We often focus on the inside of a home when planning to sell it and forget about the outside. Curb appeal gives a buyer a first impression, not only of your home — but also of you. To a buyer, a well kept home on the outside tends to reflect pride of ownership on the inside. Whether or not the assumption is true, is irrelevant when you are selling your home. You may never get a second chance to make first impression.
When we live for awhile in the same space, we often become blind, deaf and well, sometimes even dumb. How many times have you walked around that overgrown bush that has taken over your walkway, instead of just trimming it back? How often do you look at the weeds in your planting beds and try to convince yourself they are wild flowers? We all do it to varying degrees, so here are some reminders of things that need tending to when you are going to sell your home — clean the gutters, weed and mulch planting beds, cut back bushes, paint or power wash if the house looks dirty.
Sellers worry about the foyer in the entry, because in their minds it is the first thing a buyer will see. The truth is that the first thing a buyer sees is the front lawn.
When I bought my first home way back in 1993, I installed hardwood floors. My options were pretty basic, so it was an easy choice, simple traditional oak floors that would match the aesthetic of my 1929 built home. Oh how 18 years have changed the options for hardwood flooring. Now we have engineered hardwood, a greater selection of green materials, exotics and colors galore. We have a variety of textures to choose from and sheens as well, making the selection not only overwhelming, but somewhat confusing, since not all of these newer woods hold up the same over time.
Sometimes we remodel because we want to and other times it is because we have to. Foundation repair may require drilling through those hardwood floors, dishwashers leak or at some point we decide to replace the carpet in bedrooms with wood. It’s important to note that flooring whether wood, tile or even carpet goes in and out of style these days just like clothing. Matching up flooring becomes a nearly impossible task, so plan ahead. Buy extra tile and wood flooring, so if disaster strikes, you have some backup. My clients picked a home last year, purely because it was original. From the bathroom sink to the tile floors, it was mid-century modern throughout and it was being sold by the owners who built it. The house failed the static test which required the plumbers to go in through the 1965 tile flooring in order to fix the leak. It was so wonderful that the owners had planned ahead and had two extra boxes of the original tile, which really saved the aesthetic of the house. So, when you think about flooring, think ahead it may save you some grief and money in the future.
Let’s take a minute to talk about fences. Fences can certainly add data points to a home, and help it sell faster. They keep your pets and children in. They keep neighborhood pets and children out. Fences can provide privacy as well. Privacy is generally determined by material and height; which you don’t always have control over. City restrictions will determine height limits and may require a permit. Home Owners Associations will have restrictions as well, which may include allowed materials. For example, Granada Oaks requires stone and wrought iron and Plum Creek requires white picket fences.
When looking at houses keep fences in mind, so you can research what you would like to do in the future, before you purchase.
Don’t get too excited here. Try and control yourself, we don’t have medics standing by. I’m not Oprah, so I don’t have anything to offer you for free, except advice. When it comes to real estate though, I do have a list of favorite things. These are products that I have found over time that work well in regard to cleaning, staging and prepping a home for sale. Not all of them are pricey; in fact you may already have a few of them. I mention many of them in my listing presentations as I walk around a home to see what seller’s might need to do, to show their home in its best light. Here is a list my favorite things and why they made the list. They are in no particular order.
Drumroll please………………………..
Glade Vanilla Scented Plug-Ins
The Vanilla and Lilac scent is ok too. They give a nice warm undertone to a home. Seller’s have a tendency to make a home smell too fragrant. Buyers just want a home to smell clean, floral scents are often over powering.
Dyson Vacuum Cleaners
I am not going to get model specific, because I don’t think it matters. I have pets and have a tendency to kill my vacuum cleaner every 2 – 3 years. The Dyson picks up pet hair others leave behind. It is great for picking up after the kids as well.
Candles
Candles are a great staging tool, because they work in every room of your home. Try putting 3 together on a shelf, a dresser or centerpiece on a table. They give a home a warm feeling even when they are not lit.
