Tips On How to Sell a Mid-Century Modern Home

As many of you know, one of our many passions is helping our Diva Dweller Sellers prep their Mid-Century Modern home for sale. Why? Mainly because I absolutely love Mid-Century Modern design. Homes, furniture, art, pottery—love it all. And second, I consider myself a bit of an expert since I own not one but two mid-century modern homes. I adore these homes and know what it takes to show off their best features! In this blog I’m here to show you how to sell a Mid-Century Modern home.

Tips on How to Sell a Mid-Century Modern Home:

1st Tip: Identify what does and does not need to be updated or repaired in your home.
2nd Tip: Tackle that list of repairs that need to be made in your MCM home.
3rd Tip: Choose a stager whose aesthetic will highlight the unique features of your home.
4th Tip: Marketing makes ALL the difference. Your home needs to sparkle like the Hope diamond!
5th Tip: Be ready to manage the inspection of your Mid-Century Modern Home.
Bonus Tip: Choose the right real estate brokers to help you sell your Mid-Century Modern home.

Before you dive into all of our tips, start here:

Watch Our Video About “How to Sell Your Mid-Century Modern Home For the Highest Amount of Money”

[ Video coming soon! ]

Now on to the details hinted at in the above video.

The Full List of Tips On How to Sell a Mid-Century Modern Home

Learn my expert tips for selling your MCM home in Seattle:

1st Tip: Identify What Part of Your Mid-Century Home to Update Before Selling Your Home.

A big question I get when doing an initial walkthrough on a home with a seller is “Should I update my kitchen, my bathroom, etc…“” My typical answer? “It depends.” Part of what makes Mid-Century Modern homes highly desirable are their unique features and original style and details. Adding white subway title to a kitchen is overdone and boring. Updating that bathroom vanity with something off the shelf from Home Depot could kill that chic MCM vibe.

Here Is The List Of Items I Would Update In A Mid-Century Modern Home

Fix What Is Broken:

This has been a long-standing ethos of Team Diva. We have numerous examples of why making repairs on major systems is MORE important than updating a kitchen or a bathroom. More about this below!

Lighting:

People will overlook a dated kitchen if the dining room light has a wow factor. Especially in a Mid-Century Modern home. If the lighting is original and in great condition, keep it. If it has already been replaced with generic lighting, time to go! Lighting is my jam, so let this Diva help you find a cool light fixture to replace that box store boob light! (Repeat after me: No More Boob Lights!)

The Paint and Carpet Basics:

Almost every listing we have needs new carpeting and new paint. That fresh look is critical to creating the basic elements one needs for the marketing to work. Personally, I would always choose to replace carpet with some type of hardwood or engineered hardwood if possible. Knowing this can be expensive, installing new carpeting is the next best thing.

Kitchen Updates:

My best advice is to “Call me.” Every Mid-Century Modern kitchen has its own special charms so there is no “one update to rule them all” suggestions I could make without seeing your space in person. In general, I strongly lean toward not modernizing a MCM kitchen if it is in good condition. Most people are going to come into these homes and want to make these updates themselves. Kitchens are very personal and give the new owner a chance to be creative. However, I do think updating damaged tile with something that has a retro flair, changing out damaged flooring, and of course, replacing uncleanable or barely working appliances are a must.

You know what I love almost as much as shopping for lighting? Perusing the internet and decor stores for tile! You know the drill: “Call me.”

Bathroom Updates:

Buyers prefer to buy a Mid-Century Modern home with an updated bathroom over an updated kitchen. Here are some basic bathroom reboots to think about when prepping to sell your mid-century modern home:

Update generic or damaged light fixtures with MCM-style lighting.
Update old bath fixtures. Even if cool looking, old fixtures are probably well past their prime.
Replace damaged or worn tile with new mod tile.
Update the commode! (I love a pink toilet but if it’s from the 1960s it’s time for an upgrade.)
Change out generic or worn flooring. New fresh flooring will make any space shine!

