You may not need to do as much work to sell as you think. Sound out the advice of several highly rated real estate agents in your area. They will tell you for free what the house buying population in your area is looking for & expect to find. If you're worried about major defects, for a few hundred dollars, get a home inspection & see what faults can be reasonably fixed. If push comes to shove, acknowledge your house has issues & price accordingly. Eventually, everything sells.

Thank you for such a timely reply! Structurally, the home is sound. My kids are saying the same thing but they aren't very realistic when it comes to the market. They think that 5 acres, a pond, and being only 2 miles from town (location, location, location) is everything and will bring top dollar. Meanwhile, even picking out flooring is difficult because I keep thinking will a buyer like it? Basically I'm seeing through the eyes of a buyer and see things I don't think make sense.

It depends on what you mean by top dollar. If you spend, say, $50k to upgrade your house, you are also going to spend time, effort, sweat, angst, possibly horrible contractors again etc.... for what kind of return?

I’d do the bare minimum if your house ticks boxes for a lot of buyers: location, space, bedrooms, layout.

To me, as a buyer, the bare minimum means a massive decluttering, painting a neutral color if it’s not already, replacing any glaringly outdated or broken hardware/ fixtures, a deep clean, and good staging with the furniture you already have. Hire a proven local realtor.

Your kids may be right. I bought the house I have now because of the yard and the location. It also needed updating inside, and I'm slowly chipping away at that. It had light blue carpet when I looked at it. Clean it up really well and continue the decluttering, then talk to some agents.

If you really want to sell, de-clutter and call in a realtor. People will want to do their own thing anyways. Maybe call in a stager because they can edit and rearrange your furniture to look best for a buyer.

Nothing does more for the way a home shows than being as absolutely clean as it is possible to make it -- switchplates & switches, window frames, porch, ceiling, walls & woodwork, stove hood, cabinets -- basically everything (including the way it smells -- no old cigarette, pet stain, litter box, musty, mildew, or dirty flooring smells!)

Often, very little makes sense when dealing with real estate. It's so very dependent on locale which is why you need that real estate agent who knows your area & has a track record of good sales. I live in a high end, desirable neighborhood where literally a shack for tear down sells for $400,000. Two years ago, I sold my remodeled 1950's Cape Cod. The inside was gorgeous but I never got to fixing up & improving the half finished basement. I thought I'd never sell the house in that condition & actually sought out bids for a simple basement remodel. My agent said don't bother & sure enough, not one person had a negative comment on the state of the basement. I agree with LK Boken above...while interviewing real estate agents, start to declutter, clean, dispose & make repairs on anything obviously broken. Don't do anything like replacing floors until you've found an agent you feel comfortable in dealing with. He/she will advise you on what needs to be done. Since you have land, make sure that landscaping is fairly good condition too. No one wants to see dead trees & overgrown shrubbery.

A local real estate agent can get you a market analysis and comps. They can also tell you to overdo the renovating so that it sells quick and they get their commission.

Get the comps and a basic idea of what sells from the RE. Then call in a Designer to advise you where and how to spend your time and money. And to stage it. Why put in new flooring if a paint job and a deep clean will do it? But if it’s dirty carpet, something has to be done, etc.

Interview three very active agents. Ask them what you need to do to attract the most likely type of buyers for your house. In the meantime, clean. Arrange with your kids when they can come by to pick up their mementos.

If you would like advice on decluttering before selling, just start a new post.

Include photos if you post for staging help.

Yep. We just bought a scruffy and regrettably terribly grimy house from a bachelor in a great neighborhood. It’s been awesome (if exhausting) fixing it up exactly the way we want. So, what everyone has already said, declutter, paint, clean and repair the glaring issues.

This is a great house in a great neighborhood but missing flooring in laundry and needs new in kitchen. I've already cleared out 3 bedrooms, removed popcorn ceiling, fresh paint and had carpets cleaned. Basement is its own little oasis with updated kitchen, bath, family area and even place for bedroom. There are 2 sets of stairs; one goes to main living area and other to garage. The death declutter is exhausting because nobody wants the china or grandma's framed pics etc... It's a process for sure. I've had a niece's mother-in-law, a realtor, here. Did the comps and pretty much made me realize I may be overthinking this whole ordeal! I do think though I'll get some other realtors in here to pick their brains!

