Preparing your Home

| step 1: preparing to sell | step 2: pricing | step 3: marketing | step 4: selling

Getting Started

Would you sell an old bicycle at a garage sale without wiping off all the dust on the seat, shining up the chrome or even making it functional? If you would, you might not sell the bike at all and even if you did you would certainly not bring the same price for it if you had you cleaned it up. The same question can be applied to selling a luxury car or vintage jewelry. I watch homes sell all the time for less than what they could have brought at market. Thousands of dollars can be lost and sometimes never gained at all when a home doesn’t sell. The reasons are dependent on the particular situation, but 9 times out of 10 you can attribute the lower sale to the house being unprepared and under marketed.

I have written this Preparing Your Home section to give my clients and anyone planning on selling their home an idea of what they can do to potentially enhance their profits and reduce the time their home is on the market.

Some people prefer to employ a real estate broker to advise them on what to fix, change, add or remove from their home before their sale, while others begin the process prior to getting an agent involved. Either situation works, the question is whether you want to manage the preparation and guesswork or whether you would like professional insight into “staging” and preparing your home. Design trends change all the time and knowing what color schemes, appliances and general assets to your home bring the most attention at the time you wish to sell is important. If you plan on getting the home prepared on your own here is some advice.

Think About Curb Appeal

Begin by grabbing a pen and paper and going out to street in front of your house.
Look at the house objectively. Taking an objective approach to preparing, staging and selling your home will make for a much smoother transaction so keep this in mind throughout the process. Not everyone sees your house the way you do. Not everyone may value a marble fountain in the front yard, a basketball court in the backyard or a pet door on each entrance. Look at your neighbors’ homes, look at the assets of your home and determine what changes and repairs will appeal to the largest market. If you have questions about what appeals to whom and who your target market is for your home and neighborhood, enlist a Real Estate Agent.

Landscaping

Ask yourself if the yard looks cared for, whether there are any dead plants which could be removed or areas which look bare. A front yard that is free of weeds, clutter and which has a well-mowed lawn are important. If your home is on a hill or has a well maintained yard free of grass then don’t worry about putting down sod, however know that anything that strays from the norm can reduce your target market.

Look at the colors in the yard. Spending just 50 bucks on annuals or a couple shrubs can make a world of difference. You may also think about bark dust. Bark dust provides a quick “cared for” look to a yard and can also be taken care of at a minimal expense.

I provide annual and seasonal gardening tips to my clients and prospective clients through my monthly newsletter. If you are interested in receiving it please simply contact me directly or sign up. (link to newsletter). I am also developing a full service staging company which will be able to take care of anything from trimming trees to painting interiors to placing a leased cello next to a fireplace.
In the meantime feel free to contact me for referrals to some of the few local companies who supply such services or look to your agent for the same.

Inexpensive items which may enhance your home's curb appeal:

• New Flowers
• Bark Dust
• A Street Address Sign
• Landscape Rocks
• A kick plate for your door
• A door knocker
• Painting your door
• A new Mailbox
• Potted Plants near your door step
• Window Boxes
• Lattice board and a creeping vine/plant

Preparing the INTERIOR

Go through the house and make note of everything that you can improve with minimal effort. Also note the items which need dire care and wouldn’t be acceptable to any buyer. Take care of the latter and prioritize the prior.

Are doorframes and walls dirty, are fixtures loose, is paint peeling, have you been asking yourself to update a particular light or window covering? If something needs repairing, make the repair unless it is cost prohibitive? 9 times out of 10 a buyer will request a repair prior to completion of the sale so taking care of it ahead of time saves you the hassle and makes your home more attractive at market.

• Light!
  Ask yourself how well lit your home feels. Having a well lit home with ample natural light here in Oregon is important. Dark homes take longer to sell and require a buyer with the foresight to make changes. Many times I advise my clients on paint colors which lighten up a room or encourage them to buy or move a lamp to a particular area to raise the light. Like the front yard you would be amazed at what a difference 50 dollars and some elbow grease can make.
• Clutter!
  Ask yourself if your rooms feel cluttered. This is very important. You may want to ask a family member or friend whose opinion you trust and typically accept. If you are using a real estate broker who cares about selling your home they should help you manage the removal of clutter and explain what steps to take to make your home presentable.
  
  I myself put my furniture and belongings in my garage when I sold my first home. The feeling of space is incredibly important. The less you have in your home to distract buyers the better. Clean countertops, shelves and tables are key.
  
  In many cases I advise my clients on packing things up in preparation for moving and staging their home. If your home has no place for the clutter then you may want to think about a public storage facility or donating to charity.

Should you Renovate before you sell?

Once you have decided you want to place your home on the market speak with a Real Estate Broker about your agenda.

Put simply, renovations can be quite costly and may not be the right selling point for your property. History tells us that most substantial renovations don’t bring short term gains and very rarely bring the same dollar you spent to make them.

Renovating your home is something that takes a significant amount of consideration and is specific to each home. If you have question regarding changes you are making or are thinking of making to your home prior to selling, please feel free to contact me via email.