Need more room? Even though you will probably be trading up to a more spacious home, you may want to think about some of the things that will not be going to your next house. Remember when you were looking for your “next home” a few years ago? You probably wanted more space inside and outside. Have you and your family outgrown the need for some of those things like the wooden outdoor playset, some of the sports equipment, bikes, some of the family hand-me-downs, out-of-style or trendy clothes, or toys? No rush or anything but don’t wait until March and then go crazy just before you list your home… or even worse to be packing up to move all those things to your new home that you no longer need.
Move-in condition? In addition to wanting more space a few years ago when you were looking for your “next home,” you wanted a home in “move-in condition” because you were not going to have the time or any money left over after you purchased your home, to take on lots of projects. Does your home still look in move-in condition? Are there a few things you planned to do but never got them done? Schedule a painter to do touch-ups or even repaint a few rooms and the outdoor trim around the house. Does your tile work need new grout or caulking? Your heating & AC guy may have warned you that your systems are getting older and you may need to replace them in the next year or two. Don’t wait for them to die. When you go to sell your home the new buyers will probably want an inspection. Even if those units were dusted off to look nice and clean, that inspector will look up the model number online and be able to tell them the age of the units. If they are “beyond their useful life,” those buyers will be asking for an allowance (a downward adjustment of the sale price of your home). Big items like a roof, heating & AC, septic, or well will not be overlooked.
During these last 3+ years, as inventories declined and sales became so competitive, many homes sold in less than a week, with no inspections, and no financial contingencies, at the above-asking price. That was not normal. I think inspections and contingencies with be back with the market easing with the continuing high mortgage rates. Be prepared.
