–Drew Grossklaus, Sales Director/BIC East Cooper
As Halloween approaches, stories of Charleston ghosts are circulated and spooky decorations are commonplace as you drive around town. People have also been spooked about real estate, not because of the Halloween season but rather the uncertainty of what is happening in the market. This year more than others we have seen unusual patterns and happenings and that can have a dramatic influence on real estate. While you can’t plan for everything, taking the right steps toward a home evaluation before you plan on selling or buying a home will diminish the fear and uncertainty.
Many of our clients have told me they weren’t planning on buying or selling when their dream property became available. In order to purchase that dream house, they had to quickly negotiate the sale of a home while also scrambling to sell their own home. First and foremost, working with a knowledgeable William Means agent is of the utmost importance to successfully navigate this exciting yet nerve-wracking situation. In order to avoid stress in this type of situation, you should schedule a yearly evaluation of your current home. Each year, consider items in your home that may need updating or replacement like flooring, paint, roof, HVAC systems, and general maintenance. If you address these items annually, you can spread out the cost of maintenance rather than suddenly needing to fix multiple expensive issues. Keeping up with your home’s maintenance will prove helpful if you need to sell your home quickly.
If you have owned a home for a number of years and haven’t done regular maintenance, it may be wise to have a home inspection completed before going on the market. Many are under the impression that an inspection is only necessary when buying a home, but having an inspection done during ownership can reveal maintenance needs you may have been unaware of. Evaluations and inspections can help you identify where you should make upgrades to improve the value of your home at a lower cost such as moldings, lighting, interior shiplap, interior brick and barn doors. These items can add to your enjoyment of the home, and at the same time make it more attractive to potential buyers.
I hope everyone enjoys the fun and scary Halloween season here in the Lowcountry. Whether or not you are ready to sell your home, completing routine evaluations and maintenance can help you avoid a scary situation in the future.
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