Top 5: Highest ROI Pre List Projects

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Veronica Powell

TOP 5: HIGHEST ROI PRE LIST PROJECTS

If you’re thinking of prepping your house for a Winter or Spring listing, here are the top 5 improvements to consider, to help you stand out from the competition.

1. PAINT- A fresh coat of the right color will make the biggest impact for a very reasonable investment.

2. KITCHENS & BATHS- Are there any small investments that might make a big impact? (i.e. painting an old vanity, new cabinet knobs, staging etc.) Small updates like these can help these rooms compete with more updated kitchens and baths by showing buyers how good they can look, without an expensive remodel.

3. REPAIRS- If there are repair issues that you know will come up in inspections, best to evaluate whether taking care of those in advance makes sense.

4. LIGHTING-A few well chosen light fixtures can be a great low cost improvement to update any room.

5. MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING- All Buyers want a house that has been well maintained. Making sure that your house presents as such is impactful and well worth the investment.

If you’d like some guidance on where to spend your “Listing Prep Dollars”, I’m happy to help you through this process, along with my team of professionals. Consider it a mini flip with a low price tag and a big return on investment!

Veronica Powell

Veronica@LivingRoomRE.com

503.936.3475

Just Listed: Remodeled Dolph Park Gem

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Erika George & Kari McGee

Thoughtfully renovated bungalow with modern floor plan and high-end finishes and fixtures. Light filled entry and living room opens to dining room and gourmet chef’s kitchen. Main floor also includes a family room, a bedroom/bathroom combo and laundry to accommodate one level living. Spacious primary suite on second floor with deluxe bathroom and beautiful built-in storage. Fully finished lower-level studio offers great flexibility for bedroom suite or media/guest room combo and boasts storage galore — ideal for inter-generational living! Fully fenced private back yard with sweet patio. New windows, paint, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, insulation, seismic and sewer. Perfect Dolph Park street —close to schools, shops, restaurants and parks!

Offered at $880,000

Top 5 Reasons To Prep Your House For Market (Even With Low Housing Inventory Levels)

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Veronica Powell

With such limited inventory, a seller might think, “Why bother prepping my house for market, when Buyers are competing for listings?” I get where that is coming from but here are a few things to consider before taking that short cut.

1) Buyers are competing for “the good ones”, the ones that make Buyers feel at ease and in love. A property that comes with an obvious “to do” list does not garner those same emotions.

2) Emotions are what sell properties. By the time a Buyer walks in the door, they know several things already work for them (i.e. Location, BR/BA, etc.), or they wouldn’t be in the house to begin with. What Buyers are looking for is a house that they can imagine themselves living in. This is much harder to do when all you see is projects or clutter.

3) The “ugly ducklings” are not the houses selling the first weekend. The “beautiful swans” are. In this market, a house that is on the market for more than that first weekend already starts to look stale and has Buyers wondering: “What’s wrong with it?”

4) With expert guidance, improvements can literally double (if not more!) your return on pre- market prep investments. Painting, trim touch ups, updated light fixtures, staging, all of the items that you are dreading doing, a Buyer will dread even more. Once it’s done, the stack of offers will have made all of that effort worthwhile.

5) Every Buyer wants a house that has been well maintained. It looks better, feels better and can be an indication of how a house will inspect. Start things off in the right direction by catching up on things that have maybe fallen by the wayside in the years that you’ve been in your home (i.e. HVAC service, gutter cleaning, roof moss treatment etc.). It will result in higher Buyer interest and a more committed Buyer.

If you’d like to discuss how my team could transform your home, to make the most of your investment, I’d be happy to meet with you to discuss your budget and the best options for your situation. To truly take advantage of the strong Seller’s market, your house still has to shine!

Veronica@LivingRoomRE.com

503.936.3475

Thinking Outside the Box

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Veronica Powell

In this crazy market, with single family homes garnering hoards of offers, thinking outside the box might be a strategy to get you into a home. Condos aren’t for everyone, but if it might be a fit for you, maybe step outside of your comfort zone and consider what condo living might be like. Oftentimes, they are in very walkable areas with amenities nearby. Not all condos are in big towers either. Some are townhouses or cottages. Leave the craziness behind and get cozy in a condo. If you would like some help narrowing down your search to areas you would like, or if you have a condo you’d like to sell. I’m happy to help.

