Los Gatos Weekly-Times
Homes
Realtors offer tips on preparing a house for sale
By Rose Meily
As the housing market returns to normal levels, it's even more important for sellers to price their homes right and make sure their homes show well. So banish the clutter! Trim the bushes! Hide the unicorn collection! Remove the black-velvet painting of Elvis!
Thomas M. Stevens, president of the National Association of Realtors, says higher interest rates slowed home sales during the first half of the year, and buyers are "on the sidelines trying to time the market." Under these market conditions, it is especially important to create a great first impression and make your house appealing to buyers, according to Coldwell Baker Realtor Leannah Hunt. She advises sellers to make sure their home looks best the first time it's open to prospective buyers.
When you put the house up for sale, its curb appeal is critical to getting a prospective buyer out of the car, and to the front door to see what is inside. Landscaping is a relatively inexpensive yet cost-effective way to tie your home and the front and back yards seamlessly together.
"First impression is important when selling a home," says Hunt. "It's that old-fashioned curb appeal. Make sure everything is neat outside. If you have tall hedges and shrubs, trim them. It goes back to that saying, 'You can't buy what you can't see.' "
Hunt is a member of the 2006 Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and also a state director for the California Association of Realtors. She has 18 years of experience as a residential specialist.
Staging has also helped sell homes, says Hunt. "Some homes are over 30 years old. Staging gives homes a fresh face, a fresh look."
Aileen La Bouff agrees with Hunt. She says, "Your house has to be perfect inside. Staging really works!"
La Bouff is also a board director for the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors. She is an accredited staging professional and residential specialist, with 17 years experience in the construction and real estate industry. "Selling your home successfully requires attention to detail and expert marketing. My role is to help you present your home in a compelling and polished way, and bring to you the buyers that matter," La Bouff says.
Staging involves making a house clean and clutter-free so people can connect with your home. "The purpose of staging is to make people feel comfortable when they come into your house, and add a bit of taste and style to your house. The end goal is to show the house at its best," explains La Bouff.
The longtime Realtors share a list of MUSTs that sellers should do when preparing their house for sale:
* Make the entry to your home inviting.
"Make sure your front yard and entryway look really good and inviting," advises La Bouff. "Do a general clean-up, sweep off the leaves and dirt, and plant flowers that are blooming. Have color spots with flowers that are in season."
"Make sure your house is sparkling clean," Hunt advises sellers. "Cleanliness is paramount when showing a house. Wash the windows in and out, clean the bathrooms, and if needed apply a coat of fresh paint indoors using neutral colors. Buyers want to see a clean house."
* Declutter.
"Take away the extra furniture and other items that are not essential to the room. This will make a room look larger and show nicer," recommends La Bouff. "Clear the high traffic areas to maximize that feeling of spaciousness."
La Bouff says the concept of minimalization is best when showing a house because it gives people a feeling of neatness and maximizes the feeling of space.
She notes, "Sellers should stand at the threshold and look into their house wearing the hat of a prospective buyer and take a business-like approach to the sale. Sell the kitchen and bathroom counter space by storing away the extra appliances, putting away utensils, dish racks, soap dishes and other clutter."
* Depersonalize the space.
"Buyers want to envision their own things in the house--not the seller's collections and pieces," according to Hunt. "So take away the hat collection, the chess collection and any other collections you may have. If buyers see them, they are left with the vision of the collection and not the house."
Also, minimize photos. Hunt explains that a photo wall with family pictures can personalize a house so much that "prospective buyers may not be able to picture themselves living in the house."
* Let there be light.
Both Realtors also recommend that sellers to make sure all the lights in the house work. High-wattage bulbs make the house look brighter inside. "It's important that all the rooms look bright," suggests Hunt. "Increase the wattage in light bulbs, especially in the laundry room, kitchen and bathrooms, and for showings turn on lights in every room."
* If you can, stage your house.
Staging has become popular in the last 20 years. Sellers can place old furniture in rented storage units and hire professional stagers to update their home with different furniture and other accessories.
Cost of staging depends on the condition of the house, says La Bouff, with some houses requiring only a small amount of staging, like a few pieces of furniture and some accessories.
La Bouff says, "Preparing the property for sale depends on its condition. A big part of selling is getting the house ready to sell. Staging is preparation of the house from start to finish. It's not just bringing in the furniture, it's making the house inviting and adding some dramatic decorations that would identify its potential. And from my experience, it really works."
