Corn, to me, is best represented by an image of a corn field: too many stalks to count, each identical to the next, disappearing into the horizon.
Your home is nothing like corn. Corn is a commodity, an economic good whose value is based purely on quantifying measures. Buyers of corn do not look for quality; corn is corn…is corn. Without qualifying factors to guide them, buyers determine value based solely on price.
As a homeowner, you are in a precarious position if buyers view your home as a commodity—they will only buy your home over another home if the price is lower. You would never place your home in the same category as a commodity, such as corn, so make sure potential buyers don’t either.
A discussion like this might feel out of place in a market where nearly everything sells, seemingly for a premium. I believe this is the right time to have this discussion because it’s easy to make a poor decision in this market, where the attainable property is the best property. Buying the right property now can be the best hedge against owning a home that won’t sell later. Or, if you already own your home, there is always something you can do to make it worth more now and more marketable later—and I’m not necessarily talking about updating baths & kitchens. Sometimes, for instance, planting trees in the backyard (in the right places) or adding a backyard shed-turned-artist’s studio will do more for your home’s future value than anything else. The type of home you have and its neighborhood are the strongest indicators of what qualities or features will most significantly impact value; for example, the buyer of an Old Town property will have completely different expectations/desires than the buyer of a new construction. There are no absolutes, so it’s essential to include every factor in your consideration of home improvements.
It is certainly possible to overthink the value of your current property and what you can do to add to its value, but we will help narrow your focus and give you all the necessary information to make that determination. It’s similarly common to complicate the home-buying process with too much talk of buying the “right” property; in this case, we feel it’s our job to gently introduce you to new and different ways of measuring value.
You don’t have to be an expert in what impacts value. That’s our job; we want to be your resource as you move through this process. Your home is not a commodity and shouldn’t be treated as such. We can ensure that potential buyers see beyond the commodity and see the unique value in your home.