subject: The Homegain Survey Results Are In! [print this page] The Homegain Survey Results Are In! The Homegain Survey Results Are In!
HomeGain surveyed about 600 real estate agents from all around the country to determine the top relatively low cost, do-it-yourself home improvements for homeowners getting their house ready to sell. (low-cost is defined as under $5,000).
In my opinion, a home is properly "staged" when all of these items have been addressed, but for the purpose of this survey, it is given its own category and ranks #3. The top five home improvements that Realtors nationwide are recommending (based on those that offer the best return on investment) inlcude:
1. Cleaning and de-cluttering
2. Lightening and brightening
3. Home staging
4. Landscaping
5. Repair Electrical or Plumbing
Cleaning and de-cluttering is still the most frequently suggested home improvement (since the survey was originally conducted in 2003). This very low cost improvement was recommended by 99% of Realtors and usually costs less than $300. When cleaning and de-cluttering is done right, real estate experts estimate a return of nearly $2,000 to the home's sale price. That's a 586% return on investment!
Check out the graph below to the return for all the other improvements:
(reprinted with permission)
"Sellers need to prepare their homes for sale before putting them on the market," said Louis Cammarosano, General Manager at HomeGain. "Homes that have initial appeal have a better shot at selling faster and closer to the asking price than homes rushed to the market with no improvements."
For more details about the survey visit: the 2011 HomeGain Survey.
To learn all about preparing a home for sale in the quickest most econimical way possible, visit www.Ready2Sellin30Days.com.
