Dean

I am a local agent in Yamhill County. I have read all the answers you have received and I would have to say, most are right on. Tishclan, home seller of Canby gives great advise as will as Julie Fugate. Willamina is a very difficult market right now and you want to be extremely careful not to over do. You do not want to be the most expensive home in your neighborhood. Kitchens and bathrooms are pretty important but also the most expensive rooms to upgrade. If you upgrade the kitchen, do not use the most expensive finishes or appliances. A good coat of paint and lots of elbow grease go along way. Clean up the outside as well, that is what buyer's see first and they will skip viewing a home up based on what they see on the outside.

We had our house on the market for the last year and just took it off the market due to the slow real estate market. My suggestion. Have your home appraised before you do anything else. During the appraisal ask the appraiser their suggestions. I was shocked to find out that turning our large bonus room into 2 bedrooms, plus small bonus would increase my property value significantly and only cost about $5000 if I hired out.

Second, have a home inspection. If you are looking to sell, chances are the buyers will have an inspection done and then nickel and dime you to death. If you are one step ahead and have everything fixed it will save you a ton in the long run.

Last, with any money you have left use it to spruce the place up. Pressure washing, painting and carpet cleaning will go a LONG LONG way, as will decluttering a small home.

Dean - after getting the home clean and painted, you might consider using any cash you have to offer discount points or other buyer incentives, or to compensate for a reduced price which makes your home the obvious best buy. If oyu need a referral to a good local Realtor, please email me at su@suwesely.com. Best of luck!

In the current overall market, I generally tell clients to assume that they will not make a return on newly installed updates. What they can expect, however, is to sell their home more quickly.

In order of priority, I would:

1. Paint, if need be.
2. Clean.
3. Kitchen updates. Don't go crazy. You can get stainless appliances in all price ranges. Based upon the size of the house, keep the cabinets and countertops on the inexpensive side. Don't overimprove!!!
4. Keep in mind that there will be lots of first-time homebuyers looking for bargains in this market, and they may not be scared to do a little work. If it's clean and fresh and priced well, most buyers can look past the lack of updates. They may even prefer to spend a little less and put in their own updates over time.

Hope this is helpful.

Christopher Rich
William Raveis Real Estate
Your Fairfield County Connecticut Realtor

P.S. Before you do anything, talk to a good local Realtor and look at your competition currently on the market. How does your home compare? Price? Amenities? Etc...

Dean,

If you are in Willamina, as your profile shows, then you have a bit of a hurdle. Willamina is a tough sell right now - even more so than the rest of Yamhill county. If you are updating just for yourself, then by all means, do the one thing that will make the home more comfortable for you. If resale is your primary concern, then best return is always on kitchens and bathrooms. A second bath and a new kitchen would likely give you the best return on your $$.

Julie Fugate
Principal Broker
Keller Williams Realty SW Portland
503-522-1900

Dean...

It is simple. Kitchen, Garage if possible, and a nicer Bedroom arrangement, second bath. IN that order.

However in this market there are no guarantees. Stay within a budget and make it comfortable for You!

Add on if you can and get more Sf!

Best wishes;

Thanks

Dirk Knudsen
Remax Hall of Fame
503-799-8383

Dean
I do not know your market (disclaimer).
Whenever anyone is getting ready to a lot of work on a home solely for the purpose of putting it on the market, bells ring for me. You need to weigh the time and expense of making these improvements, and the potential payoff. I would talk with a couple of Realtors and get an idea of what they think buyers are looking for in your market. Then I would ask them to show me a couple of homes that are on the market that represent their opinion.

This might help
Let's say you have a 1,000 s/fl two bedroom, one bath home on a 6,000 s/f lot.
Let's say that it would sell for $90,000.
All things being equal (meaning you have time, money, and expertise to do the work), what are the range of improvements that would make the most sense?
1. The easiest and simplest is to make sure the property is squeaky clean and has fresh paint inside and out.
2. If you have more time and money, now things are a little more complicated. I would ask your Realtor what buyers are buying. The most popular home is a three bed, two bath. How many homes like that are on the market now? At what price are they selling?
Let's say that a nice 3 + 2 would sell for $145,000
I'd look at adding on a bedroom and a bath (with permits), and update the kitchen. That is not cheap.

3. Compare the options of selling as is, or fixing, and look at the return on your investment. Only by understanding what the market is doing is going to let you understand the best move for you.

Hope this is helpful

Dean - best bet, call a local agent who can give you the best advice in that market.