How your lived-in home can compete with new builds

By Dayv Morgan

When you are trying to sell your home in Maricopa, it may be frustrating to realize you are competing not only against other resale homes on the market but also many brand-new houses with all-new amenities. Here are some points to keep in mind while making your lived-in home shine among recent builds.

Price is always a top issue. Maricopans like a bargain. If your house, whatever its age, is priced correctly, it can compete against any home. Check out the price tags on new builds that are similar to your resale. The price per square foot of a new build is often higher than a resale.

You know your property. Beyond the disclosure statement required of resales, you know the quirks and the history. Since you bought your home, you learned whether the backyard needs more shade and whether your west-facing windows need treatment against direct sun. These are things buyers of new homes still have to learn – and pay for.

Don’t be emotionally attached to your house, because builders aren’t. Learn what builders are offering both in amenities and financing and get into a home-selling frame of mind.

Remember, most new homes don’t come with backyard landscaping, window coverings, washer/dryer or ceiling fans. If those are investments you’ve already made in your resale, your home will look more move-in-ready. That’s a big plus for a homebuyer without the resources to buy them.

Competing against brand-new homes with warranties, brand-new roofs and brand-new air conditioning should be the perfect incentive to make your resale look and perform its absolute best. Take your Realtor’s advice about decluttering, painting and upgrading very seriously. If anything is broken, fix it. If your home is critically dated, consider a remodel.

Resale homes are usually in established neighborhoods in established subdivisions with established streets and utilities. That is a large knowledge base for new owners to draw from. Realtors, HOAs, neighbors and you should know the history of local problems and how they have been resolved. You may have a template for correcting similar issues in the future. New homes on new streets come with a lot of unknowns.

Competition is always a stiff proposition in Maricopa real estate, but there is no need to be disheartened by the large number of shiny, newly finished houses coming on the market. A quality product at a fair price will gain any homebuyers respect.

 

Dayv Morgan is a Maricopa Realtor and owner of HomeSmart Success.

480-251-4231
[email protected]

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This column appears in the May column of InMaricopa.