The Pre-Sale Walkthrough That Can Save You Thousands

By John Salkowski

The JRS Realty Group, founded by high-producing Real Estate Broker & Author John Salkowski was built on the notion that the secret to achieving incredible goals and getting true results is to dominate real estate with a team approach.

Before you list your home for sale, and before you sink tens of thousands of dollars into renovations, do one thing first: have me over. Earlier this week I had a conversation with a homeowner who was thinking about selling, and I convinced her to let me come walk through the property. I did it for one reason. I didn’t want to watch her waste money.

She almost renovated a kitchen she didn’t need. She was about to spend $30,000 to $40,000 on a full kitchen renovation. When I walked through, I gave her tips on what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. She’s no longer doing that renovation. Her cabinets, countertops, and flooring are all in great shape. All she really needs is to paint the walls and change the cabinet hardware, and she was genuinely relieved to hear it. Spending $40,000 on that kitchen wasn’t going to come back to her at the closing table, and knowing what’s actually worth doing before you list is exactly what a walkthrough is for.

Getting your money back is the point. It’s my job as a real estate professional to make sure that if you’re investing a dollar into your home, you get some of it back, and ideally most of it. In my professional opinion, she wasn’t going to recover the majority of that renovation cost when she sold. Not every upgrade earns its money back, and the most expensive project isn’t always the one that pays off. That’s the whole reason to look before you spend.

That’s what a pre-sale walkthrough is. I come over, walk the property with you, and we talk through what you need to do and what you do not need to do before you list. I offer that with no strings attached, because I’d rather save you money than watch you spend it on the wrong things. It also gives us a head start on pricing your home the right way and getting it ready to show well. In her case, she’s doing a few minor repairs, and then we’re listing.

So if you’re thinking about selling and you’re tempted to renovate first, have me over to walk through your property. I can either save you money or make sure the money you do invest actually comes back to you, and part of that is knowing how a home is prepped to look its best for buyers. It’s also worth knowing what your home is worth today before you decide on any updates.

Remember, the most important decision you’ll make when buying or selling real estate isn’t about location. It truly is about the broker you hire. Call or text me at 610-709-5147, email me at john@jrsrealtygroup.com, or visit thejrsrealtygroup.com. I’d love to walk through your home with you.