Area Rugs
Buy a couple to help divide a large room up, and give smaller areas more definition.
Shoe Boxes
How many of you have a closet with empty show boxes? Shoe boxes are a great way to store items you don’t necessarily want potential buyers to see when viewing your home.
Bamboo
Bamboo lives a long time, just in water. It’s a great plant to add to a room even if you don’t have a green thumb. Try putting 3 stalks together in a clear vase with pebbles or glass beads.
Duvet Covers
Let’s face it, comforters can be pricey. Duvet covers are a great way to use the same comforter when you change the décor of a room. Or, if you need a new comforter you can save money and buy any pattern you want, because no one will see it with a duvet.
Kaboom
I use Kaboom on everything including my carpet. I advise you test an area before trying this.
Books
Books are another great staging tool that works in every room of a home.
IKEA
IKEA is a great store if you are looking to re-do a room, add extra storage or if you simply want to finish a room with items like bookshelves.
I have been trying to preview as many properties as possible in the morning, while everyone is still busy at work. Pictures can be deceiving for better or worse, and typically don’t show things like pantries, closets and sometimes even backyards. Previewing properties without clients helps us rule out some things not worth seeing in the heat of the day, which happens to be when you get out of the office. It allows us to focus on true possibilities in less time, which works out well especially with children in tow. Children generally love looking at houses, but when they are getting in and out of their car seats in the heat, they loose interest pretty quickly which makes it a trying time for all.
Someone is watching your pets, but who is watching your house?
I have seen some houses where the owners have been away on vacation. It is important to keep in mind when selling your home that plants need to be watered, garbage should be removed, and pools need to be tended to. I had a reader last week whose pool turned an unappealing shade of dark green while they were away. Just like keeping the house clean, pools need to be kept clean as well. Buyers don’t know that people may be away, they just think there may be a problem or the pool is not being maintained.
Upgrades are often priced for a moment in time, and aren’t going to add any profit 10 years from now, so choose them for you. I went on a listing appointment where the owner was pointing out all of the upgrades he paid for 10 years ago. Though certain features add substance like crown molding, other things just don’t. You may have paid $500 more for an upgraded bathtub 10 years ago, but understand it is now 10 years old. When I work with buyers on new construction, I ask this question. Are you doing this for you or the next owner? In all likelihood, the next owner isn’t going to be impressed with your upgraded light switch plate. Spend money on the things that will bring you joy, instead of trying to anticipate how someone might appreciate them in the future.
I’ve been flooded with questions lately by both Buyers and Sellers, and I love questions, because it means you are thinking. I would like to take a minute to share what some of my clients have been thinking about, since you might have the same questions racing through your head as well.
For Buyers, the more commonly asked question is how much money they need to buy a house. Unfortunately, there are too many variables that make question easy to answer. A credit score, downpayment and loan program are going to be the determining factors for this. Those factors, are not only going to determine what your costs, but they are also going to decide your buying power as well.
A 1% variation in an interest rate can mean a 10% change in your buying power. The debt to income ratio will also determine your buying power. Having a great credit score means that you show a history of paying back loans, and therefore you are less of a risk to a bank of defaulting on a loan. If you are going to buy a house or planning on moving up, your income has to reflect that you can afford to handle more debt. If a lender thinks you are just making it, with your current debt – you are not going to get approved for more.
What I generally tell Buyers, is to plan on at least 2 percent of the sales price, not including your down payment. Lenders escrow 3-8 months for taxes up front, which are typically the biggest portion of closing costs. You will also need 1% of the sales price in earnest money at the time we go under contract. In addition, you will need an inspection and title fees. So, the short answer is 2% of the sales price, but that does not include lender fees, which, depending on your loan program, could mean another 2%.
We often focus on the inside of a home when planning to sell it and forget about the outside. Curb appeal gives a buyer a first impression, not only of your home — but also of you. To a buyer, a well kept home on the outside tends to reflect pride of ownership on the inside. Whether or not the assumption is true, is irrelevant when you are selling your home. You may never get a second chance to make first impression.
