|
Dressing Your Home For Success!
How to get your home ready to sell in today's
market
When you begin dressing your home for success, simply make
it attractive, inviting, and pleasant to prospective buyers.
Remember—you are competing with model homes.
First Impression --
the approach
A pleasing exterior appearance is essential
for that critical first impression and will “show
off” your property to its best advantage if this impression
is a positive one. House numbers and the mailbox are the
first things prospective buyers will see when they drive
down your street looking for your house. A touch of paint
will do the trick.
Your yard immediately reflects the condition
of the interior of your property. Are shrubs overgrown?
. . . Is there oil on the driveway? . . . How does the grass
look? . . . Do beds need weeding and mulching? See your
house through an individual observer’s eye.
We have great spring, summer, and fall climates;
therefore, outdoor activities are important—people
enjoy their yards. Mow and edge the lawn and keep it green
by fertilizing and seeding—even consider sodding if
necessary. Be certain that the trees are trimmed so the
house can be seen from the street. Add charm with a few
well-placed blooming flowers—along a walkway, in a
pot by the door, or in cheerful window boxes. Weed and mulch
beds. Strive for the "yard-of-the-month” look.
Clear the area of toys, bicycles, garden tools,
building supplies, unused parked cars, pet droppings, and
leaves. If you don’t see it in a model home yard,
don’t have it in your yard.
These things add to the “curb appeal”
of your home. Remember—if buyers don’t like
the outside (from the picture or in viewing the real thing),
they will simply pass by and drive elsewhere!
Exterior of house
Paint is your best improvement investment
for increasing the return on your money! Fresh paint makes
the whole house smell clean and look neat. If your house
has chips, exposed wood, looks faded, or has outdated colors,
it will probably be worthwhile to paint. Choose a neutral
color . . . white, cream, light gray . . . with contrasting
shutters and door of black, rich brown, medium gray (careful
that the gray is not blue-based). Look around at model homes
in a neighborhood with homes of a higher value for ideas.
At the very least, ALWAYS paint the front door and trim.
Every prospective buyer will stand there waiting to enter.
A good pressure wash may suffice for the exterior
surface. Replace rusted or torn screens. Remove mildew or
moss from walls, sidewalks, and wooden decks with bleach
and water or a commercial cleaner. Rid driveway of grease
stains with kitty litter or a chemical solvent. Clean windows—inside
and outside.
Easy access . . . a must
Top-selling agents will NOT show your home
without easy access to the key. The greatest way to have
your house available and accessible for showing is to have
a key handy in a LOCKBOX attached on or near your front
door.
Interior—pleasant aroma
Think of prospective buyers as your guests
and prepare your home’s interior accordingly.
Probably the first impression of the interior will be the
aroma of cleanliness—or lack of it!!! A squeaky clean
house will sell faster and net many more dollars. People
can be turned off by the slightest unpleasant odor. Pay
special attention if you have a dog, a cat, a young child
in diapers, or a smoker in the house. You may not notice
these smells; but believe me, your buyers will!
The aroma of baking bread, cookies, or pies
is pleasant; but you would want to avoid cooking cabbage,
fish, liver, onions, or garlic. Many people associate strong,
spicy odors with uncleanliness. Freshen the kitchen by grinding
a lemon or apple through your blender and the garbage disposal.
Sweeten the refrigerator with a new box of baking soda and
scrub the inside with baking soda and water.
Eliminate clutter
The way you live in a home and the way to
sell a home are two entirely different propositions. If
you are moving, why not get rid of old junk now so that
your house will appear larger?? More spacious?? Look carefully
room-by-room and pack up 30 percent of the accessories and
consider it advanced packing. Think back to model homes
you have visited. Compare their countertops, their coffee
tables, end tables with yours. Enough said?
As you pack up these items, box, label, and
stack them neatly in your garage—floor to ceiling.
Go ahead and pack collections and family photos you have
displayed. With your personality in evidence, buyers find
it difficult to “mentally move in.”
Pack away any items you don’t absolutely
need from cabinets and closets to create the perception
of roominess. Keep only a week’s supply of linens
and stack them neatly. Remove out-of-season clothes from
closets and pack them for storage in the garage. Arrange
everything neatly—for the appearance of roominess.
Take another look. Are the rooms still cluttered?
Perhaps removing an extra chair, a side table, or a gigantic
sofa would be an option.
Carpet or flooring
Is the carpet or flooring worn, stained,
and outdated? Would a good cleaning be adequate, or should
you consider investing in replacement. A light, neutral
color makes rooms look larger and cleaner. A new rough-textured
welcome mat will help to keep your floors cleaner during
showings.
