Making Homes for Experiences, Not for Stuff
Now that Thanksgiving has passed and we have Christmas and New Year’s to look forward to, many homebuyers and home sellers are thinking ahead to spring. Although homes sell well to various buyers throughout the year, spring in Minnesota is often when traditional sellers think about selling, and traditional buyers are eager to get out of their hibernation and tour homes, which means the best time to start prepping for either process is right now. So, if buying or selling your home is your New Year’s resolution, why not start early? You can do plenty of things to make sure you’re ready to go.
If you’re looking to sell next spring, it’s best to start preparing your home by decluttering. If you need a copy of Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” send me a quick email for your free copy! “Tidying Up,” as Kondo would suggest, has profound effects on your home as well as your mind. Not only do well-cared-for, owner-occupied homes sell fast in the spring market, but they also sell for top dollar. After decluttering your home and mind, you may want to tackle deferred maintenance projects. If you do not know where to start, a thorough home inspection, like the type a buyer will perform, is an awesome way to get ahead of potential buyer concerns. Choosing the right inspector is important. For that, we recommend you check out the crew at StructureTech1.com. After receiving your report, we can help you prioritize your time and money to greatest effect.
After structural and mechanical systems are sorted, aesthetic improvements are your next area of focus. When you’re prepping your home for sale, pay special attention to ways you can improve the highest-traffic rooms in the house: the kitchen and the bathrooms. There are a few ways you can freshen up these rooms, including regrouting tiles or recaulking showers and tubs. You could even go as far as redoing your countertops if they’re looking a little outdated, but even just replacing faucets can go a long way in giving those spaces an updated look.
While some yardwork simply can’t be done until it gets a little warmer, start looking for ways to improve the curb appeal of your home. Do you need to clean any patio furniture? Do you need to remove any dead or obtrusive bushes or trees from your yard? Even if you can’t do these things right away, it helps to have a list of yardwork and landscaping tasks in mind for when it warms up.
Though there might not be as much prep work for those of you planning to buy a home in the spring, you can begin preparing right now in a few ways. Start familiarizing yourself with the city or neighborhood you’re planning on moving to. Drive around different streets and talk to locals about buying a house in that area. It also can’t hurt to talk to a qualified and knowledgeable real estate agent about your future community.
Ultimately, home sellers should focus on creating a space where new families can see themselves making memories. Experiences with the people you love are far more important than any gift or things you can fill your house with. Homebuyers should look for a place where they can envision their family creating these experiences. For the past few years, our family’s holiday seasons have been pretty crazy. After Maggie and I had triplets in November of 2017, our Christmas season was full of sleepless nights. The next year, when they were all 1-year-olds, it wasn’t much different, though we started to see the light, and the girls loved eating all the food in our home and the homes of our families. This year, the girls are old enough to appreciate their holiday season experiences — and after two years of parenting in survival mode, I will gain a new appreciation for the experiences we can share with family as well. Although we don’t specialize in holiday decorations, if you need help preparing to sell your home and creating a space where families can share experiences, please give us a call or drop us an email. From Maggie, me, Lola, Mila, and Nora, we wish you the most blessed holiday season and hope your time and homes are filled with experiences you will remember for a long time!
~Fritz Soberay
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