One
of the major factors in getting your house to sell quickly is simple -
make it attractive! Most buyers select their home based
on emotion and then justify the decision with facts, so it is important
to make the house inviting and pleasant. Yours is not the only property
the prospective buyer will see. You are competing with model homes,
homes that may have been professionally decorated, and homes that have
no children and no pets living in them.
Are shrubs overgrown? Oil in the driveway? How does the
grass look? Do the flower beds need weeding and mulching? Try very hard
to see your grounds through an independent observer’s eyes. Trim the
shrubs or plant new ones if they are lacking. Houses with no landscaping
in the front lose thousands of dollars of value in the mind of the
buyer. Adding a few well-placed blooming flowers also adds appeal. If the grass in the front yard is particularly
non-existent, consider sodding. Do some price shopping on this; sod is
not cheap but there are some good prices available. Let’s say it cost
$600 to sod the front yard, but your house payment is $800 per month. If
you save one month of selling time, you are $200 ahead. (By the way, you
can probably get away without sodding the back yard.) Next go around and clean up the yard. Remove any toys,
tools, and/or building supplies. Here’s the acid test: if you don’t see
it in a model home yard, don’t have it in yours. That goes for the bag
of charcoal by the grill, too; however, the (non-rusty) grill can stay.
If your grill has rusted, remove the rust spots by scrubbing with a wire
brush or with coarse steel wool dipped in kerosene. After the rust is
removed, clean the entire piece with mineral spirits. When the grill is
completely dry, paint with a brush or spray paint.
Don’t overlook the house numbers or mailbox. These are
the first things the prospective buyer will see when they drive down
your street looking for the house. It only takes a few minutes to paint
them and the first impression they make will certainly be worth it.
Is the paint on the house itself fading or chipping? Is
the color outdated or too personal? Is mildew or mold growing anywhere?
If the house needs painting, choose a neutral color. White, cream (not
yellow) and light gray are good colors for appealing to most people. Use
contrasting colors for shutters: black, rich brown, and medium gray are
all good. (One note about gray: avoid blue-based gray; it usually turns
out looking like you painted your house blue which is something you
would not want to do for resale purposes!) Doors and molding may match
the house or may match the shutters depending on the amount of contrast
created. If you want some ideas for paint combinations, go look at 3 or
4 model home communities that cost $20,000-$50,000 more than your
neighborhood and copy one of them. One last note on painting: always
give the front door and door trim a fresh coat of paint or stain even if
you paint nothing else. Buyers stand at the front door waiting to get
in; give them a good first impression. If your house was painted recently or if it is a
non-painted surface but is dirty, have it pressure-washed. Also
pressure-wash mildewed wooden decks and even sidewalks and driveways
that may have oil stains. Have it professionally done or do it yourself
using a solution of 2 gallons of water, 2 cups of chlorine bleach, 1 cup
of powdered detergent, and 1 cup of powdered dish washing detergent.
Caution: to prevent damage to shrubs or grass, wet surrounding areas
thoroughly before cleaning as well as rinsing the greenery of all
cleaning solution afterwards.
Go through room by room and pack up 30% of the
accessories. If you doubt the wisdom of this, go back to those model
homes and compare their countertops with yours, their coffee tables and
end tables with yours. See what I mean? The cardinal rule is this: “The way you live in
a home and the way you sell a home are two different things.” I
know this will take some time and may seem like a nuisance, but remember
you are in competition with other properties. He who wins the Good
Housekeeping Award probably sells his house first . . . and for the
highest dollar. Also look at it this way, you are going to be moving
anyway, so just consider this advance packing. By the way, label the
moving boxes and stack them neatly in the garage-floor to ceiling.
Specifically, pack any collections and family photos you have displayed.
Too much of your personality in evidence does not allow for the
potential buyer to “mentally move in.” Pack everything from the cabinets and all closets that
you do not need on a routine basis. You want to create the perception of
roominess. In the linen closet, remove everything but a week's worth of
linens. Fold them neatly and color coordinate them. I'm not kidding;
this is the stuff sales are made of. In the clothes closets, remove out-of-season clothes.
Pack them away and put them in the garage. Arrange your shoes neatly.
Hang your clothes by category: all blouses together, all shirts
together, and so on. Now take another walk through the house. Are there
rooms that are cluttered with too much furniture? Remove extra chairs,
side tables, and maybe even the 100" sofa which is really too big for
the room. (Notice how decorators use small pieces of furniture).
Minor redecorating is recommended. If your carpet and
flooring are outdated colors or style, change them. Light-colored carpet
and vinyl are best; this makes the rooms look larger and cleaner. If the
existing carpet padding is 5/ 8" thick or more and is not worn down,
reuse it (unless the pets have done a number on it). If replacing the
pad, select a very thick one and then install just a modest grade of
carpeting. The feel will be plush and expensive, but it's not. If carpeting is in good condition and neutral in color,
have it cleaned. If your vinyl flooring is worn or outdated, replace it
with off-white vinyl. If the vinyl is in good condition and light
colored, scrub it thoroughly paying special attention to buildup of dirt
or wax around the baseboards and in corners.
