Minnesota Home Selling Strategies by Joe Houghton

The Importance of Home Staging When Selling Your Home Sell Faster, for More — by Making Buyers Fall in Love In today’s competitive real estate market, great staging isn’t a luxury — it’s a smart selling strategy. Whether you're listing a starter home in Robbinsdale or a luxury lakefront property in Wayzata, how your home looks online and in person can dramatically impact your final sale price. As a full-time Realtor , licensed home builder, and investor, I’ve seen staging make the difference between a home that sits... and one that sells in the first week. In fact, staged homes consistently sell faster and for more money than unstaged ones — and there’s solid data to prove it. Why Staging Works Buyers shop emotionally – When a space looks clean, welcoming, and move-in ready, buyers imagine themselves living there. That emotional connection leads to stronger offers. Staging highlights your home’s strengths – The right layout, lighting, and minimal décor make rooms f...

Cost vs. Value: Which Home Improvements Are Worth It When Selling? Before You Spend Thousands Getting Ready to Sell, Read This As a licensed Realtor and home remodeler in Minnesota, I get this question all the time: “Should I redo the kitchen before selling?” Or: “Will finishing the basement increase my home's value enough to justify the cost?” The answer depends on your home, the local market, your price point — and the type of buyers you're trying to attract. The key is understanding the concept of Cost vs. Value — how much an improvement costs vs. how much it actually adds to your sale price. Why "Cost vs. Value" Is So Important When Selling It's easy to assume that spending $50,000 on a new kitchen automatically adds $50,000 in resale value. But the data — and experience — show otherwise. Some updates return more than others, and most improvements don’t return 100% of what you put in. In fact, the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report shows that minor ...