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Decorating Do's and Don'ts
for Home Sellers
By Mark Nash
Do's
- Purchase the best quality carpet pad,
which can make any new carpeting "cushy", and home buyers love
cushy. Stay away from shag styles, buyers know it won't be
around long in style cycles.
- Forget parquet and veneered wood
flooring. Parquet is still out-of-favour and buyers are aware
that thin wood veneer over wood products can't handle a lot of
sanding to change stain colors.
- Take the time to paint walls, trim and
ceilings. Keep adjoining rooms in the same color palette which
will make your home appear larger and flow better. Clean up
spills from messy painters. Hire professionals to paint mullions
on windows and staircase spindles.
- Slipcover mismatched furniture in a room
that requires visual unification. Streamline window fashions.
Heavy drapes are in the minority. Think "let the light shine in"
when placing placing blinds and shades. Light and bright can
overcome other issues with home.
- Test all door and cabinet knobs. Replace
mismatched or inexpensive hardware for a quick update. Buyers
rarely can get beyond a knob that comes off in their hand as
they attempt to use a door.
- Freshen-up closets with closet
organizers to maximize storage space and paint a neutral
washable color. Make sure buyers can see the back of all closets
and cupboards. Lighting is often overlooked feature in closets,
but buyers will always turn on lights when viewing a closet, big
or small.
- Install technology wiring for high-speed
Internet, cable, and WI-FI, if you have walls opened up. "Wired
homes" are becoming one of the top whistle and bells buyers
demand. Don't overlook the bathrooms!
- Consider the appropriate level for
finishes in kitchens and bathrooms. Buyers in a mid-priced
neighbourhood aren't looking for high-end finishes. Clean every
surface until it shimmers and shines. Clean can seal a deal.
Don't forget the windows.
- Polish and wax hardwood floors to
brighten and blend an old finish.
- Get rid of family and highly personal
photos. Buyers can't visualize themselves in a home that's still
territorially yours.
- Edit your furniture and accessories in
every room. Less is more, buyers are looking to purchase your
real estate not your personal property.
- Make sure there is balanced lighting in
every room for dusk and evening showings. Dimmers help set the
right tone.
- Take the time to clean, organize and
paint basements, attics and garages. Many a home buyer has
passed on a home they otherwise liked because it had a "creepy"
attic or basement.
- Invite three full-time real estate
agents to view your home before and after your interior design
pre-market update.
- Install new light switch covers. Most
buyers interact with these on home showings. Worn or out-of-date
covers lack attention to detail.
Don'ts
- Install kitchen cabinets with the drawer
fronts stapled on, buyers look for quality dove-tailed
construction.
- Wallpaper. Buyers never have the same
taste as decorators. Take it down (carefully) and paint.
- Install inexpensive home-center light
fixtures and use interior fixtures outside. The right fixtures
say quality to buyers.
- Use and do remove all mirror's placed as
backsplash's in kitchens, dining room accent walls, bedroom
ceilings (I see them way to much) and long hallways. Mirrored
walls and ceilings say more about the homeowner than buyers want
to know.
- Block good room and house flow. Awkward
furniture placement can make a room feel smaller than it is.
Keep in mind that groups of people will be walking through your
home together. Overlook the front door. First impressions count.
Paint the door, polish the hardware and illuminate the entry
area and house numbers.
- Stain newly refinished floors dark
colors. Buyers if they want lighter floors will factor in
refinishing costs when presenting an offer.
- Forget to remove all dated and dusty
sill flowers and plants. Budget for weekly fresh flowers and
potted plants while your home is being toured.
- Dismiss your location, south-western
looks out-of-place in most northern climates and contemporary is
hard to pull off in a vintage saltbox colonial.
- Install inexpensive laminate flooring
instead of hardwood in living and family rooms. Buyers walking
across it, hate the hollow noise that echoes up from it.
Mark Nash, Real Estate Author, Broker &
Writer
Mark Nash is the author of "Fundamentals of
Marketing for the Real Estate Professional", "Starting & Succeeding
in Real Estate", "Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche
Marketing", and "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home". Mark is a
contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent
News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty
Times. He contributes residential real estate analysis to Business
Week, CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and
USA Today.
View his books at www.1001RealEstateTips.com
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