Please note, there is a limited return on doing a full renovation of a bathroom or a kitchen unless you have a TON of equity in the home or they are in extremely poor condition. At that point it MIGHT be a good idea. Once again, you know the drill: “Call me.”

Curb Appeal:

It is true what they say. You can only make a first impression once. Think about your landscaping as your opening note to the home. Make sure you have those flower beds fluffed, new mulch, lawns green and luscious, and of course you need to have a Diva signature flower pot at the front door.

Make sure the front door and entry is freshly painted AND well lit. Once again, check the outdoor lighting. Maybe time for something more dramatic.

Being pretty matters!!!

Other:

Donna and I are available for a walk through of your home to help you to get a specific list together. Book some time with me directly and we will make a plan!

2nd Tip: Make Those Necessary Repairs on Your Mid-Century Modern Home Before You Sell.

Overall, mid-century homes in Seattle were extremely well built and most are in solid condition. You can thank all of those Boeing engineers who made sure their post war homes were overbuilt. This means you rarely find foundation or structural issues in a Seattle Mid-Century home. Regardless, you should check on the following items and make sure they are in good working order.

Several years ago we had clients whose house was listed with someone that was not Team Diva. The broker said to not worry about a known roof issue since the buyers would just bring it up after the inspection. Sure enough, that house flipped not once but twice on inspection! Meaning two different sets of buyers who were already in contract to purchase the home, killed the deal after the home inspection. As a result of this poor advice, these folks had dropped their price and lost valuable market time. Then they hired us. We went through the following checklist, helped them get the house back in Diva shape, and sold the home in no time!

Here are a Few of the Items to Check, Service, Repair, or Replace before listing your MCM Home:

Roof
Furnace/ Heating System
Hot Water Heater
Plumbing
Electrical
Windows
Fireplaces
Drainage Systems
Downspouts
Walls/Drywall
Water Issues in Basement or Crawspaces

Pro-Tip: Feel free to contact me if you want a full checklist of items specific to your home. I can make general recommendations, but every home is unique.

3rd Tip: Choose a Stager That Will Highlight the Unique Features of Your Mid-Century Modern Home.

Staging is a key component to selling a home in Seattle. The nice thing about Mid-Century homes is that they already come with a certain amount of cache and glam. Unfortunately, a lot of real estate brokers and stagers think that every home benefits from white on white or tan on tan staging and “Stay Calm and Carry On” art work.

Buyers who are specifically interested in a Mid-Century home have a certain aesthetic. It is so important to capture that aesthetic in your marketing. This is why finding the right stager matters! People will pay a premium for a Mid-Century home when they click on those listing photos and instantly get that cool Rat Pack vibe.

Here are the things we look for when scoping out stagers for our Seattle MCM homes:

Original Artwork
Good Use of Color (Not just variations of beige, gray, and white!)
High-End Dining Room Furniture
Lush Bedroom Settings
Rooms Integrate with Each Other
Design That Evokes Emotion
Mid-Century Modern-Inspired Furniture

Over the years I’ve gained the reputation for being very picky about my listings. My Mid-Century Modern homes have to have that quintessential Diva look. Every photo in this blog is from one of my Mid-Century home listings here in Seattle. All of these homes attracted a multitude of buyers and sold over list price. When you have a passion for making Mid-Century homes shine, it shows. And this gets results for our sellers!

4th Tip: Marketing Makes All The Difference When Selling an MCM Home in Seattle

The best method of selling a home in Seattle is to have gorgeous marketing. The basic marketing strategy that most real estate agents in Seattle deploy are professional photos, a basic video, and some “just listed” photos on the company provided website. Maybe a post or two on social media. BUT we know you have been following us for awhile and you know we do things differently over here.

