Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. But with the economy in the dumper, forking over a few thousand dollars to spruce up the home you are trying to sell — and likely 
sell at a discount — may sound a bit backward, but it can go a long way in helping it sell quicker and for more money, said one Orange County expert on home remodeling.
Carol Streeter, owner of Model Perfect Staging in Foothill Ranch, knows a great deal about remodeling — from renting a few pieces of furniture for a quick open house to staging jobs that run into the tens of thousands of dollars. She answered a few questions on the subject of home improvements and offered up some tips.
Question: At this time, do home improvements increase the value of a home? Formerly it was considered one of the best ways to raise your home value and selling price, but with prices trending down and sales at such low levels, do they have any effect at all?
Answer: Yes, they definitely have a positive effect. No one wants to buy fixers now. They don’t have to. Houses need to be turnkey. After most people buy the house they have no money left or time to make improvements. If a house is on the market and has not been maintained over time and kept in great shape you will have a really hard time selling it. If you do it will be a big discount.
There are many ways to fix a house and make it look like a home that buyers could see themselves making their own.
I will tell you many homeowners still have a false sense of what their home is really worth and will actually sell for. Most homeowners are about 10% higher than reality. I stage many vacant homes after they have sat on the market far too long with brand new furniture and they sell.
Vacant houses are extremely hard to sell.
When houses are vacant, it tells the buyer that the owner is in distress and will take a lowball offer. Not good for the seller. People cost themselves many thousands of dollars by letting a house sit on the market too long. Listings also become stale after the first month on the market. Again not good for the seller. Many Realtors are afraid to really tell the buyer what the house should really be listed at for fear of losing the chance at garnering the listing agreement. So people then list the home over current market value therefore brokers and Realtors don’t bring their clients to your home. Especially if it is not a turnkey piece of property.
Q. When you say “turnkey,” can you describe that in a little more detail?
A. It means buyers can walk in and live without having to spend their money after purchasing the home: new carpet, window coverings, fresh, neutral paint, updated kitchen, appliances, cabinets, flooring — in other words, a house that has been well maintained and updated throughout the course of someone else living there. A