Sounds like you're almost ready to list. The cleaning out is the big time consuming part. Flooring in 2 rooms shouldn't be too expensive or take very long. Be sure you don't miss the spring market, if that is the busy time in your area.

It would be great to hit the spring market. Since kids live out of state we try to kill it when they are here. Tell you, just don't appreciate how much a husband does till they're gone. He never hired anything out because didn't feel anyone would do things to his standards. Leaves me in a lurch because I don't have his skills and am left to budget money for repairs. Wish I had gotten on here sooner to validate that having things my kind of perfect does not translate to what someone else in the housing market is looking for.

My sister in law missed the market because there were things that she felt just had to be done. She missed the market and ended up taking much less for the property than she would have if she had not delayed. And she found out that the things she did were things that the buyer wanted to change anyway afterwards. A total waste. Timing is important!

I know it's spring when I see people walking through my neighborhood with clipboards and notebooks (I happen to live in the 8th most gentrified neighborhood in the entire country). Any day now we'll be seeing them. Even with as much gentrification as we have, people are still buying and still remodeling.

Timing is, indeed important.

A flooring allowance could be the way to go. New flooring for a kitchen means moving the dishwasher in and out. If it's tile now, it needs to be tile (or equivalent thickness) again to make sure the dishwasher ends up at the same height - sliding back in and just fitting under the existing countertops. New tile is a big expense and can make other stuff around it look old. Existing tile can be professionally cleaned and sealed. Painting the grout lines with light, tile-matching grout paint makes it look nearly brand new. https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/you-guys-tile-grout-paint-amazing/

If it is sheet vinyl now, you can get it professionally stripped, cleaned and if necessary for a smooth easy-care finish, coated with one of their tough "wax" finishes. A sale-priced remnant piece of sheet vinyl may be just fine in the laundry room.

Clean & decluttered . The house across the street from mine sold 2 years ago. Prior to the sale the sellers had new windows (white ) installed, new flooring & paint inside & out. After the sale was completed the new owners ripped out EVERTHING , including the windows ! ( replaced with dark bronze ) . Exterior & interior has been repainted of course. Sellers had just thrown away $150-200,000 needlessly.

Lesson learned.

It always makes me sad to hear "nobody wants grandma's pictures". I am drifting off topic here, but I want to encourage you to keep at least one good photo of each ancestor (including yourself!), with a slip of paper telling who it is and whatever you know about them. You may have a grandchild someday who would cherish them.

Real estate agents have their own lists of handymen and other repair people who can get things done quickly and do a good job while they are at it. You don't have to find them on your own.

Talk to several realtors. The first realtor we talked to had no clue how to market our house. The second one was worse and suggested we price it rock bottom because “everyone wants a Colonial”. The third realtor knew exactly what needed to be done, had a marketing plan and sold the house in a cash sale to the first people who looked at it for almost twice the price the 2nd realtor suggested. As another poster noted, the people who bought it started ripping out and changing things left and right, including the floor we $$ fixed. Don’t spend a lot of money on it. Get familiar with the comps, tidy it up and find a realtor who has a plan to sell it for a price that reflects the location and desirable features.

De-clutter everything, clean until things sparkle, and maybe paint the whole house or main areas of the house white or off-white if you have disjointed colors. Don't forget to wash the windows. That allows the buyer to see the house clearly. Don't put money into anything else. A realtor might tell you to change or update just to make their job easier, but you are better off selling "as is" and providing allowances to the seller so they can pick and choose what they want to change.

A house in our neighborhood recently went on the market, with decor from the 1970's. Blue flocked wallpaper in the hallway, blue wall to wall carpet, the whole works. It was marketed as "A family created wonderful memories here - make this house your own and create memories with your family." It was priced appropriately and was snapped up in days. A nearby house was bought by 2 young guys as a flip, cheaply updated with very generic materials (everything gray) and has sat overpriced on the market for over a year. The agent tells us that the flippers "need" to get this high price in order to make their profit. In the meantime, several other houses in the neighborhood have been listed and sold. Hmmm....

