Getting the Best House "Tags" at Selling Time

As a realtor for nine years I've seen every market, including the perhaps now forgotten "crash" of the 1990s. It took a lot more imagination to sell homes then. When the economic lifecycle of home sales is high on the charts, it may only take a "for sale" sign to get the job done. Now that the housing market has dipped, we are once again finding it necessary to do more. And buyers rank houses by what I refer to as "tags." A good tag usually means a sale. A bad tag . . . well that's something no one wants. Imagine your home being ranked by the way a buyer was impressed. You might hear a buyer identify your home as "the one with the awful smell in the basement."

Some of my advice to my clients may have seemed bothersome, but they were designed to garner them a good tag and potentially a sale. The kinds of tips I've provided are now cropping up in real estate magazines. Home staging companies are using the tips realtors have provided for years. Right now those tips include sprucing things up around the house, before putting out the for sale sign.

Yes, it's time to think "home improvement." But that doesn't have to mean a lot of money that you don't have going into a home you no longer want or need. And heaven knows you need all the proceeds you can get for that next bigger and better home. Plus, more and more baby boomers are hitting the retirement scene, so retirement is high on the list for reasons to be selling a home today, and for needing all you can get out of the sale.

"Home staging" a new term for sprucing up the place for a faster sale and a higher offer is becoming increasingly popular. This means that the home is a stage and what it presents will affect the audience, the buyer. Popular design and home improvement TV shows offer many tips for sprucing up the place. Are they "reality" based or just a stage themselves? Many experts in the home improvement and design fields will tell you that what you see on those shows is not necessarily what you should be doing. Take those shows with a grain of salt in other words. They are entertainment based.

One or two things that those "fix up" shows reveal, however, is that most people have compromised taste in decorating and they have way too much clutter. So let's start there. Simply put, get rid of the "stuff." I used to tell my clients to remove any "personal" items that make the house their own. The idea is to make the house as neutral as possible, yet give it a bit of interest at the same time. Removing clutter also means removing the wall paper, bad carpeting, loud colors, overwhelming pictures, shabby sheik anything . . . you get the idea.

Moving on to the big stuff, remove any furniture that seems out of place or that's crowding walkways. You need to provide space. The idea is to leave three unhampered feet around any and all objects you might need to walk around. That is about the width of a hallway. Speaking of which, remove anything from hallways and stairs, including pictures and any other overly, hanging objects. Such accoutrements just encroach on the feel of the space. The idea is to open up small spaces. For instance, remove the keys, shoes, umbrellas, coats, or anything else hanging around the foyer. Don't just dump everything in a closet. Those are among the small spaces you'll need to open up. One of the worst things that can happen is for a buyer to open a closet and have something fall out and land on a head or big toe. That will be how your home will be remembered. Remember the house tag can affect price tag.

I can recall the many ways that my buyers would identify the houses they saw with me on any given day. "That was the house with the broken windows," one would say. Another would recall, "That house was the one with the tractor parked in the driveway." My favorite is, "It was the house where we found the entire family sitting on an old sofa in the garage when we opened the door." You get the idea. Remove any of the negatives that a buyer can tag onto your home.

Buyers will only remember what they see and that goes for their imagination. Typically they can only imagine the home's potential based on what is already there. Don't let the purple walls in your daughter's bedroom become your tag or it may hurt your price. Home staging companies are cropping up that can help you, but do you really need one of those? You might find that your friendly realtor has all the advice you'll need. However, I found it difficult in many instances to be blatantly honest with my customers. In one instance a family had just lost a loved one who had been infirmed at the home, and the wheel chair and oxygen tank were there to honor their loss. Who has the heart to ask that those be removed? In another instance, the family had religious items everywhere you looked, constituting another tough announcement. Again, these are among the personal items that need to be removed to make the home generic and open to the new owner's personality. These changes are among the truths no one enjoys hearing.

Begin your enhancements at the curb to accomplish an immediate appeal. Cut back the limbs that crowd walkways just like you did inside with removal of pictures and low hanging objects like Johnny's model airplanes that hung from the ceiling every ten inches around his room. Most importantly, give the front door a fresh coat of paint. The aroma of fresh paint should begin at the door where first impressions are made and ever lasting. Install a bright new set of hardware while you're at it. Buyers especially like knowing they will be presented with a new set of keys. Put down a new door mat, without words or pictures on it. That would be "your" taste buds shining through. The last thing you want is the buyer to tag your home as the one with the furry kittens featured on the door mat when the buyer is allergic to cats. That tag could stop a buyer from even entering your home.

