(Relatively) Quick Tips for Sellers
Me, getting ready to sprint between homes.
I see A LOT of houses. I mean, there are some weeks that I walk into 100 homes. Okay, I’m exaggerating, maybe 75ish. All I know is it’s a lot!
Because I work with both buyers and sellers, I stay on the pulse of real estate human behavior. I guess you could call me a real estate behavioralist. Or a Realtor anthropologist. Or clinically insane. Probably a mix of all three.
The first time I walk through a house with a buyer is extremely important. I see exactly how much a bad first impression impacts how the rest of the showing goes. I know exactly the kinds of details that buyers home in on, along with what major things they often overlook.
Impressions are formed VERY quickly. It’s why sometimes homes that have pricey updates still needed (super old furnace, roof, A/C unit, etc.) might sell for just as much as a home that has all of that done but doesn’t “show as well”.
While every home is unique, so the “punch-list” (list of items I give to sellers to be completed prior to going on the market) will always be different, there are certain things I see again and again. I’m going to focus on simple, low/no-cost tips that, when taken all together, can greatly increase the impression a home has on a buyer, ultimately yielding more and higher offers.
Clean Your Entryway
This sounds pretty simple and obvious, right? And yet, at least half the homes I show are riddled with cobwebs, dirt, detritus, and other general icky stuff.
Seriously, it will take maybe 5-10 minutes to get a broom and sweep everything away.
If you want to REALLY go the distance, make sure the doorbell is attached properly and in working order (SO many homes have broken doorbells with exposed wiring), check that the porch light is working and on, and completely wipe down the front door. Bonus points for putting a fresh coat of paint on the door and setting out some flowers (real if you can care for them, fake if you can’t).
Speaking of Curb Appeal…
This is a great example! Fresh coat of eye-popping paint on the door, existing shrubs trimmed with a few news ones dotted in, and loads of fresh mulch. Perfect! (It sold quickly, too.)
It’s not just the name of that old HGTV show. If you’re debating what part of the home to put some elbow grease into, you can rarely go wrong with cleaning up the front yard. Trim down the overgrown shrubs, or conversely, plant some stuff if it’s a completely blank space. It doesn’t matter a lot what you plant, just fill it in a little.
Always lay down fresh mulch in all garden beds, even if there’s not much of a “garden” to speak of. Pull (or spray) the weeds first if you can.
If, like most people, you can’t in good conscience call your grass “sod” and usually affectionately refer to it as your “well-mowed weed patch”, then consider ripping it out and laying down new sod (if the yard is small), or seed it if you have plenty of time and the season is right (don’t seed in summertime).
If the yard is larger, and it’s still about 70% grass or more, then spray some broadleaf weed killer and put down some grass seed when the weeds die. (Works best during wet times of year and you might need to put down some soil. Here’s an article about overseeding a cool-season lawn (that’s what we all have here in the Portland metro area.)
If it’s 50% weeds or more, then keep it mowed low and EDGE the “lawn” as though it were a private golf course. Then put some mulch down along the edges and be amazed at how much better it looks!
Cleaning Cleaning Cleaning
I know the last thing you probably want to do as you’re piling all of your stuff into boxes and shoving it into the nearest storage unit is a deep cleaning. Which is why you can definitely hire this out (contact me if you need a referral for a house cleaner).
If you decide to clean the home yourself prior to listing, then be prepared to scrub harder than you ever have before. Here are the things to pay the most attention to:
Tile/vinyl - If there is any tile in the kitchen or bathrooms, whether it’s backsplash, countertops, floor, tub surround, or the cabinets (yeah, I’ve seen tile on cabinets), then clean that grout like your life depends on it. Dirty grout will turn an interested buyer into a puddle of squidginess. If cleaning it doesn’t do the trick, consider re-grouting if it makes budgetary sense (let me take a look at it and I’ll give you an opinion on whether or not it’s worth it). If you have vinyl floors, they can accumulate ground in dirt over the years. Get a hefty scrub brush and a powerful cleanser and go to town!
Baseboards - You probably haven’t even THOUGHT about your baseboards in years. Well, if they are scuffed up, dirty, scratched, or extremely dated, then it’s one of the first things buyers will notice. If the baseboards are wood, try to thoroughly clean them (at least in the main areas of the house). If cleaning alone doesn’t do the trick, you may need to re-finish them, or, more likely, just paint them (probably white). This can take some time, but not necessarily a lot of money. Before committing to such a big project, let me take a look and see what the options might be. If they are already painted, then you may just need to give them a solid wipe down and spot paint a few areas.
Windows - It’s probably no surprise that giving the windows a good interior and exterior scrubbing is beneficial. But, one thing you may not have thought about is the condition of the screens. When windows hit around the 20 year mark, screens tend to get beat up (sooner if you have pets/kids that knocked into them a lot). Walk around the house and take down any screens that are damaged and <gently> wipe down the ones that still look good. Replace the damaged ones if you can, or just leave them off. Better to have no screen on the window than damaged screens. ESPECIALLY the sliding screen door. I can’t count how many busted up screen doors I’ve seen, and they look terrible. Just throw it in the garage or the trash can.