Veronica Powell

503.936.3475

Veronica@LivingRoomRE.com

Is early Spring 2021 the time to list?

Posted on February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 by Jené DeSpain

For many sellers, a crucial aspect of putting their home on the market is timing. “When is the best time to sell?” is one of the main questions I am asked as a realtor. Understanding demand, market climate, and current lending rates can all be influential factors for when a seller decides to list. While late Spring and Summer historically tend to be the “hot season” for new listings, the early Spring weeks of 2021 might be just the perfect time to put your property up for sale.

As our Living Room Realty community can tell you, we are experiencing record lows of available houses on the market. With interest rates at surprisingly low percentages, new buyers are flooding into the scene hoping to score their first time home. As of this week’s market report, the median price for a home in Portland Oregon is $695,000 with only 535 active listings available. In every Portland neighborhood, prices have increased a significant amount from the start of 2020 to today.

So what does all this new data point to? If you are considering making a move this year, these next few weeks might be an exceptional time to bring your home to this hungry buyer community and capitalize on this strong seller’s market. If you are wanting to learn more about your home’s Spring 2021 value, discuss options for listing your house while trying to find the next right place to move into, or want to hear what safety protocols I have developed to prioritize my sellers’ safety during Covid, please reach out to me with an email at jene@livingroomre.com or call me directly at 503-780-6270. I would be delighted to connect and share more details about cultivating a listing strategy that focuses on your best success.

Just Listed: Spacious, Bright Pier Park Home

Posted on May 23, 2020May 23, 2020 by Sean Patrick O'Feery

The health of our community is very important to us. Keeping agents, buyers and sellers safe is our top priority. There is a video tour to experience this home from the comfort of yours via link at the bottom of this post. Private video walk-through tours can also be made available by request to thoroughly vet this home before an in-person tour. We will be offering a handwashing station at the home and will be utilizing Showing Time to ensure only one party is touring at a time. Please be safe out there!

Now to what you’re here for…

SPACIOUS, BRIGHT PIER PARK HOME $449,000

8410 N Swenson St

3 bed | 2.5 bath | 2097 sq. ft.
MLS# 20568277 | Taxes: $4371.11 | Lot Size: .13 Acre

Video Tour

High above the street, this newly painted St. Johns home has room to live. With a coveted open floor plan, warm, wide plank wood floors, and plenty of light, this home lives easy. With all square footage above grade, all of the space is light and bright.

Open the French Doors from the kitchen to seamlessly expand your living space to the large covered deck and back yard. Fully fenced, private yard with raised beds, fire pit and shed for all your toys.

Don’t want your dirty self/pet/child/partner coming in from the yard through the French doors? No problem! Come in from the back yard through the generous mud/half bath/laundry room and keep the mess contained.

Newly updated On-suite bedroom on main floor makes a great office, guest suite or whatever your heart desires.

Two spacious, airy bedrooms with lofts, bathroom and a bonus area upstairs make a great separate area for imagining, working, reading, fort building, indoor treehousing, storing or exercising.

Please see our video tour!

And more photos!

Rose City Park Cottage SOLD!

Posted on May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 by Veronica Powell

COVID wasn’t going to stop this sweet cottage from finding it’s new owner. This Rose City Park darling is SOLD! If you’re looking for a cutie like this one or have one to sell, I’d be happy to share my marketing strategies for our current COVID climate with you. Be safe and be well!

