How Do you Respond to a Carpet Allowance?

Should I offer a Carpet Allowance to get my Home SOLD?

This is a great question from many Home Seller's. Here is how I responded to that same question:

---Original Message---
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009
To: 'brad@kornteam
Importance: High

Brad and/or Sonya,
I want to add a $5000 carpet and paint allowance to the listing. The number one thing that seems to be consistently noted in our showing feedback is how “outdated” and/or poor condition ....(I have the full email at our Korn Team blog at www.kornteam.com


---Response---
...consider one more option. …Consider doing a 90 days, same as cash type deal…or even get him to put some cheap carpet (but decent looking) in.

Unfortunately, with all my years of selling, even the allowance will not get them past picking your home. It is truly a “Beauty Contest” AND a “Price War” and you have to win both. Obviously the price is not keeping them away…we are getting some decent traffic. Even a cheap new carpet is still new and looks great.

....I know you are both busy, so you might want to decide if you would rather discount the price and not do the work…make is such a good deal that anyone will overlook the carpets, etc…….OR…..do a little work to make it neutral (cream, off white, wheat colors, etc…) and have a better shot getting the price you are at. The honest truth is...if your home blew their socks off from the minute they walked into the home, carpet and paint would never keep someone from making an offer.

...they are seeing either better values out there, or maybe even homes that don't need the work, and are priced very competitively (sometimes even more than you...but no work needed, and completely updated).

Thanks.Brad
www.kornteam.com
brad@kornteam.com

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