Typically a seller will consult with a real estate agent and get a market analysis to get an idea of what a realistic list price should be. Then the Realtor will make suggestions on how to improve the "Curb Appeal" to attract a qualified buyer. While "Curb Appeal" is vital to listing the property and selling it fast, it's the next step in the selling process that can swipe money off the table from your initial listing price. Yes, it's the "C Word" - CONCESSIONS!
The buyer makes the offer, and the offer looks AMAZING! As the seller you're elated to finally have the offer that's going to deliver your equity in cash at closing. So you sign and accept the offer but the offer is contingent on "Inspection". Typically the buyer will have 7 to 10 days to inspect the subject property that they're buying. This is pretty standard. Inspection day comes and the inspector could care less about all the "Curb Appeal" improvements you've done to the house you're selling. They're looking at things like roof condition, plumbing, HVAC, Electrical and Structural issues among many other components throughout the house. For example, let's take the Roof Inspection part of the report. The inspector will get up on the roof if it's walkable or perhaps the inspector will use a drone. Upon inspecting the roof they find that the caulking around the chimney flashing is rotted and needs repair or the boot stack cover is loose and has an opening big enough to allow water to infiltrate. Then they get over the gutters and they're full of debris and overflowing which caused another issue in your basement called effloresence. Yet another problem you'll have to deal with as the seller. Now you see your price going down, down, down as the buyer agent tells your listing agent that the estimated cost to fix is $10,000 when really it's a $500 fix in most cases to hire someone to climb up on your roof and caulk around the stack boot cover and the chimney flashing and then dry out the walls in the basement and paint it with drylock, perhaps address some slight grading issues where some soil erosion may have occured around the foundation dripline.
