Viroqua Wisconsin: Hear no evil

In Realty Days gone by... it clearly was less complicated to sell a home. Barely less than 10 years ago, there was no such thing as staging your home or having a buyer's contingency in the offer for a home inspection. Back then these selling procedures were just not a common practice in Viroqua or for that matter anywhere else. In the olden days, "Hear no evil" home Sellers got it their way. All that was required was to just simply place the home on the market and sit back and wait. The routine was easy; pick your price, slap a sign in the yard, and just continue to live as if nothing has changed. Eventually some one would come along and buy, life was good. In those day, there wasn't any real competition for the buyer eye. A seller really did not have to do much in the way of getting a home into condition to sell. Homes were cheaper and thought of as just a place to live not an investment. Ten years ago, if the beds were made and there were no dirty dishes in the sink that was deemed a good home staging. Words like re-sale value and 1031 exchanges were not in the vocabulary of most buyers and sellers. This was rarely apart of the buying decision. Sellers heard what they wanted to hear, got what they wanted and had it good. Sellers liked seeing the prices go up, up, up. Life was good in Realtyville.

Unfortunately over time the good things in Realtyville came to an end. As the cost of owning a home continued to escalate and escalate, buyers wanted more assurance for their money. Buyers wanted to know that the home they bought was in good condition and they wanted guarantees to protect their investment. No more Caveat Emptor. A new breed of hybrid buyers was born. The "see no evil" buyer came into being: if I see something I don't like, I am out of there.

Fast-forward to 2008, most residential real estate purchasers now believe buying a home that is move-in ready is the only way to go. Many will by-pass any homes that need a renovation or that shows a lack of maintenance. They choose to avoid the hassle of working with contractors or taking on DIY projects. The buying trend for 2008 will be new homes and re-sale homes that are in good condition, anything else will be harder to sell. Outdated is out, updated is in. Old homes are quaint, but there is a big difference between old & charming and old & outdated. So what tops the list of obsolete and what will make your potential buyer, see no evil and run for better digs?

Dark Cheap Paneling in any main living area is a sure sign that this is there to cover up aging, cracked plaster walls. If you cannot remove it, then paint it a light neutral tone.

Drop ceilings in the living room, are a big turn off. It will tell buyers that the home heating cost might be high or it is hiding damaged ceiling underneath. Additionally, popcorn or cottage cheese ceilings just are simply dated as are lava lamps.

Fuse Boxes, and not enough electric plug-ins are really out. Invest to upgrade this or expect the home to sit on the market longer or you will see a lower sales price. Today's "See no Evil Buyers" has lots of electronic gadgets and computers to plug in.

One Bathroom homes are always hard to sell because today no one wants to wait to use a bathroom. But if you have only one bathroom and the fixtures are: Avocado, Pink, Blue or Lilac it is an extra loud turn off. The cost to replace the fixtures is less than what you will loose if you don't. One thing is for sure; your home will be remembered as "the awful pink toilet house."

Wet Basements Plan on correcting this now & no excuses, with new waterproof paint, sub pumps and investing in grading the surround landscaping it can be fixed or greatly improved upon. If the Basement is the location of the laundry, next paint and clean it up for a bright, big, return on investment.

Old Dated Carpet is way out and hardwood floors are way in. If there are hardwood floors under the faded carpet get that carpet gone, and polish the hardwood for big dollars.

Now it is time for the Realtor to: "speak no evil." Plain and simple the market has changed a lot over the past 10 years, it has now completed a full circle. No matter whether it is now a Buyers market or it was a Sellers market last year, that does not matter now. Home trends have changes over the years too. It is no longer possible to pass along out dated and obsolete conditions and poor decor, then expecting top dollar. Today's buyers are way more discriminating as to condition, environment and maintenance. As Sellers, you may not be able to change the homes location or the floorplan, but you have control when it comes to get the home into showroom condition for the best selling prices in 2008.

 Are you searching for homes to buy in Viroqua or Vernon County Wisconsin

call Mary Strang  therteam.com  RE/MAX Hill Country Realty 608-637-3599