Most sellers understand that taking the time to properly prepare your house for the market can have a big payoff – both in terms of actual returns and how long it will take for your home to sell. However, there are a few homeowners out there who aren’t sure if all the prep work is worth the effort. If you’re considering selling a house as is, you’ll want to read this blog post before making any decisions.

What Does Selling As Is Mean in Real Estate?

There are a couple of ways to define it. Nine times out of ten, someone who wants to sell their house “as is” is simply looking to put their home on without performing the traditional pre-listing preparations.

There’s also a legal side to selling as is. For example, if a seller can formally stipulate in the sales agreement that they are unwilling to make any changes or repairs to the home. This would be a “sold as is” condition or clause. While it can inform a buyer’s expectations regarding the overall quality of the home, it doesn’t take away a seller’s liability.

In other words, even if you tell a buyer that you are selling the house as is, you are still required to directly disclose all known defects or issues with the home.

About to sell your house? Explore more helpful blogs from our team.

Is Selling As Is A Good Idea?

If you have thought about selling your home as is, there’s probably a specific reason why. For example, maybe you want to get your house on the market and sold as soon as possible and think skipping preparations is the best way to do that. Or, you might think that it simply isn’t worth the effort to spruce up the place before listing.

Whatever your motive for listing your home as is may be, it’s almost never a good idea. The truth is that every home needs a little work before it hits the market, and trying to save time or cut corners can actually backfire.

What Calgary Home Buyers Are Looking For

Buyers in Calgary aren’t looking for a fixer-upper. Instead, they want a home that feels turnkey and move-in ready.

At the end of the day, buyers are making a major emotional and financial decision. No matter how competitive the market gets, they won’t place an offer unless they really love your house.

Here’s a great example – 80% of home buyers can’t see past a room’s paint colour. If so many buyers get hung up on such a minor detail, imagine how they’ll feel about a broken eavestrough, chipped tiles in the bathroom, electrical issues, or other more significant problems.

Sure, selling as is can get your house listed sooner, but it’s going to set you back. Not only will you be leaving money on the table, but it’ll also take a lot longer for your home to sell.

Staging Vacant Properties

Putting in the work is especially important if your house is empty or unfurnished. First and foremost, it’s a lot harder for potential buyers to build a connection with the property if it doesn’t feel like a home. On top of that, when a property is vacant, it’s much easier to spot flaws or visible issues.

The numbers say it all. On average, unfurnished houses spend 75% longer on the market compared to their lived-in counterparts. So, if you are looking to sell a vacant home, you’ll want to work with a resourceful real estate agent who can help you stage it for maximum ROI. More on this later.

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You Still Need to be Selective

The right pre-listing preparations can help you sell your house faster and for more money. However, not all upgrades offer the same benefit. Rather than take on as many home improvement projects as possible, you’ll want to be selective and look at the numbers.

Once again, your Realtor can help with this. Leveraging their knowledge of local buyers and real estate trends in your neighbourhood, they’ll help you decide how to best prepare your home for the market.

Unlock Your Home’s True Potential

If you’re looking to accomplish a smooth, high-return home sale in Calgary, you’ll want to partner with a local real estate team that understands how to tailor your listing for optimal results. That’s where we come in.

With more than 15 years of experience, we’ve helped sellers in Calgary earn as much money as possible (in as little time as possible) across a wide range of market conditions. This experience, along with our results-oriented strategies, ensures our services outshine the average agent.

In addition to local buyers, our team specializes in working with incoming relocators. As a result, we understand buyer-wants better than anyone and can tailor your listing to attract a strong pool of interest in any type of market.

Searching for a local team to help you get a great return on your Calgary home? Look no further than Dolce Real Estate. Call 403.999.5882 to get in touch or send us an email at info@dolcerealestate.ca.

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