Selling your house is a minefield of traps - most of which defy logic. Home improvements would be so much easier once the house is empty: the floors, new carpet, walls and ceilings in particular, painted, windows scraped and restored to open-able condition. Surely, in between the move out and the move in is the perfect time? You'd think. Therefore, let's just give them an allowance at closing, and save the time and effort. This doesn't work. Should, but doesn't. Why not?

1. Most people can't visualize what it would look like all new if it isn't in front of them.

Can you tell how many jellybeans are in the jar? Can you close one eye and see a room in green when it's painted red? It's hard. Most of us can't do it. Your buyer won't be able to see it either.

2. Buyers will buy the best VALUE they can afford. Usually.

To trump the current market conditions, your house needs to be the best value around. That means the best condition, the easiest to move-into, the freshest, nicest, prettiest house there is.

3. Most folks don't know how much "work" costs and they overestimate it.

Unless a family is accustomed to moving a lot, or they're professional flippers, they don't carry ballpark figures for refinishing floors, replacing countertops, fixtures, etc. They will therefore OVERESTIMATE that number and then add in a huge hassle factor. This then becomes a negative as opposed to "an opportunity to make it your own" which was the way we used to spin it when I was a realtor!

4. TimingYou just can't count on the buyers being able to stay where they are, buy your place, fix it up and then move in. It's not the norm. Most people have to sell to buy, and that means the move out and in has to happen on the same, or consecutive, days.

So put away your fear of choosing the wrong color. Everyone would rather it be new and neutral than something else they have to deal with! No more "they're just going to rip it all out anyway." They're not if they can possibly help it, and with inventory levels high (which is what creates a Buyer's Market) they can buy a different house that is "all done". Sorry, folks, you gotta do it all for them, if you want the home sold.