If painting is required, use flat latex except in
kitchens and baths where you will use semi-gloss latex . If walls are
dirty, experiment to see if scrubbing them is easier than painting. To
remove finger smudges on woodwork rub them with kerosene. Clean wood
paneling with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of turpentine, 3 tablespoons of
olive oil and 1 quart of warm water. Wipe dry. If you have wallpaper, make sure it is clean and up to
date. If not, strip it. (Hint: some wallpaper is easy to strip if first
sprayed with window cleaner. After stripping it, either paint or
re-wallpaper, depending on the condition of the walls. Sponge painting
is also an easy, attractive alternative. Repair badly cracked plaster, loose door knobs, and
crooked light fixtures. Correct faulty plumbing. Leaky faucets can
discolor porcelain and call attention to plumbing defects. To remove
mineral stains from such leaks, pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain,
then sprinkle with cream of tartar. Leave this for 30 minutes before
scrubbing. Bad stains may require 2 or 3 applications.
If you do not have time or the inclination, hire
someone to thoroughly clean the house. Clean windows inside and out.
Clean everything down to the mini-blinds, curtains, and drapes. In the kitchen, clean appliances inside and out. Remove
grease and grime by scrubbing with undiluted vinegar. Scrub the inside
of the refrigerator with baking soda; not only does it not scratch, but
it removes odors. Get rid of kitchen odors by pouring hot salt water
down the drain twice a week. Grind citrus peels or apple cores in the
garbage disposal. Have bathrooms scrubbed to pass a white glove
inspection. If tubs or sinks are rusting, have them reglazed. Clean
grouting of the tiles with Tilex. Recaulk the tub and shower. Clean
fixtures with white vinegar. Scrub rust spots from chrome with grade
number .000 steel wool dipped in kerosene. If you have some appliqués in
the tub which have seen their better days, remove them by scrubbing with
a kerosene-soaked cloth. Then rub the remaining adhesive with a cloth
and cooking oil until all traces of the adhesive are gone. If you are at
home, light a small candle for atmosphere and pleasant (not
overpowering) aroma. Hang a set of designer bath towels on the most
prominent rack complete with verbal instructions to your family not to
use them! (Remember, you're in show biz now.)
If you have pets, you need to get rid of pet odors and
it is recommended that the pets themselves be kept out of the way and
out of the house during showings, if possible. Some people are uneasy
around animals and they may detract from the prospect's attention.
Getting pets out of the way is, unfortunately, much easier than getting
pet odors out of the way. If flooring has been repeatedly stained, you'll
probably have to replace it to get rid of the smell. And that means the
carpet, the pad, the carpet strips, and the baseboard trim; the sub
flooring will need to be treated to kill the odor. Put a small uncovered
dish of vinegar in the room where your pet sleeps; this will remove
“doggy” smells. Of course, put the dish off the floor so the dog doesn't
drink the vinegar! To absorb odors in the cat litter box, add a cup of
baking soda to the litter. (By the way, please remove the litter box
from the shower or tub. To non-cat lovers, you have just made your
shower or tub mentally off-limits). Food smells can work for you or against you. Baking
bread, cookies, and pies all smell good. Spaghetti sauce is a delicious
smell. Frying fish or liver and onions is objectionable. And of course,
the smell of cigarette smoke is offensive to many. If your house has an
unpleasant smell, use scented candles, fragrant fresh flowers, or air
freshener spray. Two other options are Ozium, a commercial preparation
to remove odors from the air rather than mask them, and Glade Plug-in's
which you find at your grocery store.
This area is the catch-all where everything goes that
has no place to go, so it is usually a mess. Therefore, if your storage
area is neat, one would surmise that you must really take good care of
the whole house. Now you are going to say I am becoming extreme, but
believe me, this works every time. Empty everything out of your garage.
Hose down the floor; if there are stains remaining, paint it porch gray.
Paint the garage walls off white using a flat latex paint. If the hot
water heater is in the garage, wipe it down so it looks brand new.
Polish the copper pipes. Now - after the paint is dry - put everything
back in the garage piece by piece. Throw out what you will not be taking
with you. Pack what you can and add to the stack of neatly labeled
boxes. Then organize what's left. If you have a storage shed, organize it the same way
and if it needs a coat of paint or stain, do it. An open bag of charcoal
will absorb moisture in the storage shed. If you have too much “stuff”
for the shed, rent a small storage unit. Uncluttering can make all the
difference in the world.
During the day have all your curtains and blinds open.
If the day is cloudy, turn on all lamps as well. At dusk, put blinds
down but leave them open. Leave drapes open. Turn on all lamps. Overhead
lights should be turned on but dimmed by 40%. (Installing dimmers is
easy and very effective for “setting the stage.” I highly recommend
putting a dimmer on every switch plate in the house). At night, use the same lighting formula as above, but
close all the blinds, curtains, and drapes. Adding candlelight is very
effective. Turn off the televisions during all showings of your
house as they are distracting. Put on soft background music. Once you
have “set the stage,” leave the house for the agent to show it.
Prospects can more easily look at the house with no distractions. They
will also feel more free to ask questions of the agent. Finally, buyers
can mentally move in better without the current owners around. Your house should be comfortably warm in cold weather
and moderately cool in hot weather. Make sure your air filters are
clean; not only does this decrease your utility bills, but it makes the
house smell cleaner.
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