Remove the Word Resale from my Vocabulary

That is what the Houzz.com article stated. The decorator side of me agrees, but the Realtor side is a little more hesitant. I can't tell you how many times I have walked into a house, and been astounded by the things people do to their homes.

While some are extreme, if you love it and plan on being there for the long term 10+ years then sponge paint away.  If however, you are like most of us and have no idea where life is going to take you, there are certain decisions that do need to be influenced by resale value.  We all know that, after location, the Kitchen and Master are what sell a house. If you are planning to remodel either of these and may be selling within the next 10 years, resale is important.  These are expensive remodels and I can't tell you how many times I've shown a house to a client with a brand new kitchen and the buyers hate it.  For most of us, it's hard to justify tearing out a brand new kitchen because it's not your taste. Plus, the cost of that new kitchen is usually reflected in the price.

My advice, if it's just a coat of paint, go for it! paint it whatever wacky color you like, as long as you are willing to repaint it before you sell. If it's anything more, call a decorator.  In the long run, they will make you lots of money at sale time.  Most buyers do not want to live through a remodel and will pay big bucks to have it all done, as long as it is done well and correctly.  There is a reason house flippers make money.

I have had sellers tell me, "In this market I don't need to do anything, my house will sell" Isn't that the thought of most FSBO properties. They are right, it will sell, but not for as much money as it could with just a little pizzaz.  When I am listing a home I go through and tell sellers, as your house sits now, it will sell for X but if you do these few things we can sell it for Y.  Y is always higher and usually will cover all of the selling costs and sometimes more.  A well appointed home will sell faster and for more money than your average house.  Logically, it does not make sense, the furniture and fixings are not part of the sale. But when people walk in, they get that feeling, you can see it in their faces and they are hooked!