People don't expect an older home to be updated. That's why they look at them. They want to customize for their needs. Don't try to second guess what they may want. Clean, broken things repaired, minimal furnishings (if any) and good curb appeal and front entry (they'll probably make their decision right there) is all you need. If something screams "I am a high maintenance issue," it is a turn off. Eliminate things like that; people are not interested a house full of repetitive chores once they move in.

This home was built in 1975 and some remodeling made sense and turned out well. My mistake was not selling 2 decades ago after my husband died. Trying to keep it because the kids didn't want to leave led to some remodeling that, now as I look back, didn't make much sense. Hopefully it doesn't hurt sale potential. All the advice thus far has made me rethink what is really necessary. It has really helped to clear my mind.

Hi mebewe-

The things that your children don't want such as china, etc can be sold on places such as EBTH, Chairish, 1stdibs, etc.

Even though you may think that young people don't like these things, there are just as many young people who like old things and antiques and retro things.

I would not suggest selling china or flatware to Replacements, you get very, very low reimbursement from them.

Well, thank you so much for that information! I had no idea there were other places besides Replacements that dealt in such items. Brilliant!

My sister in law is moving from a large home to a small one. She has said that she is getting almost nothing for her dinnerware, furniture, rugs etc. She sells on several sites, so she always ends up selling. But the prices are very low.

Guess I'm not too concerned with any profit really. I just want someone to have, and enjoy, especially things like the china. I'd rather keep it than take it to goodwill or a thrift store.

"I'm not too concerned with any profit really. I just want someone to have, and enjoy, especially things like the china. I'd rather keep it than take it to goodwill or a thrift store."

Some truths you may not want to hear:

You can spend a thousand hours trying to get rid of the fancy left overs of a bygone time. It doesn't MATTER who gets it in the end. The dollar value of this stuff is so low, the time alone becomes a burdensome aspect. So does safe packing and wrapping.

We are in a different time. Kids of today live together, don't even register fine china and gift items. They don't care about silver tea sets. Floral plates and demitasse cups. Despite whatt you hear on tv "Ancestry" commercials? They don't care about old photos. of people they don't know.

All these things had a value to you. But you can not make them important to someone else. Not even your own kids. It's hard. I've been helping an elderly/spry/vivacious lady of 90, AND her family deal with the accumulation of three generations and a large house. Even DONATION has become difficult. Nobody wants the old brown furniture, any more than they want the fancy schmancy table settings and bar ware. They don't want the flowery and stiff sofa.

We live in a casual and disposable society. Young people want oversized white dinnerware, reclaimed casual finish wood..........and in most cases would rather have what you would call JUNK versus what you may try to sell. Or even give away. That is the brutal truth.

The second brutal truth is we go out empty handed just as we came into this world. Take NOTHING to a new and smaller place that you don't cherish looking at , or need. Most people end up needing a dumpster.

You'll either exhaust yourself in time, or in chasing money. Price the house to sell, clear it ruthlessly of clutter, donate what you do not want or need..........as best you can. But be ready for an awful lot to be curbside free,, or trash,

Jan is so right! When both of my parents passed away a few years ago I had the task of dealing with all of their possessions. Not even higher end consignment stores were interested in selling their several sets of fine china, crystal (Waterford, Lalique, etc ) & very expensive furniture, older, but in pristine condition. The only things that they were interested in selling were a few pieces of furniture. They said exactly what Jan pointed out... it‘s a new generation with different tastes & values, like it or not.

Top dollar is a very ambiguous term - a good realtor will show you comps in the area (what sold and whats on the market). Make a + - sheet to get to a realistic price just like an appraiser does if the competition at a certain price point has updated kitchens, bathrooms etc and you dont -- dont set yourself up that you should get what they are asking. I see too many houses that are old and dated but the buyer thinks they should get the same price as a newly renovated as it has same sq footage and b/b-- the old outdated overpriced houses sit on the market, slowly doing price adjustments, losing momentum and generally eventually sell to flippers. Go to open houses yourself to suss out the competition and go with an open mind.

