Real Estate Professional Network

LOW cost ways to help a home appeal to buyers by Laurel Grandle, REALTOR.

At a time when we have more than twice our normal inventory, improving a home's appeal is vital.  Anything we can do to assist a seller to make his home show better should be done.  Your sellers will welcome your ideas, so please add them to mine.

DON'T park your car in the drive way!  The ONLY thing your buyers can see is the garage doors!  Park on the street, across the street, etc., so that when you exit the car, your buyers are looking at the front of the home.

Make sure the front is pristine:  Refresh the paint on the front door with a glossy, eye-appealing color.  Use new hardware:  Make sure the brass handle, lock, kickplate are gleaming.  Paint shutters and wash the roofs; wash the exterior walls of vinyl.  So many of the homes in this area are prone to a darkening, attributed to mildew or mold...pressure washing with a commercial solution will remove the stains...use one with a retardant so it will last longer.

Add pots of colorful plants at the front door and a cheerful, welcoming door mat.

Pressure wash drive ways and walk ways...rear patios...they'll appear new!

Add mulch to the flower beds, trim the edges of the lawns.  I saw some beautiful solar lawn lights recently for $5.00 each and they are perfect for lightening dark areas, outlining a pond or flower bed, etc.  For daytime showings, water the lawn just before the showing...it will sparkle and glow!

INSIDE:  Reduce clutter:  put extra pieces of furniture in storage; book shelves should be about 1/2 full...add decorator items and keep the spaces "uncrowded".  Remove everything from the closet floors and your closets will look up to 3x larger!

Clean carpet, floors, replace grout and caulk as needed.

If the home needs minor repairs, do them now.  Replace ceiling tiles if they need it; fill in and paint cracks in ceilings and walls.  Fix a dripping faucet.  Put new, modern door pulls on cabinets in baths and kitchen, replace receptical covers and lubricate squeeky hinges on doors and cabinets.  If you keep the old door pulls, make sure they are tightened and that all sliding doors are secure on the tracks and open easily.

In the kitchen replace the doors and hardware.  Add under the cabinet lighting and replace all dated light fixtures.  Organize the pantry and the cabinets.  Make sure NOTHING is crowded.  Store extra items elsewhere.  Clean ovens, refrigerators, all appliances. Keep counters as uncluttered as possible.

STAGE SOME FURNITURE:  Moving furniture from the walls to form cozy sitting area, create a reading corner in a bedroom, place a leafy green plant in a corner and turn an awkward room into a home office.

Set the dining room table with your best china and crystal, napkins and flatware.  Put wine glasses on the fireplace or whirlpool tub.

Before the showing, light up the house...open all drapes, blinds, etc and turn on the lights.  Add brighter light bulbs, if necessary...all light fixtures should be very clean.  Put a lamp in any dark corner.  Clean all ceiling fans, baseboards and above all doors; in cold weather, have the fire burning in the fireplace

Have a floral arrangement in the entry and the master bedroom.  Use bright, colorful fruit in the family room and kitchen.  Put NEW hand soaps in the baths and fresh towels in the baths and  near the kitchen sink.

Make sure all animals and their food dishes and toys are removed from the home.  The owners love their pets, but the buyers may not appreciate them at all.  An excellent air purifier should be used on any home with pets.