Interior walls
Fresh paint represents a modest investment
in time and money and will add dollars to your final selling
price. Choose light, neutral colors for greatest appeal—flat
latex paint for walls except kitchen and baths where you
will need semi-gloss. Wood trim would also need semi-gloss.
KITCHEN and BATHS can make your sale
Launch a “clean kitchen and bath”
campaign. Everything should sparkle—sink free of dirty
dishes, appliances wiped clean inside and outside, counter
tops clean and uncluttered, floors and baseboards cleaned,
fixtures in bath sparkle, designer towels on display. A
litter box in the shower will make that area mentally “off
limits” to non-cat lovers. Imagine that you are competing
for the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL.
Storage areas
If you have an attic, you may consider emptying
it to display the full value of this much appreciated but
often neglected storage space. Clean and brighten the basement
with light paint and large wattage light bulbs.
GARAGE—the champion catch-all
of every house!
Cleaning oil stains from the floor and applying
a coat of paint will make a great difference. As you
return things to the area, pack everything that you won’t
absolutely need. Stack these boxes and those you have packed
from the house so that everything looks neat and organized.
In the process, dispose of any of the things you no longer
use and don’t intend to move with you.
Lastly—RENOVATIONS
The old adage that the most important consideration
in real estate is Location, Location, and Location applies
equally when it comes to renovations to property you plan
to sell. A poor location diminishes the value of nearly
every improvement—the more undesirable the location,
the less likely that improvements will benefit the sale.
One renovator spent $25,000 gutting and rebuilding
a rundown home in an older part of the city. Normally, that’s
a fine idea; but the house happens to be on one of the busiest
north-south streets in the city—and the only renovation
for several miles in either direction. After six months
the renovator’s ads took on a distinctly desperate
tone. When he eventually sold, he indeed lost money. Follow
a general rule of avoiding renovations, which make your
house the most expensive in your area. You or your tenants
will reap the benefits, but the price you receive when you
sell will likely be dragged down by the neighborhood . .
. it won’t reflect your added investment.
SPECIFICS
Bathroom. Improving and modernizing
an existing bathroom or adding an additional one will be
a wise investment. It is easy and inexpensive to change
the wallpaper and add trendy plumbing and lighting fixtures.
Recaulk the tub and shower and repair leaky faucets.
Kitchen. Modernizing cabinet
and counter space to accommodate paraphernalia of the 90’s
will certainly boost marketability.
Light. Openness and light
get top billing from brokers and professional renovators.
Skylights, sliding patio doors, and enlarged windows enormously
increase salability. “We get as much space as possible
out of a home,” stresses one successful renovator
whose sole business is buying then gutting, rebuilding,
and reselling older homes.
Fireplace. This also gets
top marks. Those in older homes may need to be rebuilt or
reopened.
Attics. Opening unused attic space to create
either a loft-type study or a high ceiling on the second
floor is an option in some homes.
Extra bedroom. This is important,
particularly in a two-bedroom home. It is likely to raise
the market value of your home above the cost of making the
addition.
Other choices might include adding a garage,
cleaning the sooty brick facade, adding a vaulted ceiling
upstairs. Whatever you decide about renovations, consider
carefully if your sole objective is to increase marketability—value
of property and also salability. If this is the case, determine
whether the cost will justify this end.
Ready to show!!
When an appointment has been made to show
your house, “set the stage” with these hints:
- During the day, leave all curtains and blinds open as
well as have lamps on if the day is cloudy. In the evening,
close blinds, curtains, and drapes and have lamps on.
Dimmer switches are very effective lighting tools. A house
that is light and bright has great appeal. Temperature
should be comfortably warm in winter and cool in summer.
- TVs off—put on soft background music.
- Add special accents that make your house appear comfortable
and inviting. An open cookbook on the counter, flowers
in a vase.
Now that you have “set the stage,”
plan to be away when your realtor has an appointment to
show your house—take children and pets with you. Prospective
buyers are usually more comfortable probing into closets
and storage spaces when the owner is not present. Be sure
that all doors are unlocked—you have nothing to hide.
Don’t be overwhelmed by all of these
pointers. Choose those, which will be most helpful to your
particular situation. If your agent offers advice, don’t
be offended because the suggestions are given to expedite
the sale of your house and to increase the profit to you.
Let’s Review:
- First impressions are all-important
- Exterior clean and fresh
- Easy access to encourage realtors to show
- Cleanliness prevails
- Clutter eliminated
- Carpets and flooring unstained
- Kitchen and baths sell homes
- Attic, basement, garage tidy
- To renovate or not to renovate, that is the question?
- The stage is set:
- Effective lighting
- Soothing music
- Pets, children, owners – take a long walk
- Show by appointment only – Anticipate your quick
sale
|
