#12 DIY vs. Hiring The Pros – Prioritizing to Sell Your Home

Home Staging Tips and Suggestions by Melinda Potcher

http://MAPConsultants.houzz.com

There are a lot of repairs and improvements you can make to your Albuquerque home before putting it on the market.

Touching up the paint, cleaning your baseboards and windows and window screens, those are probably all things you can do on your own, and for a very small investment of time and money.

However, when do you look at your "to-do" list and decide maybe I should hire a handyperson or a professional to complete some of these tasks?

Here are some simple suggestions when to DIY and when to Hire a Pro in Albuquerque;

#1  The task exceeds your skill set.

Maybe you know how to replace a light fixture and understand the process of completing this task?  Great, then by all means, tackle this one yourself and save some money.  If you don't know how, hiring a pro will save you time and anxiety, especially if there is more than one light fixture that needs to be replaced prior to listing your Albuquerque home for sale.

#2 The time and effort required to complete the tasks exceeds the time you have allowed prior to getting your house on the Albuquerque market.

Perhaps your list includes re-caulking the tub, refinishing counters, cabinet doors, floors (or anything else that may need a spruce up), tidying up your landscaping, pruning bushes, adding materials, replacing light fixtures, touching up paint (or painting entire rooms), cleaning carpets and steam cleaning the grout in your tile floors, washing windows, repairing or replacing wood fence portions, the list can go on when you are readying your home for sale...

Things seem to pile up and you never got around to getting them done.  If you are limited on time and/or have a lengthy list, consider asking your Albuquerque Realtor and/or Professional Home Stager (that would be me) for referrals and recommendations to local Albuquerque Trades People who can help you with your list.

#3 The suggested improvements require a professional complete them

You may feel that laying laminate wood floors is something that a DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Homeowner could accomplish, and most times I would agree.  But how about laying fresh carpet?  Is that a task you would want to complete yourself, or would it make sense to hire a pro?  Use common sense with home improvement projects when you are getting your home in Albuquerque ready to sell, especially if you are trying to sell the home during the spring and summer time (already upon us).

When in doubt, ask your Albuquerque Realtor and your Home Staging Professional for their opinions.  Neither of us want you to spend any more money than is absolutely necessary for you to get top dollar for your home in your neighborhood.  We can also advise you what not to do that may "over-improve" your home and get you little to no ROI (return on investment) based on the comparable homes that are for sale or have sold in your price range and location.