Real Estate: Selling it Off
by
Mike Walker(As published in March 29, 2001 in Metro Weekly Magazine.)
Whether you're in the market to buy a used car, coat or credenza, your initial impression of the object can help determine whether you'll stay around long enough to evaluate its features. If you initially like what you see, you'll be more inclined to buy it (even with its one or two flaws) or - at the very least - haggle over its price with the owner.
On the other hand, if your first impression is negative, that the jewel before you will require too much money or time to make it shine, you'll probably walk away and not give it a second thought.
The same principle applies to the purchase of a condo, co-op or house. As the seller of a property you'll want to remember this as you prepare to show it to potential buyers. It's not that unusual for a person to fall in love with the first place they see and then head out to do some comparison-shopping. If, however, your house catches their senses and their heart, there's a good chance they'll come back and make you an offer.
In an ideal world, you'll have been keeping up your property a along so that when it comes time to sell all you'll have to do is spruce it up a bit. In an imperfect world, you may have to spend a few hours (and dollars) before showing it to the world.
Many factors go into making your home preferable to all the others someone may look at around town. There are things can do, however, that will make your stand out - some of them pretty simple. For instance, a welcome mat at the door can be inviting; placing vases of fresh flowers around the house will provide an instant sense of home; putting bright bulbs in all your lamps and keeping the shades and blinds open will give a sense of space; and clean (vacuumed, waxed, and polished) floors look spiffy.
Obviously, cleanliness being the next best thing to godliness, you'll want to make sure your home is free of dust and grime. Scuffmarks and their ilk should be removed from walls and touch-ups on the painting should be done. If the walls are in bad shape, says Jim Vaughn, repaint them. "Walls that have a lot of touch up on them look terrible."
Other steps you can take to make your home more presentable (and, therefore saleable) are:
Bathroom: Dripping faucets and running toilets are verboten Fix them before you try to sell. Check for damaged caulking around tub, shower and sink. The toilets, tubs and sinks all need to sparkle, says Jim Vaughn, who suggests using vinegar for the job. Clean the floor, put out fresh towels, and hang a new shower curtain.
Bedroom(s): Floors clean, clear under the bed, bed made.
Deck/balcony: Whether you're selling a house or apartment, make sure your deck or balcony is sparsely populated and clean.
Exterior: Of less concern in apartments (co-ops or condos), the "exterior" of a house is the very first thing visitors will see. The windows and doors should be in good condition, including caulking. Wash the window panes and clean the blinds. Sweep and wash down everything - sidewalks, siding, steps and stoops. Make sure gutters are free and clear, light fixtures are in good shape, the roof is in good - if not perfect - condition. If you expect night visitors, place bright bulbs in your outside lights. Make sure the door bell works, the mailbox looks mail-worthy, broken fences are mended, squeaky gates are silenced. and flowerbeds are free of weeds. Finally, find a place to hide the extra cars. boat and helicopter.
Exterior, Yard: If you have a yard, trim the lawn, tidy the shrubs, cut back the trees. and scoop the poop.
Garage: The garage should be shipshape, tidy and clean. You want to give the buyer the impression that a car actually fits in your garage. And if you do have a car, clean and polish that, too.
Heating and Cooling Systems: Make sure that the appropriate heating and cleaning systems are in good condition and doing the appropriate job for the day of the viewing. The last thing you need is to have heat in August or air conditioning in February. For those with wood burning fireplaces, Jim Vaughn suggests cleaning them out and stacking new firewood on the grate. "It's easier," he says, "to imagine a cozy fire than if there are chunks of partially burned wood on top of six inches of ashes. "
Kitchen: You won't be serving food off the countertops or the floor, but you want it to look as if you could if necessary. Like the bathroom, you want things to shine. Fix leaky faucets; organize the cabinets, drawers, and refrigerator (yes, someone is going to look in them); and store things you don't use. Vaughn says using baking soda and water does a great job of cleaning the stove and refrigerator.
Lighting and light fixtures: Make sure that all the lights are working and that the fixtures sparkle; don't forget to clean dead bugs from inside the light fixtures!
Sense Appeal: Appealing to the potential buyer's senses can be instrumental in securing a sale.
Take advantage of lights to increase a cheerful atmosphere, remove posters or signs that might be considered offensive, and use neutral paint colors on your walls to appeal to even the most conservative of Washingtonians. Schedule your viewings during times when outside noise (traffic, construction, etc.) will be at a minimum and think about using soft background music during the open house.
Diminish unwanted odors, such as animal smells, that can spell disaster at an open house. There are a multitude of ways to temporarily disguise odors, and probably the best known way is to oven-bake something fragrant prior to the open house (heaven knows you don't want to throw a pizza in the oven!). In lieu of that, Jim Vaughn suggests an alternative.
"If you want a pleasant aroma wafting through the house and don't want to deal with baking bread, put some cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in a small pan (with water) and simmer (don't boil). This combination is very clean and pleasant - much better than the chemical potpourri stuff." In this regard, Gretta Flint, an agent with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., likes to quote Barb Schwartz, a speaker and author of several real estate books: If you can smell it, you won't be able to sell it.Storage: It seems that the more space you actually have, the easier it is to fill it with clutter. But clutter is a deterrent to any home sale. Emptying your closets and basement into storage bins is a good way to handle this problem, offers Michael Kiminiski a local independent residential appraiser. "While no buyer is interested in how much of your stuff you've crammed into the available storage, they will be inspired by how much of their stuff these newly emptied spaces might hold."
Gretta Flint agrees and suggests storing items away from your home so that potential
buyers don't stumble over your hidden cache of possessions. "Often we accumulate too much stuff that keeps perspective buyers from seeing the actual house and having their eye cling to the stuff." It's a fact that half-filled closets look bigger than those crammed full; and empty attics and lofts signify that your house has lots of storage space.Ugly Furniture: Kiminiski suggests disposing of those "cute little side chairs and coffee tables". He says the "eat up valuable floor space, make it difficult to walk around, and strain the potential buyers' imagination as they try to place their cute little items around your living room."
Remember. your goal isn't to deceive the buyer or create an illusion that your property is better than it actually is; your goal is to hold their attention long enough to discover all the special qualities that make your home better than the next one on their list.
Try to look at your home from the buyer's perspective and consider carefully those things that would be important to you if you were going house hunting. Odds are that some of the things you use to judge someone else's property are the very things by which they'll judge yours.
If need be, consider having a friend walk around with you to help you determine needful areas. And, please, always consult with your agent prior to making even the smallest home improvement, as he or she is in a better position to know which enhancement will bring you
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