Home care and renovation

Should I Renovate Before Selling My Pittsburgh Home?

By Aubre J. Stacknick, Global Real Estate Advisor, Piatt Sotheby's International Realty. Originally published on aubrestacknick.com.

One of the first things sellers tell me is:

"I know we need to do a lot before we put the house on the market."

My response is often:

Maybe. But let's figure out what actually matters first.

The goal isn't to create the house you've always wanted right before handing the keys to someone else.

The goal is to determine which improvements could improve marketability, buyer perception and your financial outcome.

Don't Renovate Without Knowing Your Competition

Before recommending major improvements, I want to understand:

• Your home's current condition
• Your neighborhood
• Recent comparable sales
• Current competing listings
• Your expected price range
• Your likely buyer
• What buyers at that price point expect

A $75,000 renovation might make perfect sense for one property and almost no sense for another.

Start With Buyer Objections

Rather than asking, "What can we renovate?" I prefer asking:

What could prevent a buyer from choosing this house?

That may reveal a completely different priority list.

An aging roof, obvious deferred maintenance or water issue can create more resistance than dated countertops.

Cosmetic Improvements Can Be Powerful

Don't underestimate relatively simple changes.

Fresh paint, lighting, flooring, landscaping, decluttering, cleaning and thoughtful staging can dramatically change how buyers experience a home.

Sometimes we don't need to transform the house.

We need to position it correctly.

Know Your Number Before You Spend

If you're considering selling, my recommendation is simple:

Talk to me before you renovate.

Let me evaluate the property from both a real estate and construction perspective and help determine where your money is most likely to matter.

Every dollar you spend preparing your home should have a job.

If we can't explain why we're spending it, we should question whether we need to spend it.

Knowledge Starts with Knowing®.