{"id":11522,"date":"2019-07-31T16:03:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T23:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=11522"},"modified":"2019-07-31T16:03:29","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T23:03:29","slug":"how-to-sell-an-ugly-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-an-ugly-house\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell an ‘Ugly’ House: 5 Ways to Help Buyers Look Past Cosmetics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looks aren\u2019t everything, but when you\u2019re selling your house, they can make or break a first impression. Features that you might consider, ah… unique… can be a turnoff, even if your house is otherwise in great shape.<\/p>\n

Take that pink tub and tile in the master bath. It has strong water pressure, but the color might make buyers green around the gills. Speaking of green, avocado is a trendy spread on toast nowadays, but as the color of a stove? Not so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuyers today are far more visual,\u201d said Zinta Rodgers-Rickert<\/a>, a real estate agent who serves the Virginia areas of Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got 10 seconds to make them feel like they can work with that property or live in that home.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You may be accustomed to your home’s quirks, but now it\u2019s time for some straight talk about how to sell an ugly house\u2014that is, one where buyers won\u2019t notice the amenities or potential right away. Here are a few strategies to discuss with your real estate agent.<\/p>\n

\"roof<\/a>
Source: (Jack Price-Burns\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Highlight your home\u2019s best features<\/h2>\n

Maybe you haven\u2019t redone that odd-looking bathroom or kitchen because you\u2019ve put money toward vital repairs like a new roof<\/a> or HVAC. So point out what\u2019s new and what\u2019s in your favor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can justify that there\u2019s been a $10,000 to $20,000 new roof, new HVAC system, or some of your major systems have been replaced, it\u2019s a big plus,\u201d Rodgers-Rickert said.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t rely on buyers to notice the best parts of your home<\/a> based on photos, adds the Mid-America Association of Real Estate Investors. Have your agent mention the oak floors, even if they clash with the current color on the walls because the paint is an easy fix.<\/p>\n

If your house is in a good school district or on a quiet cul-de-sac, some buyers might warm up to it, even if they\u2019re not initially thrilled with some optics. \u201cUgly features usually are cosmetic, and with certain coaching \u2026 you can usually get past most cosmetics,\u201d Rodgers-Rickert said.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a>
Source: (Christopher Jolly\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Fix what you can<\/h2>\n

Granted, a lot of what you can fix before listing your house depends on your price point and your budget, as well as your neighborhood. If many of the homes in your neighborhood have a kitchen style of the same era, there\u2019s no need to redo it before selling if you don\u2019t have the money, said Julie Dana<\/a>, an interior decorator since 2002 and owner of The Home Stylist, an interior decorating and staging business in the Buffalo, New York, area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a $100,000 house, people aren\u2019t expecting granite,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

In a higher price range, a cost of $20,000 to paint the interior, update light fixtures and update a bathroom with new fixtures packs a huge payoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve helped a number of properties recently that, had they sold with no improvements in our area, would have been in the $390,000 to $410,000 range at best,\u201d Rodgers-Rickert said.<\/p>\n

“One seller who spent $20,000 on such improvements sold his property for $510,000. Had he not invested the $20,000, he would have been leaving an awful lot of money on the table.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you don\u2019t have that amount available, consider spending $5,000 to $10,000 to update the interior with fresh paint, she added. \u201cThe buyer is going to come in thinking there needs to be a $20,000-$30,000 price adjustment because they\u2019re going to need to paint.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest trendy color is gray,<\/a> but that will clash if your house still has the brown and beige stylings of the 1980s and 1990s, Dana added. According to HomeLight\u2019s Top Agent Insights Survey for Q1 2019, Agreeable Gray<\/a>, which blends warm and cool tones and operates more as a \u201cgreige,\u201d is the no. 1 recommended home staging paint color<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also, check what you can manage within your budget. Replacing the porch light and painting the front door costs less than $50<\/a> but gives your exterior a whole new look, notes Money Talks News, a financial blog with more than 500,000 subscribers. Update your cabinet hardware and install new door handles for additional economic updates.<\/p>\n

There are other upgrades that don\u2019t cost as much as you might imagine. Danny Lipford of Today\u2019s Homeowner <\/i>has a brief tutorial<\/a> online about installing a tile backsplash with the SimpleMat self-adhesive mat<\/a> ($55 for 30 square feet) that\u2019s much easier and faster than using thin-set adhesive. Just add the cost of the tile<\/a> (which can start at $5.77 per square foot, depending on design) and apply grout.<\/p>\n

\"staging
Source: (Arek Socha\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Set the stage<\/h2>\n

A professional stager can give you advice on how to make your home look its best, especially if it has an \u201cugly\u201d challenge.<\/p>\n

Dana, who has been in business for 16 years and staged more than 1,200 homes, charges $185 for an hour\u2019s consultation with individual clients and also does e-design, or customized interior design plans online.<\/p>\n

She gave these recommendations for any \u201cugly\u201d home to look better:<\/p>\n