BTW, the same is true for window blinds/coverings. It’s MUCH better to have none (most new construction and flipped homes are sold without them) than to have damaged ones. Just remove any that aren’t up to snuff.
One more thing about windows - If while you’re eyeballing your windows you notice that any of them have lost their seal, then consider going ahead and replacing the window panes, or possibly the whole window, prior to listing the home. A lot of buyers don’t understand that the foggy look on a window is just a broken seal and may think that it means the home has water damage. Or they’ll immediately think all the windows need replaced (even though a window can lose it’s seal at any time).
Okay, one other thing about windows - While walking around peering at your windows, also take note of the window sills. Depending on how much bright sun shines in, you may have sunburn spots on your wood window sills. There’s even the possibility you have some condensation damage. Either way, when buyers see discoloration on window sills, they seriously freak out. Even though it’s usually just sun damage. Go ahead and sand it down and stain it, or replace the window sill, or paint it. Of course, if there really is a moisture problem… fix it, don’t cover it up!
Garage - Seriously, don’t waste a second of time on the garage. NO ONE CARES. Stuff all of your extra junk in there, load it up to the ceiling, pile your stinkiest stuff… it doesn’t matter. Even my buyers that seriously want the most garage space possible will only ever open the door and take a quick glance inside to see how big it is, then move on to more fun stuff.
Garage 2 - HOWEVER, please leave a pathway to the electrical panel, furnace, and water heater so that poor, hardworking Realtors (like me), inspectors, and contractors can get to them!
Garage 3 - DON’T smoke in the garage!
Smells - Have someone you know will be 100% honest with you (like me) come by and give an opinion about how your house smells. ALL houses have a unique smell. Only rarely do they smell BAD. But, when they do, they can be tough to sell! I wrote an article about what to do about various odors.
Let’s Talk About Updates
Imagine this kitchen if the cabinetry was old, beat up 90s wood and busy granite tile counters. Paint and countertops can make a huge difference!
I’m focusing on low cost options in this article, but keep in mind that sometimes higher cost updates can net a big return (thus the popularity of “flipping” homes). The risk vs reward must be carefully weighed before embarking on costly updates, though, so please reach out to me if you are considering something pricey.
Here are some lower cost updates that can often be worth the trouble (if you have the time):
Countertops. This includes both the kitchen and bathrooms. Depending on the age of the home and the condition of the cabinets, this may not be possible or worth it without ripping the cabinets out. But, usually, you can keep the existing cabinets and just replace the counters with a more modern option that has wide appeal. Believe it or not, granite is finally going out of style, and granite tile countertops are outdated. So, even if it might seem like an upgrade to switch out old-school laminate or tile counters for granite… it likely isn’t worth the cost! If you’re going to update, the best option is usually engineered quartz, like Silestone. Try to go with a light color that would pair well with any paint/decor scheme.
Flooring. You don’t have to go super fancy, but if your flooring is in bad shape, then it’s almost a requirement to get it switched out prior to listing or you’ll take a big hit to sale price (wood floors can often be refinished). If you can manage it, switch out the main floor to a faux wood like laminate, or, better yet, luxury vinyl plank. Bedroom areas can be a very basic carpet, the “almost” cheapest option you can find is usually just fine. iBuyers like Opendoor and Zillow do these kind of “light flip” updates all the time. Why sell to them for low dollar when you could replace carpet and paint walls and make top dollar?
Interior paint. If your walls are in as bad of shape as your flooring, then a fresh coat of paint is absolutely needed. This is one project that the vast majority of people can take on themselves and save a ton of money. Again, you don’t need to go fancy, choose a light color, such as a very light gray or cream (which one depends on the rest of the finishes in the house), or even just plain ole’ white to make it easy (especially if ceilings also need paint).
Fireplace. Here’s a spot where you can make a big impact without spending a ton of money. People love how a fireplace makes a focal point, so if you’ve got dated forest green, cracked tile and peeling paint around the mantle, then now’s the time to spruce it up.
Front door. A gorgeous front door can make an enormous impact on buyers! If the door is in decent shape, then paint it or re-stain it as I mentioned previously. But, if you’ve got the time and money, consider switching it out for a modern option, especially if that will make it work well with the rest of the home. (This can be pricey, though, so if there are other areas that need your time and money, focus on those first).
Backyard. While there are some plant-lovers out there that want nothing more than a blank slate with which to work their magic… most people really hate (or are deathly afraid of) gardening. If you’ve got a wild backyard, then pull out the shears and give everything a hearty whack then a layer of mulch. If you’ve got a completely blank slate, and it’s a big enough lot to look daunting, consider using mulch to create a 3’ or so deep border along the fence/property line, and dot in a few low maintenance shrubs. Some flowers around the patio/deck wouldn’t hurt.
