A 1923 home at 25 Burnett Terrace in Maplewood, New Jersey, that had not seen significant updates in over two decades recently closed at $1,188,000—48.5% above its $800,000 list price—after a targeted preparation strategy by Mark Slade of Mark Slade Homes. The property, which had been largely untouched for 23 years, attracted 70 groups during open houses, 32 buyer agency appointments, and 16 offers, ultimately closing in six weeks.
The preparation focused on addressing visible issues that could deter buyers. One major problem was the basement, where previous owners had covered windows with corrugated plastic sheeting, leaving the room dark and uninviting. In the final 24 hours before listing, Slade's team removed the panels, cleaned the glass, and restored natural light. Other fixes included painting dark wood paneling in the sun room to dove white, replacing five light fixtures on the first floor, and adding a wooden lattice balustrade to an open staircase. Peeling paint was touched up, fresh flowers and planters were placed, and tree branches blocking sightlines were trimmed. The property was fully staged, and mulch was laid to enhance curb appeal.
Slade uses a taxi analogy to explain the psychology behind these preparations: "When you get into a cab, you see the fare on the meter. You don’t feel it ticking until you’re stuck in traffic—but it’s been running the whole time. Buyers work the same way. They walk in with a number in their head, and every imperfection they notice starts running that meter backward." The goal, he says, is to fix what's running the meter before launch day.
The sellers, empty nesters who had already moved out, chose Slade's team in part because they offered to manage contractors in the sellers' absence. Slade was on-site every day or every other day during the preparation period, overseeing work and handling repairs himself. The result was the highest over-asking sale in Maplewood year to date.
For sellers with older homes, the 25 Burnett Terrace result argues against pricing low and hoping for the best. "A home that hasn’t been updated in 20 years is not automatically a liability," Slade said. "It becomes one only when it launches before the right work is done." The gap between a property's condition on day one of a walkthrough and on launch day is where results like this are made. Sellers considering listing can visit the seller resources page at Mark Slade Homes to learn more about the preparation process.
