No, even though school has started around Lake Keowee, we are still a long way from fall. We are now in the dog days of August, and you will still be able to swim in Keowee comfortably until early October when the water is still fine but the air when you get out is not. This “kids going back to school earlier and earlier” kind of throws the summer out of wack and messes with my circadian rhythms. The good news is they get more time off during the year to make memories on the Lake. That is if you have a Lake Keowee waterfront property. Oh, you don’t? We need to fix that!
Another good week as folks continue to envision that dream home on Lake Keowee. We put a waterfront home under contract along with a Lake Keowee waterfront lot. We will be adding two more Lake Keowee waterfront homes to our inventory to replace the one we just sold and then some, but it’d be better if we added three or four.
Put yours on the market. It’s time. The summer is more than halfway over and there are so many amazing things you can do with that money. Why wait?
Squeezing Every Last Dollar From Your Home Sale
Now let’s take a look at some projects you might consider, beginning with some simple steps that can reap huge dividends.
Here are some investments in your home’s exterior that I’ve found through firsthand experience can pay huge dividends: Making the best second impression
As is the case outside, a coat of paint can literally make the difference between a sale and no sale. Be sure to stick to neutral colors – white or off-white. It tends to make everything look new, clean and bright.
Be sure to paint everything: inside closets, cabinets, pantries, etc. If a prospective buyer opens a door and sees dirty walls or shelves, you’ve just wasted the advantage you had gained by painting in the first place.
Like paint, new carpeting should also be in a neutral shade. This helps buyers visualize their own furniture in your home.
Wallpaper, like wall colors, makes a personal statement about the owner’s tastes. Remove it. Buyers want to visualize what they would do with your house, and wallpaper gets in the way of their dreaming.
Many buyers value good wood floors, so sand and refinish yours if they can be restored. Otherwise, you might consider new flooring. If your home is short on storage space, consider how you can add shelving, cabinets or other storage systems to remedy this deficiency. You may also consider replacing windows and doors with more energy-efficient models.
Taken individually, each of the above improvements may not seem like much. But you’ll find that the cumulative effect of fixing even relatively minor problems will be dramatic. A crack in the wall, a carpet stain or a light switch that doesn’t work can send a negative signal that results in the loss of a buyer. I’ve seen it happen.
more next week….
Check out the Lake Keowee Real Estate numbers for the year