Cabinets. This is a pain so it’s lower on the list. If the cabinets are very dated but in decent shape, consider painting them. This doesn’t have to be a high cost project if you do it yourself… however it is EASY to do a poor paint job on cabinets. You have to be very careful with the finish and there’s a lot of elbow grease involved. This is a project that I’ve done myself and I did a lot of research before starting. Even then, I messed up a couple of the cabinet doors. So… take on this project with caution (you can hire this job out but it’s spendy). Here’s a really good article with a step by step guide.
Staging
If there is only ONE thing in this article you decide to focus on, let this be it!
Depending on several factors, you may want to consider professional staging. For more info about the effectiveness of professional staging, here’s an article I wrote about it.
Looks like a perfect, cute bedroom setup.
Here are some tips for staging your home so that it’s ready for both professional photos and buyers:
Psych! Just a partially deflated air mattress :)
Pare down. Coco Chanel famously said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off.” When it comes to staging, it’s best just to go ahead and take everything off. Especially for professional photos. Every small item of decor, every picture on the walls, will make the home look cluttered in photographs. You have to pare down, and then pare down some more, until all that’s left is a few (small) pieces of furniture, one item on the coffee table, maybe one or two items on the kitchen counters, nothing at all on the bathroom counters (maybe a couple items if you’ve got a large bathroom), and nothing but a lamp on the nightstand. You can have maybe one piece of art on the walls of each room. Seriously, this might sound crazy and feel inhuman, but the pictures will draw a thousand more eyes if the home looks like this. Once the professional photos are done, you can bring a few things back and make it look a little more homey (see item 7 below).
Furniture. Since we’re not talking about professional staging, and I realize that you probably don’t have a bunch of furniture options to choose from… this really comes down to utilizing what you have in the best way possible. The most important areas are the living room and master bedroom. Furniture needs to be pared down to the minimum. If you happen to have big furniture that really fills up the space, try to figure out a way to store most of it and leave only a few pieces in the home. If you have a huge king sized bed dominating the master bedroom, consider storing it and moving an extra queen or full bed into the room. I’ve even bought inflatable mattresses, covered them in bedding, and stuck them on top of a bed frame. Almost no one will ever know (except the kids of buyers that run around and jump on them, who tend to be very amusingly surprised when the bed acts like a trampoline).
Lighting. This might sound pedantic, but here’s something you really need to do and it makes a bigger difference than you might think: Make sure all of the lightbulbs are the same color temperature. I don’t really care which you choose (although I prefer soft white). Homes that have lots of different lightbulbs look jarring both to the eye and in photographs. Exception: if you’ve got a chandelier with specialty bulbs, such as Edison bulbs, it’s okay for those to stand out. But, those do tend to be a warmer light, so consider switching everything else out for soft white bulbs. Lighting in the garage/workshop areas doesn’t really matter.
Closets. Now we’re getting a bit more nit-picky. If you’re like the majority of people and your closets are overstuffed with all different types of belongings, consider boxing up everything that’s not a necessity and store it. Buyers will walk into a home with a ton of closets and leave with the impression that there’s no storage space if everything is stuffed to the gills. But, if it’s a choice between stuffing the closets and all that stuff cluttering up the living spaces, then in that case, stuff away!
Bathrooms. If you’re still living in the home, then do your best to de-clutter here, but living with nothing but a cutesy bar of soap and a fancy loofa isn’t necessary. However, whatever stuff you’ve got on the countertops, jam it under the sink. Stuff that spot to the gills if necessary in order to make that countertop look pristine. There should literally be nothing on the counters except maybe a fancy soap dispenser.
Fragrance. I mentioned smells earlier in the cleaning section. Now let’s talk about cover up fragrance. Anytime a buyer walks into a house and smells something like heavy cinnamon, lavender, or whatever it is they put into plug-ins, they immediately wonder what’s underneath it. I HIGHLY recommend against trying to use cover up scents. Especially those horrific plug ins, which smell like a chemical burn to me and make a lot of people want to throw up. Exception: if you are genuinely baking some cookies for people to have while they’re viewing your home, then that’s A-OK in my book! But, if you feel like you’ve got something to cover up, try just getting rid of the problem. Check out my article about Stinky Homes.
Personality. Okay, now that I’ve told you to pretty much de-personalize your house, I’m going to go back and tell you to add back a couple of unique items. I want the home to be pared down to the basics, but at the same time, I don’t want it to look like a mausoleum. AFTER you’ve pared down everything to a point that it looks like there’s no personality at all… try adding back in just a couple things here and there. For instance, if you’ve got some gorgeous Pendleton throw blankets, use one in two or three rooms. Or a couple of unique paintings, or a couple of unique antique clocks… whatever has a little personality and color. Do this after the professional photos are done.
