Prepping for the Market
It’s time to add yours to the array of homes for sale in St. Thomas. Suddenly you look around your home and see the things you’ve grown accustomed to, but which a Buyer will notice right away. And by “things” I mean problems…. dirty patches on walls, the scratches on the door where the dog pestered to be let in, the leaky faucet, the ceiling fan that doesn’t work anymore, on and on. And no doubt there’s some pesky problem specific to living on St. Thomas – home hardware worn down by the sea salt.
Don’t be Pennywise and Pound Foolish
If it’s a plumbing issue, and especially an electrical issue – hire a professional. The potential blowback from a badly done, amateur attempt to remedy plumbing and electrical problems just isn’t worth the savings of doing it yourself. And when the time rolls around for the Buyer’s certified home inspector to take a look at the systems in the house, if that person discovers badly done plumbing and electrical, it will be a red flag and could compromise your sales price.
Freshen Up!
There’s only so much damage you can do with a paint brush and roller – and mostly it’s in the color selection. Look around and see your home for the “first time.” Tackle those tired looking walls and doors. Keep trims bright white, and the same on the ceilings if possible. Keep wall colors neutral. You may want turquoise in the bedroom or – gasp – the living room as a testament to living in the US Virgin Islands. But John Doe most likely doesn’t want that color there. Keep the new paint colors a warm but neutral shade the enables the next homeowner to envision their world being absorbed into your home.
To Tile or Not to Tile?
It’s quite a long and expensive project to lay new tile. Updated flooring is always a plus. But the project is seldom worth the return when selling St Thomas homes or St Thomas condos. But there are ways to enhance things. If the caulking on your floor has gone from white to dirty, overlay a new layer of caulk. And if your tiles are chipped, is there any chance of securing replacement tiles? Another idea to help modernize your home and give it a more expensive feel is to add tile to kitchen and bathroom backsplashes. If you do – keep in mind that the more branded your tile selection, the less likely it will have broad appeal. Be sure to select more classic and neutral tiles rather than loud, trendy ones.
Curb Appeal
Garden. (And consider that a verb.) If you have garden space, make sure it’s planted and tended and not an abandoned weed palace. It doesn’t take much to spruce up those patches of dirt, and it makes your home look all “mom and apple pie.” No garden? Put some potted plants at the entrance. Warm and welcoming pay dividends.
Sellers with luxury homes for sale on St. Thomas or modest St. Thomas condos for sale both have the same laundry list of things to check and do in order to make their residences appealing to Buyers. Take a look at your St. Thomas real estate with fresh eyes, and bring out the lipstick!