What You See * vs * What a Buyer Sees

What you see:  This kitchen just needs cosmetic updates!

Someone with vision will love this!

What buyers see:  $40K kitchen renovation before I can use it

I have to live in a construction zone for 6 months

The potential gap:

You:  worth $500K with some minor work

Buyers:  Needs $80K in renovations.  I’ll pay $420K

The buyer who “see potential” wants an $80K discount to deal with it.

Why “potential” doesn’t sell:

1. Buyers don’t want projects.  They want move-in ready, not move-in-and-renovate
2. Buyers can’t visualize

You lived there 10 years.  You know what it COULD be.

Buyers see what it IS.

1. Buyers do the math

 Outdated kitchen = $40K

Ugly carpet = 8K

Overgrown yard = $5K

They’re subtracting $53K from your price.

The brutal truth:

Option 1:  Fix it yourself

Spend $30K

Sell for $70K more

Net $40K loss

What buyers actually think:

You say:  Hardwood under the carpet

They think:  Why didn’t you remove it?

You say:  Easy cosmetic fixes

They think:  They why didn’t you do them?

You say:  Priced for potential

They think:  Priced like you’re lazy

You don’t need to renovate everything.

But you DO need to:

Deep clean

Remove clutter

Fix obnoxious issues

Paint Neutrals

Mow the lawn & keep it mowed

Cost:  $2K – $5K

Return:  $20K – $40K

The truth:

Buyers don’t buy houses for what they COULD be.

They buy for what they ARE

Or they discount heavily for the work.

Your choice:

Fix it & get top dollar

Price it like the fixer it is

Watch it sit wondering why “buyers don’t see potential”

They see it.  They just don’t want to pay full price for your to-do list.