Let’s be realistic; you don’t know and I don’t know…in fact nobody really knows when this falling real estate ball will bounce back up again. So what do you do? You keep going the way you are. That’s what you do. Yeah, keep living your life but keep your place up and get it in better shape a little bit at a time. You might as well while you live there, right? As soon as the ball pops back up…boom! You made yourself a couple extra bucks, (ok, a lot of extra bucks) by doing what you do anyways; live and keep moving forward. The very best thing you can do is keep you place up and keep making renovations to it. The WORST thing you can do is sell it and give away free money. I mean who does that? Of course there are some unforeseen circumstances that justify this for certain people but to just sell it cheap to get it over with is not the wisest decision. Contemplation followed by action is the key. Think about what changes, big or small, need to be made and then make them. Remember, when real estate is back and better than ever; you’ll be so glad to see all of your work pay off.
Now, you don’t have to make any major changes. Just a few minor things can make a big difference. Like say an outlet cover; buy decorated ones (appealing only to general taste of course) or just new ones. Keep the lighting bright, change a few windows if you need to, clean or change the carpet, paint a room, keep the yard up, and fix anything that you would find unattractive if you were the buyer taking a look at the house. In other words, see it from the buyer’s point of view. Keeping it up and doing a little here and there is important because by doing this you’re not only avoiding more work for yourself later, but your moving toward the goal of making your house a “house-in-demand” little by little.
Before you know it, your friends and neighbors will begin to comment (and compliment) on the changes and how much of a difference they make to your home. You will find yourself proud of your work and it will not only pay off at that point but also when you hang the “Sold” sign in your front yard!