Team Diva’s Marketing For an MCM Home in Seattle

Gorgeous Staging
Over 40 Professional Photos
Seller’s Personal Top Ten List in Home
Short Form Video To Create Engagement for The Home
Long Form Video Talking About the Home’s Journey
Smart Search Optimized Blog Post About the Home’s Finer Points
Email Marketing to Brokers and Sphere
Invitation-Only Open House For Brokers
Specialized Event-Style Open Houses
Other Innovative Strategies

One thing that we do not talk about a lot is the fact that we are constantly putting ourselves in marketing classes, going to social media conferences, and taking courses to improve our search optimization skills. Why? Selling our clients’ homes is a constant process of innovating and being the very best in the market. This takes having a growth mindset and making sure we are not just resting on our past accomplishments.

Speaking of marketing accomplishments we do have the receipts!

Team Diva Named Top Seattle Real Estate Blog By Feedspot
2019 Inman Innovator Award
Innovation In Real Estate – Inman Connect
Chavi is a leader in Real Estate Marketing who speaks at events locally and nationally.

All of us at Team Diva are always looking at new and fun ways to showcase our clients’ homes. The best of this marketing is showcased with our Mid-Century Modern homes in Seattle like the ones below.

A Partial List of All Of The Mid-Century Modern Homes We Have Sold

And more…. I am not even including all of the Mid-Century Modern condos we have sold over the years.

Let’s just say we love this style of home and know what is needed to ensure it is marketed in a way to sell at top dollar regardless of the market.

5th Tip: Knowing What to Expect From An Inspection of Your Mid-Century Modern Home

Real talk: We have had clients who have come to us AFTER their home flipped on inspection or had a title issue and were unable to sell their home. Obviously, they were not working with us at Team Diva when these situations arose. No shade. Just facts.

There are two big red flags that might hinder you from selling your older Mid-Century home. One could be issues with the TITLE. And the second could be issues that are discovered during the INSPECTION. We do a ton of upfront work in helping you prepare your home before listing in order to minimize these types of issues.

Below is the advice and process we follow for our clients who are selling their Mid-Century Modern home:

Making Sure You Have Clear Title on Your MCM Home

One of the biggest barriers to selling a home are issues with the title report. This comes up specifically with older Seattle homes because they have been around for awhile. The VERY first step we do when we list a home is that we have the title company draw up the Preliminary Commitment for Title and let us know if there are any known issues they can find. We want to know in advance what type of work we need to do to make sure that Title is clear, clean, and transferable to the new owner.

Below are common things we find that are an issue with the title:

Estate Sale Without a Will:

Ugh! No will means that the home has to go through probate. When Chavi’s grandfather passed away there were issues on the title and as a result the home had to go through probate before it could be put on the market. The heirs have to work through the issues of legal ownership of the home. Does cousin Ned get a portion of the home? Who are the rightful heirs? This is when you have to get a lawyer to step in and work through these issues.

Widows With a Will:

It is very common for one spouse to have passed away and the surviving spouse is now dealing with selling their home. Luckily there is a will which makes the process so much easier. The surviving spouse still has to provide a ton of documentation to the title company to make sure they have the legal right to sell the home. The spouse that has gone over the rainbow bridge might have heirs who have a right to the home. Luckily we work with the best Title and Escrow teams who help us figure these details out.

Lot Line Issues:

Many properties in Seattle have no survey on record, which means the lot lines could be vague. And just to be clear, a fence is NOT necessarily a true indicator or a lot line. This means neighbors could have fences, garages, sheds, chicken coops, and anything else you can think of built on each other’s properties over the years. And every once in a while this comes up as an issue during a sale. Do not even get us started about the sale we did in Magnolia where there were two neighbors with lot line issues and lawyers!!! At the end of the day, Chavi and I had it handled! (Although, we did close that deal with a few more gray hairs than before we started.)

Divorce:

Many times in a divorce one person is on the title of the home but both are on the loan. Or vice versa. Who owns the home and who has responsibility for the lien on the home? Hopefully the two parties have stipulated these details in their divorce paperwork. But on occasion, they are still trying to work these issues out while trying to get their home sold.

