Monday, August 18, 2014

When Selling A Home At The Villages San Jose What Should You Fix?

 If you have been given the responsibility to sell a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose through probate or trust there are many things to consider. Right now, I want to talk about one. 
 
What should you do to the home to put it on the
 
market? 
 
There are many right answers to this question, and a few wrong ones as well.  Let’s discuss.
 
First of all, many homes in The Villages San Jose that are in probates are trusts have been well used. There are often deferred maintenance issues as well as great cosmetic challenges.  If your probate or trust home is in beautiful shape you can skip this blog post. If not, which is more likely, please read on. 
 
The most important thing to remember is that you should not fix structural problems, just disclose them. The reason for this is that the estate will become responsible if you do something like replace the windows if they leak.  If the contractor does something incorrectly, or without needed permits, the liability to the estate will be on your hands. Remember The Villages San Jose will do an inspection to see if there is unpermitted work before the title transfers so just get the home inspected and let the potential buyers know what they are getting into.
 
A BEFORE PICTURE OF A KITCHEN I WORKED ON WITH MY PARTNER


 








That said, these homes are often dirty, smelly, ugly, have popcorn ceilings, or just outdated.  Very often home appearances are ignored during the end of an owner’s life. It is totally normal and not a moral flaw on anyone’s part, so don’t worry about a snarky neighbor,  buyer, or agent’s comments if they occur.  It is perfectly ok, and even beneficial to do some cosmetic upgrades and staging before putting a home in The Villages San Jose up for sale.  

What I tell my clients when I list a probate or trust
 
home is that we are trying to remove the yuck
 
factor. When a potential buyer comes into a home
 
we just do not want them to say “yuck.”  
 
It is amazing what paint, removing old carpet, and replacing lights and electrical faceplates can do. Paint and an air filter can even help remove the smell of cigarette smoke.  If the home has carpets with smoke smell they will have to be removed. The smoke smell can even come from your loved one forgetting to open the damper when using the fireplace. Old fashioned drapes can be removed and modern, inexpensive ones from places like Bed Bath & Beyond can be used.  The kitchen can have old cabinets painted and new hardware installed for a whole new look. Staging is essential and can really change the feel of a home from old and dated to “I can live here.” It does not even have to be in every room, but if you can do the living room and one bedroom even that is a help.
 
 
AFTER PHOTO OF KITCHEN
There are very few investors in the market who will want to purchase a home in the Villages San Jose due to rental restrictions and high HOA fees so you will want to appeal to the buyer looking for a home to live in. 
 
By taking away the
 
yuck and replacing
 
it with this looks
 
livable, you will get
 
a much better price for the estate.
 
I recommend you find a great San Jose Villages Real Estate Agent and work with him or her to make your loved one's home look livable without adding liablilty to the estate and then reap the rewards.
 
 Right now there are 11 homes on the market ranging in price from $310,000 to $675,000. If you would like to see the current inventory of condos for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here If you would like to see the current inventory of single family homes for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here.
If you have any questions about buying or selling a home at The Villages San Jose please feel free to contact me.
Marcy Moyer
Cal BRE 01191194
650-619-9285

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