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Author: Bill Marx
| Topics: | ||
| Personalization | First Impressions | |
| Packaging The Interior | Rooms On Display | Interior Rooms On Display | Basement And Garage |
Putting your home on the market and consummating an early sale requires much more than an ad in the paper and waiting for all the offers. You have to get the people in (price and features) and then entice them to buy (attractive and neutral appearance).
I'm sure you've noticed how tastefully the clothes at the department store are displayed. They want to entice you to buy that blouse or shirt so they artfully place attractive accessories in compatible surroundings. The same is true of display homes in new developments. A sparse arrangement of furniture with attractive accessories in a neutral surrounding provides an enticing display.
You wont see TV's in every room or that favorite (and threadbare) recliner with the beer cooler on the side, all of this sitting on that 1960 green shag carpet. So swallow your pride and package your home so the BUYER will like it.
This is to be a weekly feature with tips gleaned from my experience and a very nice Coldwell Banker "Home Enhancement Guide"
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Personalization: Everybody has family pictures, religious symbols, and souvenirs on display. But a disapproving Aunt Martha, or that Kiki mask from Hawaii wont make a prospective buyer very comfortable. You're probably not going to convert any buyer to your religion or politics in the short time they're touring your home so tone down religious displays, church music, and political preferences.
People may also have very different tastes in wallpaper and wall coverings. While you may have always loved that flowered and flocked wallpaper, all a buyer with different tastes thinks of is how big a job and how much will it cost to take it down. Most buyers don't want to deal with unknowns and they will always overestimate the cost and labor. Walls should be a neutral color so the prospective buyer can visualize his/her furnishings without walls dominating.
Pets can be a BIG deterrent. Some people are allergic and some are afraid. Pet or tobacco odors can turn people off. Their thoughts are of how difficult will it be to rid the carpets, basement and garage of these odors. Consider boarding or having a relative keep the pet at least during showings. If you must, restrain the pet and/or lock them in the laundry room or garage and put a note on the door. In any event, get rid of any odor and have a non-smoking neighbor without pets go through your home and see if any odors are apparent.
Unusual art or furnishings can dominate the display and detract from the surroundings. They can "turn people off". The buyers will have trouble visualizing their furnishings. Remember, you're not the one buying.
Grating sounds can cause people to not even enter. While you or your children may like loud, heavy metal rock music, or loud TV's, buyers don't as a rule. They're not there for a concert. Nor do they want to hear a baby crying or children fighting. Nice muted background music is recommended.
Any of the above may create a feeling on the prospective buyer's part that the house is dominated by someone else and interfere with the ability to "feel at home" and negate any opportunity for a sale.
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First Impression: You've probably
heard how important the first impression is to the value of your house. But did
you know that within 15 seconds a potential buyer has already developed an
attitude toward your property? What is needed therefore is for you to create the
best and most favorable first impression possible THE VISUAL LANDSCAPE Your
property's landscape includes not only the lawn and shrubs, but also everything
from the street to your doorstep. We call this "curb appeal". If it's
attractive, people will come in. If it provides a decrepit appearance,
prospective buyers will likely pass your house up.
Make sure there's no trash or debris in the street and bring your trash cans in as soon as the pickup occurs. Sweep your driveway and sidewalk and remove any weeds growing in the expansion cracks. don't leave cars parked in the driveway if you have a garage. If you must park in the driveway, wash the car.
A freshly painted fence gives a crisp look to your home. don't let peeling paint and a squeaky gate detract from an otherwise positive first impression. And trim the grass along the bottom. A quick coat of paint on your mailbox will show you care about the details. Neatly trimmed shrubs are essential, and don't forget the weeds in the landscaping. Maybe add some fresh mulch. Keep the lawn mowed. Add some fertilizer and keep it watered.
Take a walk around your house with a pencil and paper. How about the siding? If the vinyl or painted siding is OK, at least wash it off with a hose and brush. A fresh coat of paint on the trim and garage door goes a long way. And remember, choose neutral colors. Not everyone likes bright colors and you're trying to entice a buyer, not please yourself. Make sure the screens are undamaged. Fix them if necessary. Fix any cracked windows too, and don't forget to wash them. Check around the doorbell and doorknob. Invariably dirty fingerprints are obvious--wash them.