How to Manage The Inspection of a Mid-Century Modern Home

Now on to the second big red flag: The inspection. You would be shocked at the advice many listing brokers have for their sellers on how to prepare the home for the market. Our number one advice is to “Fix What’s Broken” BEFORE listing the home. Why? We have seen first hand what happens to seller’s equity when they skip over this step.

Here Is A List of Common Repairs Called Out By An Inspector For a Mid-Century Modern Home in Seattle

Hot Water Heaters Over 10 Years Old
Old Oil Fueled Boilers or Furnaces
Concrete Sewer Lines That Have Started to Deteriorate
Electrical Panels That Are Out of Code or Have Been Recalled
Ungrounded Electrical Outlets
Failing Single Pane Aluminum Windows
Galvanized Pipes
Old Roofs and Damaged Built-in Gutters
Undersized Downspouts
Railings Out of Code
Under Insulated Attic
Rodent Issues (This is a general Seattle struggle!)

Luckily for many of our sellers, there are very few major issues that come up during the inspection process. Why? Mid-Century Modern homes in Seattle are overbuilt and the issues are typically old systems. Rarely do you find one of these homes with foundation issues, siding failure, basement water leaks, knob and tube wiring, etc… Hence this is the big reason we love it when one of our buyers purchases a mid-century home.

Bonus Tip: How to Choose the Right Real Estate Brokers to Help You Sell Your MCM Home.

Choosing a broker to showcase your glam 1950s, 1960s, and the cool styles of the 1970s home takes some research. Not everyone has the team to help you prepare that home for the market. For instance it is really important that whoever you choose knows how to work through potential title issues, items that will come up in the inspection, AND they need to be a kick ass marketer. Below are a few questions I would ask if I was selling my Seward Park home.

Start here with our blog “Questions to Ask a Potential Listing Agent.”

Questions to Ask a Listing Agent/Broker To Sell Your Mid-Century Modern Home

What advice would you give me to fix this home up for the market?
Do you think I should update the bathrooms or kitchens or keep them as they are now?
Are your stagers well-versed in showcasing a Mid-Century Modern home or will my home look like a suburban knock off?
Do you own a Mid-Century Modern home?
Have you sold Mid-Century Modern homes before?
What is your marketing strategy for my home?
Do you have access to contractors to help me prepare the home for the market?
What are common issues that come up with an inspection for a Mid-Century Modern home that I need to be aware of?
What is your pricing strategy for this market?
Tell the potential listing broker about your unique situation that might impact the title. Then ask them what advice they would have to get the issue resolved.

And it goes without saying that the first person I think you should call before you sell your Mid-Century Modern home is, this Diva, Kim V. Colaprete and Team Diva. Why? Well, I’ve been doing this real estate thing for a while, and Mid-Century Modern homes are my passion!

We Are Here To Show You How to Sell a Mid-Century Modern Home

As you can tell by now, helping my Diva Dweller sellers prepare their Mid-Century Modern homes for listing day is one of my absolute favorite things to do as a top Seattle real estate agent. I love Mid-Century Modern design, whether it’s a home, furniture, art, pottery. I also know what it takes to show off the best features of an MCM home, and I’m here to make sure you find success when selling your Mid-Century Modern home.

More Information To Help You Sell Your Mid-Century Modern Home

Behind the Scenes: A Seattle Mid-Century Home Seller’s Journey
Just Sold | Mid-Century Modern Home Just North of Seattle
How to Buy a Mid-Century Modern Home in Seattle
Tips On Buying a Mid-Century Modern Home in Seattle
What Are the Advantages to Buying a Mid-Century Modern Home in Seattle?
What Are the Typical Styles of Mid-Century Modern Homes in Seattle?
What Are the Key Design Elements of a Mid-Century Modern Home in Seattle?
What to Look For When Inspecting a Mid-Century Home in Seattle?

We are here to help. Our team understands that this process can take a year or two. Give us a call. Our Team loves helping people develop a personalized listing plan for their homes. Feel free to contact us directly at thediva@teamedivarealestate.com or call/text 206-271-0264.