Ask Bob: What improvements or repairs should I make before listing the property?

Buying or selling a home involves a lot of things, it also raises questions. In this column ‘Ask Bob’, real estate expert/broker Bob Bartikoski of RE/MAX Paradise Homes Bonaire answers a real estate question from a reader. This time:

Question: I am considering selling my property on Bonaire, what improvements or repairs should I make before listing the property?

When it comes to selling your home three of the most important things to concentrate on are:

• Curb Appeal – Does your home make a good “first impression”? It is always a good idea to clean up the outside of your home to remove any weeds, dead leaves and overgrown treas and plants to give your garden an open and inviting feeling.
• Clutter – Does your home feel cluttered or full of a lot of “stuff”? If your home is filled with a lot of things that you don’t want to get rid of, it’s a good idea to get rid of things that you don’t need, or don’t use anymore. Those things that you still love but don’t need can always be sold at a porch sale, donated to places like the Animal Shelter, or recycled. Cleaning out the clutter will make the rooms in your home seem both larger and more open.
• Minor repairs – Are there some small projects that need to be fixed, but you never have time to finish? Fixing that broken gate, or replacing an old lock, or buying a new light fixture all help your home make a good first impression. Buyers will often think that if the “little things” are not in good repair, the big things are probably not in good shape either.

After you have taken care of the “small things”, your real estate broker may also suggest some larger projects that could help you sell your home faster and for more money which is what every seller, and every broker wants.

Do you want to buy or sell a house in Bonaire, or do have a real estate question for Bob? email him at: [email protected]. Call for free from the US: 1-866-611-7362 or Bonaire: +599-717-7362. See all our listings here.