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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
1. Haunted-House Landscaping
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Besides mowing the lawn, your to-do list should include trimming scraggly trees and shrubs and removing anything that's dead or beyond resuscitation. Edge, weed and mulch garden beds. Plant annuals in a plot or pot for color (see Cheap Ways to Improve Curb Appeal).
Cost to fix: To hire a landscaper to prune and groom a small tree and a couple of shrubs will cost about $80, according to www.diyornot.com. If you’d rather be packing boxes than mowing the lawn, you'll probably pay a lawn service $30 to $40 for up to a half acre, but you might get a neighbor’s kid to do it for less. 1. Haunted-House Landscaping
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
2. Your Personal Paint Palette
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Avoid using stark-white paint, though. Choose a warm neutral color -- beige, ivory, taupe or light gray -- that makes your rooms look inviting, larger and brighter. Redo painted trim in white.
Cost to fix: The national average for a pro to prep and paint a 15-by-20-foot room with one coat of latex paint is $764 nationally, according to www.diyornot.com. 2. Your Personal Paint Palette
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
3. Popcorn-Finished Ceilings
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First, have the ceiling sampled and tested for asbestos by a licensed inspector. For more information, check out the EPA's "Asbestos in Your Home." If the test result is positive, hire a certified asbestos abatement contractor (not the same company that tested the ceiling) to seal it with spray paint if it's in good shape (not peeling or crumbling) and unlikely to be disturbed, or to remove the ceiling treatment and properly dispose of it -- an expensive proposition.
Removal is a messy and laborious process, with or without asbestos. The material must be wetted down and scraped and the underlying wallboard wiped clean. Once the popcorn is gone, the ceiling must usually be repaired with joint compound and repainted. Even if there’s no asbestos, you probably should hire a drywall or painting contractor for the job. (For a glimpse of the process, visit www.ronhazleton.com).
Cost to fix: About $100 to $150 per sample to test for asbestos (multiple samples may be required), and if it’s present, about $2 to $6 per square foot to seal it or $54 to $64 per square foot for removal, according to www.fixr.com. If you can get by with a painter, expect to pay about $2.50 per square foot for removal, repair and repainting, according to www.diyornot.com. 3. Popcorn-Finished Ceilings
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
4. Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
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To find a cleaner certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, visit www.certifiedcleaners.org. If the carpet is beyond hope, you may have to replace it. Talk with your agent about the best strategy: whether to replace it now or give buyers the option to choose what they want.
Cost to fix: A pro can clean 500 square feet for about $126, according to www.diyornot.com. The cost to install hardwood flooring runs about $2,000, including labor, for a 12-by-15-foot room, plus another $600 to sand and finish it, according to www.diyornot.com. Pre-finished laminate flooring will cost a bit less. 4. Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
5. Brass Fixtures
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For instructions, watch these YouTube videos: How to Replace and Install a Chandelier from Build.com and Buildipedia DIY's How to Replace a Light Fixture.
Cost to fix: You could buy two chandeliers (to put, say, over the kitchen and dining-room tables) and a few flush-mounted lights for about $225 at a big-box store such as Lowe's or Home Depot. 5. Brass Fixtures
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
6. "Crystal" Faucet Handles
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Cost to fix: You’ll pay at least $30 for a centerset faucet, plus $75 to $150 for a plumber (or more if there's corrosion or some other difficulty), according to www.costhelper.com. You can replace a tub-and-shower faucet set for about the same amount. If you're up for DIY, see How to Install a Sink Faucet on YouTube. 6. "Crystal" Faucet Handles
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7 Things Home Buyers Hate
7. Vanity Strips
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If you have a one-person mirror, you could replace the vanity strip with a wall sconce on either side of the mirror to achieve better lighting for shaving or applying make-up.
Cost to fix: A 48-inch-wide, six-light fixture with shades starts at $80 to $100 at www.lightingdirect.com. You should be able to handle this job yourself. 7. Vanity Strips






