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Real Appeal
Decorating to Sell Your Home
By Sarah Van Arsdale
Orth cites a 2003 article in Remodeling Magazine that found that a seller will get back, on average, more than 90 percent of the money spent to remodel a bath and 77 percent of the money spent on a kitchen. "Again, these improvements should enhance the basic character of the home; often unique is not good when it comes to selling," she says.
Wildowsky also stresses the importance of seeing your home in the context of its neighborhood, especially when it comes to remodeling. She tells the story of an older couple who moved into one of Manhattan's trendiest areas, a part of the city known for its artists' lofts complete with exposed pipes and open floor plans. The couple spent a huge sum "making the apartment look and feel like their house in the suburbs."
After the renovations were complete, the couple tried to sell and found it difficult to get a buyer. "The look of this space, as nice as it was, did not fit with the building or the neighborhood, and the apartment sat for quite some time before it finally sold under the asking price," Wildowsky says.
If you're going to make a substantial improvement, make sure you go all the way with it. "I would either do the improvement completely or not do it at all," Campbell says. In cases in which you know some remodeling is necessary – for example, if you have kitchen appliances so outdated they're just one step above a wood-burning stove – you can consider including an allowance in the sales contract that will cover the cost of the improvement.
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