Remember the doorway provides the entry into your home. A repainted door and clean porch light fixture indicates a well-maintained home. Put a flower pot with blooming flowers on your porch. If your roof is old and needs replacing, and especially if it leaks, consider replacing the roof before showing the property. Finally, check your gutters and downspouts for leaves and debris, and make sure they're straight and any defects wont be noticed.
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Packaging the Interior: There are many
ways to create a more exciting and saleable interior, which can be achieved at
surprisingly little cost. Sensory selling tools such as sight, sound, and smell
can have an enormous impact on a potential buyer, so every effort should be
taken to enhance these tools and make them attractive, to the buyer and not
necessarily the seller. Maybe you've gotten used to the dog smell in the
basement, but I can assure you, the buyer hasn't and can easily reject the
house.
Light: It is proven that people react more favorably to property shown under bright light than dark, so keep windows clean and the blinds open. Use bright bulbs in the light fixtures. Use mirrors to magnify the feeling of light and space. Use light and neutral wall colors, and turn on the lights and open the drapes for showing.
Color: A fundamental rule when selling your hose is to keep colors neutral and light. White is the most popular exterior color, and shades of white such as off-white and ivory are the safest choices for the interior. Avoid highly patterned wallpaper. You might love that flowered and flocked wallpaper, but you can be assured that most buyers will only think of how much it's going to cost to remove it. Limit your bright colors to accents such as pillows, flowers, and towels.
Sound: The sounds of peace and quiet are some of the best sounds to have when your house is being shown to a prospective buyer. Some things you should be aware of: Avoid barking dogs and noisy children, if possible. Avoid work sounds such as vacuums, dishwasher, and lawn mower. Fix any mechanical problems such as banging pipes and faulty appliances. Light background music can be played during showings.
Smell: Smell has much more impact than you might expect. That musty basement is anathema to someone with asthma, and they invariably leave immediately. Get yourself a dehumidifier. Pet odors are obnoxious to some people and some are allergic to dogs or cats. don't reduce your potential market. Take your pets somewhere else and remove the odors as much as possible. Offer to clean carpets for any buyers. The smell of newness is positive. This scent can be achieved by applying a fresh coat of polyurethane to natural wood or latex paint to walls. Clean your kitchen and wax your furniture and use products with a lemon smell. Fresh flowers can be effective, or use some potpourri in the room, but sparingly. don't overdo it. For a real heart warming touch, place a dish of vanilla in a warm oven to create the aroma of fresh-baked cookies or bread. Avoid smells like strong pet odors, tobacco, oil, and heavy cooking odors.
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Rooms on Display: There are many ways
to create a more exciting and saleable interior, which can be achieved at
surprisingly little cost. As you walk into the home, the entry way provides the
first impression. Here you have the opportunity to make a big statement in a
small area. A light, bright and freshly painted entry gives a positive image.
Try moving a prized antique or attractive decoration or conversation-piece to
the entry. Make the floor shine if wood or tile. Put bright bulbs in the light
fixture, and make sure it is dusted and clean.
The kitchen is perhaps the most important room in the house. How attractive it looks will have a major impact on the sale of your home. It has been said (and I can attest) that most homes are bought on the basis of the kitchen (and master bedroom). Make sure the room is clean and smells fresh. Try putting a section of a lemon in the disposal and grinding it up. If your appliances are dated by colors like avocado or harvest gold, consider having them professionally refinished in some color like almond or white. It's surprisingly inexpensive considering the cost of new ones. Remove small appliances and gadgets from counter tops to give an uncluttered look. You might consider replacing worn or damaged linoleum, and wash those fingerprints off cabinet fronts. Fresh paint in a neutral color brightens the room considerably. And make sure the light fixtures are clean and have bright bulbs.
