If you're serious about selling your home and want to give it the best advantage in the marketplace...or if you're thinking of remodeling with an eye for future value (and who wouldn't?), here are 7 ideas worth considering.
1. A Pleasant Entry
This is the first impression, like the front door and porch, take into consideration sprucing up and defining the space where a prospective buyer first enters your home. A small table with a vase or sculpture, a coat rack or wall mirror with shelf can define even a home that does not have a formal or delineated entryway.
2. Hardwood Floors
Most buyers prefer hard surfaces to carpet as they are easy to clean, don't gather dust and can be enhanced with area rugs. (If you have ever seen a carpet underlayment filled with dirt, even a year after installation, you know why wall-to-wall carpet is gross!) Tile that is timeless (like saltillo or travertine) and in good condition is also a plus. Pergo, or other laminates, are also superior to carpet and less expensive. However, the plastic quality of the surface is not like the richness of real wood flooring and is best suited for secondary spaces like offices or play rooms)
3. Beautiful Bathrooms
Dated bathrooms (unless they're truly vintage) are a turn off. Fixtures don't need to be expensive to look attractive. Continuity of color and style gives any room a pleasing finished look, especially a bathroom. Get rid of the old brown-stained vanities, the formica or faux-marble countertops, the uncomfortable small tub and fiberglass shower surround, the cheesy light fixtures and faucets. Use tile or real stone, choose fixtures (lights, sinks, mirrors, towel racks) that match the style of the cabinets (traditional, modern, etc.). Walls can be painted with a semi gloss or venetian plaster. (See post on Decorating with Paint). Match soft goods (shower curtain and towels). Dimmers on lights, as in any room, can create atmosphere. Voila! A remodeled beautiful space to entice and enjoy.
4. Kitchens
Countertops make the biggest impression. Most people want solid surfaces, not tile with grout lines or formica. Slab granite (pricey) is particularly popular but there are imitations and substitutes in soapstone and Corian composite surfaces. Butcher block, a less expensive alternative can give more of a rustic feel. If you're buying new appliances, stainless steel is the most popular, followed by black. Be sure to ask about rebates for Energy Star appliances and discounts for everything you buy (even if just free delivery and hauling away old appliances). Declutter and organize your cabinets and pantry.
5. Closets
Closet organizers bring order to chaos. Get matching hangars, sort hanging clothes in some logical order (all shirts together, pants together, by color, etc.). Organization creates a sense of calm. Home buyers may not notice this consciously, but it registers as positive feelings about your space.
6. Lighting
Lighting, like organization of stuff, can be a subtle and often overlooked aspect of preparing a home for sale. There are 3 types of lighting of which to be aware and balance in every room: ambient, decorative and task. Balanced natural light is best for daytime, but many homes have too much or too little and, in any case, evening lighting is ultimately what concerns most people. Every room should have an overhead light or lamp that can be switched from the doorway. Replacing an overhead fixture for style is an easy option. Auto lights for closets or touch-sensitive under-counter lights can solve some task lighting problems, using batteries, without requiring an electrician.
7. Landscaping
In the Southwest, where water conservation is always in style, tidy rock gardens, colorful bushes and perennials, well-installed hardscape (flagstone, brick, stamped concrete), stone walls, a water feature can give definition to otherwise chaotic or bland spaces. In other parts of the country, a small lawn and defined flower and tree areas are attractive. As in all remodeling or changes in a home, consider ease of maintenance, cost, resource and energy efficiency.
If you are considering listing your home for sale, call us for a free consultation in the Santa Fe, NM area - (505) 995-0195 - or for referrals to excellent brokers wherever you live.
Paraphrased from HGTV article: http://www.frontdoor.com/Sell/10-Things-That-Make-Buyers-Bite/64/p1
2 comments:
How about fresh baked cookies awaiting prospective buyers?! I once visited on open house that had a platter of cookies and I tell you, I was ready to make an offer in an instant! Really adds to the 'homey' feeling
Maia, yes, good point. When you have your home on the market and there is a showing, making sure the house smells good (baking cookies or cinnamon or fresh-cut flowers) is another sense we can evoke, along with beautiful music quietly playing on the stereo. I can't tell you how embarrassed I've been (for the sellers and their agent) when showing homes with stinky cat boxes, overflowing garbage can, unflushed toilets with the seat up, etc.
Most buyers are seeing (or not) how the home matches their imago. This is a very personal emotional aspect and nothing a homeowner can do about it. But what they can do is not create stumbling blocks through ignoring clutter, messes, outdated or dirty fixtures, soiled carpet or paint, etc.
Often people have lived with their messy comfort level for so long they can't see it through the eyes of a prospective buyer. And, interestingly, when sellers take the advice of their agent to declutter, clean, renovate, they often comment, "I didn't realize how much I was missing. I really love this house now!"
Why don't we live with this gift of love for ourselves all the time? Ah, that's another blog entirely.
Post a Comment