How To Hit The #1 "Must Have" For Buyers

As a seller, you need to give today’s buyers what they want. Do you know what they are seeking?

photo credit : Jens Behrmann

I’ve been in the Baltimore real estate industry since 2008. I specialize in representing sellers in the Greater Baltimore Area. If you are considering selling your home this year, the good news is that home prices have continued to rise, but if you want top dollar and a painless transaction, you need to give today’s buyers what they want. Buyer sentiment is that buying a home, and all that comes with it, is expensive. No buyer has to buy. They have other options – stay where they are (their existing mortgage interest rate is likely lower than what they’ll pay today), rent, move in with family, the list goes on. Your job (and my job as your agent) is to get the buyer excited to buy, and to buy your house. To do that, you have to know what the buyer wants more than anything else.

The Real Estate Landscape Today

How is the real estate market today? The mortgage interest rate today, in late April 2025, is about 6.8%. According to a Redfin report in late 2024, nationwide, 85.7% of American homeowners have a mortgage with an interest rate below 6%, so to many, the rate feels high. Additionally, the average home sales price in Maryland has increased by 3.2% since last Spring. To sum in all up, to be a buyer in today’s real estate market, you will likely be forgoing a lower mortgage rate on your current home to purchase a new one. This coupled with the increase in housing prices, makes homebuying more expensive. Not only is it more expensive, but inventory is low, meaning there are fewer homes on the market to choose from. Given the stress that homebuyers are feeling, as a seller in this market, you should know what is most important to buyers so that you have the best chance of getting them to pull the trigger, and choose your house among all other options that are available.

The #1 "Must Have" For Buyers Today

The Bright MLS is the realtor database used in our area to list properties and also search properties for prospective buyers. Bright’s coverage area is Maryland, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. According to a survey they conducted at the end of 2024, which had 672 respondents, the #1 "must have" for homebuyers in this market is “move-in ready.”

"Move-In Ready" Has Become A “Must” Given Rising Costs To Purchase and Maintain Real Estate

While HGTV shows remain popular, 56.1% of survey respondents said a “move-in ready” home was “very important” to them. Why might this be? So much about homebuying has gotten more expensive.

Higher housing prices mean a higher down payment. This time last year, the average home price in Maryland was $473,252. A 3.5% down payment would have been $16,563. Currently, the average home price in Maryland is $488,315. A 3.5% down payment on a home with that price tag is $17,091.

Higher interest rates mean a higher monthly payment. Let’s use the average home price in Maryland again, $488,315. And let’s consider that 85.7% of homeowners currently have a mortgage interest rate on their home that is below 6%. Let’s say our example buyer bought a home for $488,315 a few years ago, with a 3.5% down payment and a 5.99% interest rate. That means his mortgage (not including taxes and insurance) is $2,822 per month. Let’s say that same buyer wants to buy a new home for the exact same price $488,315 with a 3.5% down payment, but at today’s mortgage interest rate of 6.8%. His new mortgage payment would be $3,072 per month. Each month that buyer would be paying an extra $250 per month.

Home repair costs have increased. According to an article by Forbes in late October 2024, referencing a report from Thumbtack, home repair costs were up 5.9% from the prior year.

Home insurance costs have increased. According to a November 2024 Market Watch article referencing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home insurance premiums have gone up 11.5% since 2022.

In short, the upfront and maintenance costs have increased for buyers in recent years and buyers are feeling the squeeze. In general, more buyers prefer not to harbor the burden on home renovations or repairs on top of all they are shouldering in the homebuying process.

How Can You Make Your Home Move-In Ready?

What does “move-in ready” really mean? It's not what you think. Just because you are living there today, doesn't mean it's "move-in ready", by the buyers' definition. You may be living with imperfections in your home, little things you haven't gotten around to addressing, because you'd rather live with it than fix it. I know I am. I have a mini fridge at a wet bar that hasn't worked for years. I don't really care, but in today's market, I would fix it or replace it before listing. "Move-in ready" for today's buyers means everything is working as intended, not deficient, they could move in and show off the house today, without taking on a single project in the near future. Here's my checklist for how to get your home on the right path to "move-in ready." Fix It You’re required to disclose any latent defects (something a buyer can’t see that may cause a heath and safety concern). Save yourself from having to disclose it, just have it fixed. Fix any latent defects, make sure the roof is not leaking, the basement is not leaking, all systems (heating, cooling, plumbing, and electric) are working as intended, and all appliances are operating as intended. That includes the ice maker working, every stove burner is lighting, you get my point.

Paint It Fresh paint is so impactful. If you truly have walls that are not nicked up, marked up, don’t have imperfections, etc, you can skip those areas. Otherwise, do a fresh coat of paint. It makes every home look its very best.

Deep Clean It Even if you have good housekeeping, pay a professional cleaning company to do a deep clean. Their full-time job is cleaning. They do it better than the rest of us with products that are more effective. Pay extra to have the baseboards, windows, and appliances cleaned. A clean home really resonates with buyers. Professional cleaning is worth every cent.

Polish Up The Exterior It’s Spring. You can’t get away with having a lackluster exterior. Assess what areas need to be power washed and get it done! You don't have to get crazy with landscaping. Pruning and mulch make a huge difference. Give the yard a fresh cut, and add some simple curb appeal with solar operated path lights, a wreath, and a door mat. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Make sure prospective buyers don't see your house and keep driving down the road.

Don't Have An "It's Fine" Approach

“It’s Fine” isn’t the market that we are currently in. Buyers’ costs have increased significantly. The majority of buyers don’t want to further invest money and time into projects. Make it easy for them to say “yes” to your turnkey, move-in-ready, project-free home!