? $15K? $20K? I have an unfinished basement so this would be essential to determine what to sell the house for.
3 replies on “Whirlwind of a Cleaning”
sorry to say a finished basement is worth 20+ in my opinion, unless someone decides to tear it down ( LIKE I DID) and insulate it better and change the look from panelling to drywall or vice versa.
hints, go buy cinamon buns and bake them in the oven prior to a sale, or cookies, this is if you are private selling, also febreeze the house. or some type of scent cleaner,
take down personal pictures, buyers love to envsion homes with their pictures, not yours….
mellow music on the stereo turned down low helps.
painted basement floor takes eyes down from ceiling joists and any wiring clutter there…
take pictures of the house ( avoiding photos and as much personal stuff and print them off ( 1 – 3 will do ) and give them to the viewers, also have copies of your winter bills, take of your personal stuff and show them the true expenses you paid for heat hydro and water also property taxes, property measurements.
sorry but this means you shoud be doing your homework LOL
Hope this helps
Gary
Ah, these are excellent tips, Thanks Uncle Gary!
Don’t be sorry that a finished basement is worth $20K+…I chose not to finish and so be it. I’m not too worried…but it gives me an idea of what price to set the house at.
Thanks!
Hey Ryan,
My real estate lady sends me emails everytime a house on my street goes onto MLS and how much it sells for. Keep in mind I bought my place May 2007. Two houses identical to mine have sold in the past 6 months. The first was $30,000 more than I paid and the second was just last month and was $50,000 more (mind you they have real hardwood and new windows). The prices are CRAZY!
Another tip for you is to clear off your countertops to give the illusion of a bigger space. Works in bathrooms, too!
Good luck! I hope you don’t move to far away! 😉