When preparing to place your house on the market, one of the items most frequently overlooked in terms of simple upgrades is changing out doorknobs/door handles. Sellers who overlook such simple design upgrades typically have one of the following mindsets:

1. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
2. I do not know how to replace a doorknob/door handle and am apprehensive about trying.
3. Doorknobs / Handles are expensive, and I either do not have the money or do not wish to spend it.

Generally, the first rule is a good one to live by in life. However, when it comes to real estate and getting the top dollar for your property, this concept rarely works to your advantage as a seller when it comes to cosmetic items such as doorknobs/handles, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, paint schemes, etc. Selling a house for top dollar means presenting one’s property so that a new prospective buyer feels they can move in with very little to no repair/upgrades and comfortably live for a period of years into the future without the thought of maintenance. Sellers who fail to recognize this face added time on the market, thus more ownership expenses while receiving less than optimal offers when such offers arise.

As a Real Estate expert, I constantly review the market for investor buyers. From an investment perspective, I use several strategies to determine where I might find the best possible deals. One resource I use is what is known as the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. The MLS is an excellent tool as it provides me with key data to review, such as time on the market and a gallery of pictures for each property. I can sort properties based on days on the market. If the days on the market for a particular property are greater than the average days on the market in general, this keys me into there being a “reason.” Looking at the gallery of images frequently gives me a good idea of why a property is not selling within a reasonable time. More often than not, dated features like old doorknobs/handles and lack of general maintenance and upgrades present themselves. When representing a buyer/investor, I take such factors and present them in such a manner as my buyer/investor sees the opportunity to invest a small amount of money in upgrades while at the same time offering a substantially lower than asking price for the home. For an exasperated seller whose home has been on the market for a longer than average period of time, their frustration often results in accepting a less than optimal offer than if they had done the upgrades themselves. For seasoned investors who want to capitalize on the situation, upgrades can even be negotiated into the sales contract. The results of such negotiations mean by the time the home closes, many upgrades are done yet at the lower accepted purchase level. In short, stubborn sellers often give away much of their equitable opportunity and potential profits.

As for mindset two, not knowing how to change a doorknob can be a little intimidating. I am here to tell you the process is easy, and an entire home can be upgraded within just a few hours. Below is a quick video to show you how easy the process is. How much is your time worth? Is it worth investing a couple of hours of time for a return of hundreds of dollars in value? Only you can answer that. If the answer is yes and you wish to realize the most significant profit in the sale of your home, watch the video, jump in, get ready to add instant equity and prepare for better purchase offers sooner than other homes on the market.

As for mindset three, this can be true if you insist on buying the best or most current trend. When it comes to doorknobs/handles, however, to get the most bang for your buck when selling a home, it is best to strike a balance. Your goal should be to simply show new prospective buyers you cared enough about the general maintenance and upkeep of the property to keep it within modern acceptable design standards. Doorknobs/handles can be purchased at significant discounts when purchased in bulk. Modern, stylish packs of 10 at a time can be acquired in some cases at less than $10 per piece. Buying in bulk also helps keep the design of your home consistent. Nothing says “cheap” like a jumble of design elements that should otherwise be uniform. Check out this resource we found where doorknobs/handles can be bought in bulk: https://www.knobwellstore.com