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Shopping (and Saving) as we Prep the Condo for Sale!

A big stack of lighting we'll be installing in the condo! Kitty greets Kim at the door | via Yellow Brick Home

For the last handful of weeks, we’ve been at the condo all day, every day. The walls have been painted, the floors refinished, and as I try not to cry in the process – so many happy memories here! – we’ve been shopping for a mix of high/low items to upgrade the unit. All the while, a running tally of how much we’re spending is top of mind. We want to stretch every dollar and make it count, and we’re doing so with guidance from our selling agent (spend here, not here, she reminds us!) and Capital One Shopping. More on the latter in just a minute.

This post is in partnership with Capital One Shopping, a simple and free browser add-on to help you save online. Start saving now by getting the browser extension right here!

Please note: Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the browser extension using the links we provide. Throughout this post, I’ll be sharing real screenshots from my shopping experiences.

Knowing where to spend our money has been a lesson in balance. Remember, this home is a cozy 2 bed, 1 bath. We’ve been leasing it for the last 8 years, and naturally, it’s seen some wear – scuffed floors, mismatched paint on the walls and peeling wallpaper. How do we know what to address, and how do we know when to stop?

When to Spend vs. When to Save

Our selling agent has been wonderful in helping us determine where to spend, when to save. A home of this size (less than 700-square-feet!), is a great starter home, and she continues to remind us that while name brand fixtures may be enticing in a single family home, our buyer won’t be as brand focused. Instead, we can save by doing small updates – such as fresh paint and budget fixtures – for a more impressive first impression.

Upgrading a stainless steel faucet to matte black | via Yellow Brick Home
matte black faucet

All this to say, we’ve all agreed that our largest investments should be floor refinishing and paint. So. Much. Paint! Not a surface in the entire home will be unpainted, all the way down to the kitchen cabinets. But what about the smaller items? Think: Lighting, faucets, and cabinet hardware.

Saving Here, to Invest There

Back to that whole balance thing. We invested in floor refinishing, but we’re saving by spray painting existing lighting. We hired a painting team to take care of the walls, ceilings and millwork, but we’re saving by painting the kitchen cabinets ourselves. And for the things we do have to purchase, Capital One Shopping has our backs!

Adding a pair of statement light fixtures in the living room and kitchen | via Yellow Brick Home
brass semi-flush mounts

Adding Capital One Shopping To Your Shopping Routine

Most likely, you’re using Capital One Shopping already – right?! All you need to do is add the browser extension to your home computer (the extension only works on desktop, not mobile), and… done. No, really, that’s it! From this point on, you can continue to shop online as usual, and as you check out, Capital One Shopping will apply the best available coupon code across thousands of retailer sites. The screenshot below is my real-life example of what you might see when Capital One Shopping scours the web for a deal:

Capital One Shopping review | via Yellow Brick Home

Savings may vary. Sample results shown.

This checkout page represents a pair of statement light fixtures we wanted to add to the open-concept living room and kitchen. This lighting duo was our splurge of the bunch, but we really want to set this condo apartment from the sea of others. Here’s what I saw after activating the savings!

Capital One Shopping review | via Yellow Brick Home
Adding a pair of statement light fixtures in the living room and kitchen | via Yellow Brick Home
brass semi-flush mounts

I’m an over-researcher to the core, and if there’s a deal to be found in the world, I will find it. But in an effort to streamline my life (ha!), last year I added Capital One Shopping to my browser, and since that day, I’m no longer the one spending an extra 30 minutes digging for coupon codes and hidden deals. I let Capital One Shopping handle it.

There’s No Catch.

Mean it. It’s free for everyone, even if you’re not a Capital One customer! Adding the extension to your browser takes seconds (seriously), without slowing down your shopping experience.

Comparison Shopping Done For You!

Perhaps my favorite feature is when Capital One Shopping compares prices on Amazon to other retailers. The paint sprayer we purchased to paint the cabinets (another example of spending a here to save there) is a good example of this. After confirming with a few friends that the Graco Magnum Project Painter was worth the investment, I first turned to Amazon. It was on sale already, but Capital One Shopping took it one step further by quickly comparing the item across other sites:

Capital One Shopping review | via Yellow Brick Home

You’ll see a friendly little pop-up window if a better offer is found, including tax and shipping details. The pop-up will let you know where a better bargain is, if one is available! I clicked over to see that I could save more through eBay:

Capital One Shopping review | via Yellow Brick Home
Using the Graco Project Painter | via Yellow Brick Home
Graco Project Painter

You Have The Best Available Price.

Sometimes – gasp! – there’s no deal or promo codes. That said, just knowing I have the best available price in my cart is all I need. Knowing that Capital One Shopping has searched across the web gives me the confidence to checkout.

Capital One Shopping review | via Yellow Brick Home

I think the most challenging part of prepping our condo for sale has been holding back from wanting to stage and style the whole home! The condo is sentimental to us for so many reasons, and it’s been a downright joy to breathe new life into it, at least a little bit.

We can’t wait to share more with you as we approach the listing date!

Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support our small business. Capital One Shopping found customers more than $160 million in savings in the last year, and it’s always on the lookout for you! Get the free browser extension here – it only takes a few seconds – and start saving right away. Easiest decision you’ll make today!

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  • Julie Marquez6.24.21 - 5:50 PM

    I know you are selling the condo, but I wonder: how much more could you get for rent now that it’s updated? And the amount of money you spend in a renovation worth it for the extra rent? ***Yes, I know you are selling the condo, but I’m a landlord, so I just think about renovations vs rents…. And hopefully the money you put it gets you a higher asking price for the sale! I would be interested in those numbers too: list price without updates, costs of updates, list price with updates, and then the final sale price!ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.25.21 - 11:26 AM

      Oh, that’s a great post idea! We plan on doing a Q+A with our selling agent, who has been giving us a lot of guidance on where to spend our money. There’s no shortage of 2 bed/1 bath condos in the city, but we really want to set ours apart. I’ll be adding these questions to our Q+A in some way. Thanks, Julie!ReplyCancel

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