Rose City Park Cottage

Veronica Powell

Veronica@LivingRoomRE.com

503.936.3475

Sweet Cully Ranch With “Wow Factor” Yard

Posted on May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 by Living Room Realty

4629 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97218

OFFERED AT $475,000

3 BEDROOM | 2 BATH | 1,174 SQFT

MLS #20683865 | TAXES: $4,272.30 (2018)

Bright and cheerful remodeled ranch on large (possibly dividable) lot that backs to a community garden. Cozy up to the wood-burning fireplace in the living room, or gather around the kitchen island in this open floor plan setting. Remodeled kitchen features stainless steel appliances and tiled countertops and connects to the dining area that opens to screened-in back porch. Hardwood floors lead you to the bedroom spaces which feature an en suite master bedroom and 2 more bedrooms with guest bath. Large yard includes beautiful outdoor spaces with a covered porch and deck, a patio space for outdoor dining, fire pit, chicken coop and a fenced garden area with raised beds. Many established fruit trees and bushes mean many opportunities for canning or freezing fruit for year-round enjoyment. Home has large, 2 car garage and ample parking space in driveway. Nearby to one of Portland’s great commercial districts on NE 42nd Ave with shopping and dining, and is down the road from Fernhill Park.

If you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell a home in the Portland area, please contact Amanda Haworth at amanda@livingroomre.com or 503-453-7698.

Brentwood-Darlington Rehab Opportunity

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Living Room Realty

Situated in SE Portland’s Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood, this ready-for-rehab home offers comfortable living spaces and natural light. Detached garage has been used as shop and has electricity. Tool shed in private, fenced back yard for storage. Several city parks, community gardens and the large food cart pod “Cartlandia” nearby. Easy access to shopping, restaurants and I-205.

Will my house sell for more money when I stage it?

Posted on January 2, 2020April 22, 2024 by Julia Robertson

Perceived Value.

A homebuyer determines the value of a home before they even enter your home. The NAR reported 55% of buyers find their home on the internet. First impression is everything. A photo can speak a thousand words… but don’t take my word for it, see for yourself and review the research below. Forbes, the National Association of REALTORS®, and HGTV agree that staging your home will earn you a positive return.

The photos shown here are from actual listings in Oregon & Washington, that I sold, and either personally staged or hired a professional stager. Some of these listings were full of clutter or located in a logistically difficult location. One listing was on a very busy road with almost no driveway or garage and several unfinished construction projects. Another had little natural light and a slight pet odor. The last home was the most expensive house in the neighborhood, surrounded by homes that did not maintain their yard(or not attractive from the exterior), and did not have a garage. The point is- there may be other factors that make a home more difficult to sell. First impression is everything. If you can WOW potential buyers regarding the interior and exterior, the other factors are minimal in the end. A common rule of thumb for a home on a busy road, is to reduce the price 10%. If there are factors that already reduce the value of your home, wouldn’t you want to make up for it in some way? And if you could add 10%+ value to the true value of your home by re-arranging furniture or staging it- why wouldn’t you?

Forbes reported, “According to the National Association of REALTORS®, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400 . Compare that to the average sale price, which is a reduction of 10-20% from asking. So an average home with a $400,000 asking price will be reduced by $40,000 to $80,000.”

A great quote right out of an HGTV article, “I see many home sellers confuse staging with decorating and consequently resisting the process and the recommendations of the staging professional. But the reality is that the moment you commit to marketing your home for sale, you need to commit to transforming your home into a place that potential buyers can easily picture as their home.”

Staging is not only about furniture or de-cluttering. Staging a home for sale is a process that starts by preparing a “listing-prep” plan. After I meet with a client and sign a listing contract, we do a walk through together and make this plan. It can include a calendar of timelines to get household projects completed, packing, storing furniture, and touching up paint. As you can see from all of the above “before” photos, lighting makes a HUGE difference. Lighting, furniture placement, and professional photography create the WOW. Once we have all those elements, the perceived value of your home is at its highest and best. When your home is presented at its highest and best value- you sell for the highest price! Actual value depends on your location and condition of home. To find out what your home value is and what staging can do to improve the value of your home- contact me.

If you’re curious what it’ll take to sell your home, call me! I’d love to discuss future real estate opportunities with you. Call, email or text anytime.

Julia Robertson | Broker Licensed in Oregon & Washington

Insta @realestatebyjulia

541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com

Living Room Realty