Selling Your Condo? Here's What Buyers Want...

Buyers continue to be attracted to condos for their convenience and amenities. Here’s how to make yours stand out among the competition.

What buyers want in a condo varies from region to region and city to city. But there are some common features all condo buyers want, both in the individual unit for sale as well as the building.

Traits of highly desirable condo units

Views, parking and balconies are high on the list, but if your unit or building doesn’t have these features, there are still many other desirable features that can help make your condo more appealing.

• Stainless steel appliances, as well as certain brands like Bosch or Fisher Paykel, continue to top the list of what condo buyers want.
• Condos with quartz kitchen and bathroom countertops also rank high.
• High-rise condo buyers want laminate kitchen flooring while buyers in mid-rise condos request engineered hardwood kitchen flooring.
• Glass-door kitchen and bathroom cabinets are highly desirable by all condo buyers.

Making major renovations to your condo right before selling is a cost you’ll need to weigh against the possibility of selling your condo faster and closer to your list price.

Attract buyers to your building

Before a potential buyer gets to your unit, they have to get through the front door of your condo building. So it makes sense that buyers take the building into consideration when making their purchasing decision. Here’s what homeowners associations can do to increase the attractiveness of their buildings.

• Keep the exterior clean and lush with well-kept landscaping.
• Maintain an attractive interior as well, keeping common areas clean and furniture, paint and decorations contemporary.
• Install energy efficient features, such windows with a low-E and low U-factor.
• Use green features like low-VOC paints, bamboo flooring and native plants.
• Install safety features, such as security cameras and security doors. Safety is a top concern of single women, who make up 20 percent of all home buyers.
• Create social activities for building residents, such as monthly gatherings, gardening groups, or holiday parties.
• Keep monthly dues at a reasonable level. While many factors go into this monthly cost, high HOA fees are a big deterrent to potential buyers.

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