My Husband's 90 yr old Grandma just recently sold her home that she lived in for 70 years. The family went through and took things that were sentimental to them. We are all married and already have established homes. I personally have no room or need for tea cups/saucers, vases or porcelain figurines. We are a childless couple, and have no one to "pass things" on to. My Nieces and Nephews will inherit things from their parents.

I see no value in keeping things in a box that I only open up every few years. If it doesn't have a use, then I don't keep it.

There are very few rare antiques these days, everything is easily found with a few clicks on the internet. Gone are the days where antiques were valuable because you could only find things at flea markets or auctions.

IME, many twenty-somethings, graduate students, and college students are happy to be offered free furniture. Kitchen equipment is also popular.

If things are to go to people who want them, Goodwill and thrift stores are the perfect place. I often shop at Value Village and see people buying all sorts of furniture, nicknacks, dinnerware etc. But they're not going to go on eBay or Craigslist etc to search for your particular item. Sometimes they don't have transportation to drive everywhere to accumulate things.

Thrift store shoppers appreciate your stuff just as much as the people that you would sell it to directly, so why not donate it there. You support a worthwhile cause, get a tax receipt, ensure that it goes to someone who wants it (not landfill) and clear your home for your next phase of life.

I like to do my homework before I sell a house and visit some open houses of homes that are comparable to mine, so when they sell for a lot less (or a lot more) than I'm asking, I know why because I've seen them in person. I think a great location and or great property will sell the house. When we first looked at our house, my husband's remark as we drove up to the property (on a lake) was, "I don't care what the inside of the house looks like, we're buying this!" If you have a suburban house on a typical suburban lot, having the most updated interior is pretty important, since the properties are probably virtually the same. Good luck!

Our house went on the market March 2017, It was a small 1300/ft bungalow in a very nice mature neighbour hood. I started the de clutter process in October of 2016 , not that I had much but in the end all the papers that you keep, 5 large bins of Holiday decorations that haven’t been touched in years, Clothes that i always thought I would be able to get back into, sets of dishes, decor items that would never be used again, I always thought my girls would like some of these items., they came home , didn’t even open the boxes, just read the descriptions on the boxes and said no thanks, I dont want that old stuff and I have no where to put it. That was that, i had been carting this stuff around and saving it for 25 years and ended up donating it to the local reuse store.
We finished renovating the house (that was already renovated) thinking the same as you that everything had to be complete, in the end we almost missed the market due to our new black front door being delayed by 2 weeks. We just barely got it on the market before the big change, never again will we wait, the house across from us was sold a month earlier, had no upgrades in 25 years and they sold it just that way and got the biggest dollar imaginable for such a small house.
If the markets hot , clean it up, and get it up as fas as you can, .
We rented , then bought a small 60 year old house and have ripped the entire house apart, even if they had of upgraded anything we still would have ripped it out, floors, windows. And we paid top dollar for the house, because it is out of town, large property and not in a subdivision.

Some homes are selling before they hit the market. The realtors have buyers for certain neighborhoods. My daughter just had hers appraised and the next day they had a buyer. She hasn’t even listed it yet.

I sadly have to agree with what has been said about your family china and silver, with one caveat -- the children and grandchildren don't care now, but then they hit 50 or 60 is when (I've observed, and turned out to be true for me also) an interest in heritage and history sometimes seems to spark and ignites a desire for photos and mementos. That is why I suggest saving a photo or two and an item representative of the person.

If you have photos from 50-100 years ago, especially of family groups and homes, your local historical society may be eager to take them. My dad had tons of photos of gatherings of his various clubs, reunions, mission trips, church etc from the 1950s to the 1990s that family didn't want and assumed no one would -- but the historical society of his small city was happy to get them.

I am all in favor of donating to organizations that run thrift stores to support charitable work -- keeps usable stuff out of the landfill, allows less well off people to have nice things, and generates $ for all kinds of beneficial to society programs.