BiggerPockets

Days on market for houses that we are selling have been higher than I would like for them to be. The rehabs are nice and we are staging them. We are typically selling within 3-6 months which really isn't that bad in this market, but could be improved.

I was trying to think of ways for us to shrink the days on market. There are buyers and I want to make our houses stand out and be the ones they remember and want to buy because they had something extra.

Some of the things that we don't typically do that we could for relatively low cost are (keep in mind that these are houses below median price in my area - so granite counters and the like are not really necessary, but might be an option) installing fancy tile backsplashes, tile granite counter tops, under cabinet lights, recessed lighting, wainscoting/chair rails, spending more on curb appeal, outdoor living areas (large custom decks etc) and other things that can get rather expensive.

I'm not wanting to spend a lot but am willing to add something extra if it will help sell houses faster. We could spend $3,000 or more making the house stand out and it could end up saving us $10,000 or more in holding costs and price reductions.

What are your thoughts? What are some of the things that you are doing or that you plan on doing that really make a rehab stand out and get sold before the other houses that are on the market?

I really appreciate any and all input. Thanks.

It seems like when I buy a house there are always a couple of doors missing, so I started changing out all doors except closet doors with 6 panel doors,,,it really doesn't cost that much if you have to replace some anyway, and it does make a difference,,we also use satin nickel hinges and handles,,,I figure I'm adding $300 or so to the price, but its a much more upscale look,,,

I also buy appliances from the scratch and dent area of homedepot/lowes (I'm sure most people on here do also), and buy any stainless appliances I run across at a good price,,it really dresses up the kitchen

We do the following (extra $ amount in parenthesis):

stainless steel appliances ($500)
grid windows in front of house ($150-200)
New interior doors ($600)
Recess lighting ($100)
Backsplash ($300)
Seller pays closing costs ($10k - but we add this to the sales price of the rehab - It's a BIG seller as we're usually the only one on the market offering this)

We also do the row of accent tile in our bathrooms that Brad does. And we try our best to get a buyer before the rehab is complete.

Hey Danny,
I've actually been on your blog quite a few times. Your wife does great staging- Outside of the granite stuff I'd say you might wanna upgrade your lighting. The rehab we sold 2 months ago- we are in the process of another- I spent about $400 on two chandiliers and weirdly enough the buyer specifically asked that both transfer with the house- That was all they asked that they remain when we took out the furniture. I had a little chuckle internally as I thought- umm they already go with the house but nice to know that the buyers wanted to make sure- And when I look at your rehabbed pictures that usually the only thing I want to change.

Thanks for all of the input.

This is really a great community and I'm glad everybody is willing to share their ideas and help. Got some great ideas from your answers.

By all means, if anyone else has some more ideas, please share.

Almost forgot, do you replace all of the outlets, switches and covers? This is cheap and easy to do but makes a house feel much newer.

Same goes for door hardware, if you have that shiny gold stuff, get rid of it, it looks cheap and dated (which in turn makes the house look cheap and dated).

For lower end houses I found that hot tubs sell. You can find nice working hot tubs for under $1000. I have gotten several for free over the years.

That could be a big plus over the competition for the right buyer.

Otherwise I just modernize the home as some have already suggested. White outlets/covers, stainless or brushed look hinges, knobs, lighting etc.

But more than anything the best bang for your buck is to lighten and brighten. Make sure all your light fixture have the highest wattage bulb they can handle. Pick light earthtone colors...

Just getting ready for the big day. My son is due Friday. :)

Sorry to keep you waiting. Don't worry, should have one tomorrow. I've been working on it for a week.

Don't want to derail the thread though. I am still interested in some more ideas. Keep 'em comin'.

Agreed with Will that if your houses are sitting that long, price is most certainly a factor. That said, here are some suggestions (some are repeats of what others have already said):

- Use nicer cabinets/countertops. For just a few extra bucks, you can get nice cherry-stained cabinets and granite-looking Formica countertops. Buyers think the cabinets we put in our houses cost about 3x as much as they do (typical kitchen is under $3000)

- Use stainless appliances instead of white. For faux stainless, we pay under $1500 for frige, range, dishwasher and microwave

- Replace all the light fixtures (no fluorescents) and plumbing fixtures and make sure they all match

- Replace all the outlets, switches and cover plates with new white ones

- Put mini-blinds on all the windows

When rehabbing, the best money you can spend is in the kitchen, bathrooms, master bedroom, and curb appeal - hands down. Kitchens alone have been known to sell homes so make sure you go the extra mile in these areas.

Picking warm earthtone colors is also helpful as it attarcts the largest % of buyers. As opposed to a blue room where some buyers may not have a boy or like blue, the tans, creams, and other earthtone colors are welcomed by almost all.

One other thing I see some rehab flippers do wrong is do crappy work on certain items. For instance, I was in a home that an investor was trying to flip and it was sitting on teh market. He or she did a great job on the kitchen and tile on the floor, but then in the living room at the ceiling, you could see a large crack line and crappy looking "cut job" for the paint going from walls to ceiling. FYI: The spots where two different paint colors meet are called "cut lines"
Then in a bthroom, they did not replace the old wooden framed window and the window had a bunch of caked-on dirty spots and caulking - this is a no-no as its shows a lack of quality and when prospective buyers see items like this, their natural feeling is to suspect that other work was done poorly.

My best advice is to not leave anything in the home that looks like poor quality work. Small touch-ups only take time but are so valuable in the end.