The bathroom is another important room. It's important to try to mask or improve any deficiencies. Replace that old, cracked toilet seat. Place all personal care articles out of sight. Replace any discolored towel rack or light fixture. And clean the light fixture and put in bright bulbs. Freshen the air with lemon scented products, and add color and richness with new towels and a nice shower curtain. Polish the fixtures too. Finally, add a vase of flowers to the vanity.
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Interior Rooms on Display: There are
many ways to create a more exciting and saleable interior, which can be achieved
at surprisingly little cost. The living room is an area we do very little living
in yet it is an important selling point of a house. Buyers look for elegant and
impressive living rooms to make the right statements to their friends and
relatives. There are quite a few inexpensive things that can be done to enhance
the room decor. Pack away your knickknacks and family photo albums. Most buyers
aren't interested, and if they are, they'll look at the knickknacks and ignore
the room anyway. Remove excess furniture and experiment with placement to make
the room look bigger. Use mirrors whenever possible to enhance the perception of
size. A fireplace is one feature that everyone can appreciate. If you have one,
show it off to its best advantage. Sweep it clean and make sure the screen is in
good condition. If your house is being shown during the winter, make a cozy,
crackling fire. During warmer months, you can dress up the hearth with fresh
indoor plants or dried flowers. Try placing a little pot-pourri on the mantle.
Free-standing "can" lights behind large plants or furniture can
produce dramatic visual effects. Professionally clean wall-to-wall carpet or
large area rugs. Clean windows and light fixtures. Make sure all cosmetic
plaster cracks are repaired. Use lemon oil on hardwood furniture to create the
right look and aroma.
The master bedroom is, along with the kitchen,
one of the major selling points of a home. That massive water bed and dresser
can really make a room look small. Consider replacing it with a smaller bed and
dresser during the selling period. Store any extra furnishings. And clean the
carpet, too. Wash the windows and light fixtures and polish the furniture with
lemon oil. Organize your closets. Pack away any clothes out-of-season or that
don't fit anymore. Leave about 5 empty hangers. And, if there is a divorce
situation, leave some clothes of the opposite sex hanging in the closet. Buyers
think they can take advantage of the situation and you don't want to give them
any help.
The other bedrooms can benefit from removal of extra furniture too. Again the
sight and smell provisions apply, so clean and polish. Organize and clean the
closets by removing out-of-season clothes. And paint the walls in the children's
rooms. Undoubtedly they've been marked up.
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Basement and Garage: Hopefully, you've
been down in the basement since you bought the home, and stored all your excess
belongings there. You'd be surprised what buyers think of a home that looks nice
upstairs but has a dark, damp and dreary basement. The buyers will who see a
clean, dry and organized basement will have much more confidence in your
property and its maintenance than if it were smelly and in a state of disarray.
There are a few simple things you can do to help make it palatable.
First, put some bright bulbs in the light fixtures. Then borrow, rent, or buy a dehumidifier if your basement is damp or has a musty smell. I've seen people turn around and walk out of the house when they encounter the damp, musty basement. If you have a leaking basement, call the Crack Team and get the leaks fixed immediately, and it's not as expensive as you might think. Paint the stairs and the stairwell. Undoubtedly people have left handprints on the walls. And clean away the cobwebs. Pick up everything off the floor and put in boxes or on shelves. And if there's too much, rent a storage locker and store there, not in the basement. If you have any kind of pests, call the pest control man and get rid of them. don't leave mouse traps or roach hotels out. Clean and organize your laundry area if in the basement.
A well organized garage speaks well of your house; however, if there is one location the woman ignores, it's the garage. Men look at garages and generally overlook some clutter. But please be able to get the car(s) in and out. Clean up any oil stains from your car and try to get rid of some of the junk. Think of having a garage sale right away. It gets rid of things and it forces you to clean up the garage.
In conclusion, by showing attention to detail and understanding the BUYER'S need to visualize furnishings and accessories against a clean and neutral backdrop without distractive clutter, you will dramatically increase the salability of your property. By packaging your house properly, you can achieve the best price in the shortest period of time.
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