The San Diego housing market is very competitive. 

According to Redfin, homes in San Diego receive six offers on average and sell in around 14 days. 

As a seller you can maximize the offer price you receive by properly preparing your house for sale. In my work with seller clients, I focus on meaningful enhancements to ensure they receive top dollar.  Last week I was interviewed by San Diego Market movers and gave some insight into my top tips for property preparation. 

First and foremost, sellers need to fix anything that is obviously broken. Buyers can be very turned off by minor deferred maintenance, so minimizing these items is key. 

Second, fresh paint throughout a house can instantly transform a home. I have some go-to paint colors that I recommend, but it’s almost always a very light off-white for the walls and pure white for the ceilings and baseboards. One of my “secret sauce” tips is to look for any areas of a home that have charm and character (think feature fireplace, built-in bookshelves, etc.) and paint those in an accent color so they really stand out. 

Next, I love to add in a couple of trendy light fixtures. I usually pick these on behalf of my sellers to make sure the fixture fits the house and is exactly what buyers are seeing on Pinterest/Instagram right now. 

Lastly, I love to bring in brown mulch to give landscaping an instant facelift. 

As a bonus tip, staging a property with furniture has one of the best ROI’s. It’s always worthwhile and always results in a higher sales price. 

I also have a team that can do all these repairs and updates. 

Usually, my seller clients give me a budget and I take care of the rest. On a typical house, my clients spend roughly $15,000-$25,000 on these fixes and see roughly $100,000 in ROI when we sell. We can usually complete the work in 2-3 weeks when the house is vacant. If you are interested in this service, I have many before and after pictures I can share with you showing the transformations we have completed. 

As a buyer in this market, you need your offer to stand out in a sea of multiple offers. 

If you are looking for a single-family home in San Diego County for under $1,000,000, you need to be prepared for a multiple offer situation. Since I represent both buyers and sellers, I’ve seen offers from many other buyer’s agents and have honed in on a few key items to make my buyer’s offers shine. I have a great track record for getting offers accepted in this competitive environment.

Whether you are buying or selling, professional representation is crucial. Feel free to contact me for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. You can reach me at (858) 431-6043. 

I was honored to receive your votes for the Best Real Estate Agent of the Mission Times Courier. I look forward to assisting some of you with your real estate needs.  

– Sarah Ward is a REALTOR with Fine & Coastal. Reach her at: [email protected].

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