Invite your buyer into a clean home, free from clutter "and" dirt. Few people have the time to clean, really clean a home these days, so consider hiring a cleaning company for that one good scrubbing, but only "after" you've removed the clutter. Now you can see what's "back there." It might be mold. That will require special treatment. If your home is growing mold, there is likely a moisture and/or air flow problem. Your builder is not to blame if you have created the issue due to life style. Many people do not realize that they need air exchange inside air tight homes. Consider installing a vent fan in bathrooms and kitchen to remove moisture created from bathing and cooking. Some northern homes are so well insolated that there is little ventilation. Stagnant moisture is often the culprit. Perhaps a simple dehumidifier will do the trick.

Moving on to the bathroom, it is best to give the sniff test as you walk into the room. Mold has an odor and cleaning and painting may be the only way to remove those types of odors. Clean up grout, replace any missing tiles, and install a new toilet seat, shower curtain, rugs, and towels. Those are items you can take with you so this investment is not left behind.

Speaking of what's left behind. Don't remove every door knob and light bulb before you leave. The buyer will and should do a "walk through" prior to meeting up with you at the closing. They may show up with a list of items they want you to replace. Make your home a "what you see is what you get" kind of deal. Make a list for your buyer of those items you plan to leave such as the fireplace fixtures, refrigerator, and the junk car in the back yard. Hopefully that was removed, but if not, let the buyer know that they can expect to find it in your dust, or else you may be paying at the closing for its removal without the chance to shop price.

The idea is to take some time prior to putting the house on the market to prepare it for sale. Simple things like using rooms as they were intended can be beneficial. Remove the exercise equipment from the middle of the living room for instance. Fix anything that is broken. Imagine a buyer sitting down to get a "feel" for the living room and collapsing to the floor because you never properly repaired the leg of the sofa. Drape a fresh slip cover over the thing while you're at it to hide those stains that reveal your lifestyle. Also keep in mind that no draperies are better than broken blinds.

Make sure there is no sign (or smell) of a pet. Remember the buyer with pet allergies? Likewise make sure there is no hint that a smoker lives in the house. Not only is this another undesirable odor, but many people are allergic to cigarette smoke. Remove or replace anything that is grossly outdated such as the 1970s shag rug in front of the fireplace. This style rug has made a come back, but again it connotes your personal taste. The idea is to erase "you" from the home as much as possible. I know that sounds hard to imagine, but it is a must for selling a home. The idea is to make the buyer feel it is "their" home. There is a better chance that a buyer will make it so.

When it comes to cleaning, don't forget the appliances, especially if you plan to leave the washer and dryer. Remove the lint and clean away the dust and dirt. Remove any laundry baskets too. Even clean and neatly arrange the shelving above them. An affordable set of hanging cabinets works well. Remember to be neat with what goes in them. Buyers will open those doors too.

Finished? Now, take the path your buyer will take. Remember, start at the curb. Walk up your front steps to the front door. Enter the home and notice the way your home smells and looks from the foyer. Walk into the living room and sit down. After a moment or two, move on to the dining and kitchen areas, followed by the bathrooms. Open closets on your way through the house. Last but not least, wind up in the bedrooms. Those are critical rooms. They must not smell like old shoes. Hopefully you cleaned the carpeting. You put away all family pictures and personal items. You cleaned out closets and shined the mirrors (if you have any of those in there). By the way, those are a good replacement for gaudy pictures as they give the appearance of greater space for those of us who tend to be claustrophobic. Finally, hopefully, you put a freshly cleaned or new bedspread on each bed with a couple of throw pillows. You made each room inviting and now you are standing in the doorway and admiring your handiwork.

Get the opinion of others. Once you have taken all of the steps mentioned here, ask an honest friend or two to take the walk through your home. Invite the realtor to give honest feedback. Make any additional changes or enhancements. Then put out that sign. Keep things neat and orderly or else all your effort may be lost. Assign duties to each inhabitant. When the realtor calls, you can each go into action and have the house available when the buyer is. If you do everything right, buyers will attach a good tag to your home, and that can mean garnering a good "price" tag.

In sum, never put the house on the market before it is ready. But that does not mean over improving it either. Don't spend a lot of money on your last home improvements when the tips here or just cleaning out the garage may be all that is necessary. Small improvements do work wonders. Let go of the sentimentality and do what needs being done. Leaving emotion out of the sale may help you to move forward with the changes you need to make and get you the most positive tags from buyers. It would be wonderful if your buyers have identified your home as "the one that is perfect for them."