Putting the house on the market.

[amandaluvsgoofy]

Hey all!
I'm subbing in since we're hoping (and praying) our house will be ready for market by next week!
I have decluttered quite a bit, but there's always room to improve. I do have a couple of concerns, but hopefully they won't matter too much.
1. We have a baby with a nursery that has lots of stuff, but we use it! The glider, the dress/changing table, the tv (feedings at 3am are tough without something keeping you awake). So hopefully people will understand and be able to look past all of the stuff.
2. One bedroom is an office/workout room. My DH is in grad school and uses the office computer quite frequently. I use the treadmill 5-6 days a week, so I feel justified in leaving the room as it is instead of making it appear like a bedroom. Do you think this will be a huge problem? When I purchased the house the lady had it as an office also (it does have a closet).
3. Paint. The three bedrooms are all painted different colors (the nursery is the most unusual, mint and white stripes). I guess my reasoning behind it is whoever will buy is probably going to repaint anyway (I know I will in our new home regardless if it's neutral tones or not).
We have done some improvements! DH laid new sod in the back, it needed it bad! We also did some landscape improvements in the front in hopes of major curb appeal.
I hope to have some pictures up this weekend or early next week and would love some feed back (honesty can be brutal, I know).
You guys are awesome! Thanks for the tips! I'll be sure to apply them as we finish up this weekend!
Best of luck to everyone on the market!!

 

[lucigo]

this was on AOL opening page....may help give some ideas, I don't want to hi-jack Luci's thread so no need to comment, just thought it was some food for thought

http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/05/2.../paint-by-mood-how-different-hues-affect-you/


and another good link for ideas:

http://www.frontdoor.com/sell/

Don't worry about hijacking!! I love seeing all of the links, the other houses etc. Glad we can all help each other!

 

[briarrose]

Thank you!! some of the stuff I never even considered...even like the poster who mentioned the home is no longer yours after you list it. I will definitely be making some more changes and hopefully it will be what makes a difference. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. Any other opinions welcomed!

Can you move the big t.v. so it's not in front of the window?

Another suggestion for all who are selling. Keep fresh flowers and bowl of chocolate mints. My daughter liked to count how many mints were taking each day. Also my realtor kept after the realtors who came through our house
and had them fill out a survey about price, if the party was interested, any suggestions, etc.

 

[TxRabbit]

Can you move the big t.v. so it's not in front of the window?

Another suggestion for all who are selling. Keep fresh flowers and bowl of chocolate mints. My daughter liked to count how many mints were taking each day. Also my realtor kept after the realtors who came through our house
and had them fill out a survey about price, if the party was interested, any suggestions, etc.

Be careful to keep the fresh flowers FRESH. As soon as a flower is cut, it's a dying flower. It can smell of decay to those that are sensitive. A blooming plant is a nice addition, depending on where you would like that spot of fresh color. Orchids, violets, whatever...could just be me.

 

[TxRabbit]

One bedroom is an office/workout room. My DH is in grad school and uses the office computer quite frequently. I use the treadmill 5-6 days a week, so I feel justified in leaving the room as it is instead of making it appear like a bedroom. Do you think this will be a huge problem? When I purchased the house the lady had it as an office also (it does have a closet).

This comment brings up an interesting statistic. Buyers of an individual house are typically really similar. Could be young couples, hoping to have kids, first time home buyers, downsizers, moving up families...For whatever reason, the buyers of a house tend to be very similar. Some statistics show that professions tend to buy certain houses, like doctors like houses with certain features, real estate people, gardeners, cooks, whatever.

So, for everyone getting ready to sell, think of where you were in life, what your family was like, how you intended to use your house when you bought it. This is likely to be your buyer. What were the major selling points of the house for you? Try to think back to what was appealing to you when you first looked at your house and be sure that the next buyer can see those same things.

 

[robind]

My house went on the market a week ago, and we are still trying to de-clutter and de-personalize even more.

I am planning on building a smaller place once this one sells, however, I have a question for those who mentioned power washing your brick homes. My uncle is trying to convince me to go w/ brick due to the low maintenance, but if I am still going to have to power wash it just like the siding I have now, why should I spend the extra 25K for the brick?

Any thoughts?

 

[cindy58]

Interesting thread! I wonder how many lives are on hold because we seem to be "stuck" in one place or another. I know mine is!

OP, I would get a piece of swing set chain so you can lower the height of your hanging baskets a bit on the porch. You can then put the hanger in the link that will look just right. I used to have a greenhouse business so I notice things like that. It's an easy fix for them to look much more appealing.

Aside from removing the "bad" photos, the agent has the photos grouped haphazardly. She hops from one area of the house to another in the photo sequence, better to group living, dining, bed, bath, yard photos together. If she's going to name bedrooms 1, 2, 3, etc., post the photos so they are in that order.

I think it would be helpful to lighten the color of the bedding and curtains in the Master as well. Many of the "sell your home" shows make it a point to install a headboard on the bed.

Also, a cleaning tip, if you don't already know it -- after cleaning your counters, etc., dry them with a microfiber cloth. Whatever you have been cleaning will look polished. Nothing like those cloths for wiping glass, faucets and mirrors dry too. Also terrific for dusting. You can get a big stack of them cheap in the car care aisle. I love them!

 

[lucigo]

This comment brings up an interesting statistic. Buyers of an individual house are typically really similar. Could be young couples, hoping to have kids, first time home buyers, downsizers, moving up families...For whatever reason, the buyers of a house tend to be very similar. Some statistics show that professions tend to buy certain houses, like doctors like houses with certain features, real estate people, gardeners, cooks, whatever.

So, for everyone getting ready to sell, think of where you were in life, what your family was like, how you intended to use your house when you bought it. This is likely to be your buyer. What were the major selling points of the house for you? Try to think back to what was appealing to you when you first looked at your house and be sure that the next buyer can see those same things.

Interesting thought! I was 34yo and a recently widowed mother of 3 young kids. What appealed to me was that the house was on a very peaceful street and that even though this house was 9 years old at the time, there were new houses on the street worth a lot more money than this one. It was cheap and I knew I could manage the payment and still spend time with my kids, take them to Disney, etc. I had a lot of fun gutting the kitchen and redesigning it.

Did I mention that after I looked at this house I had a dream where my deceased husband told he me liked the house? I think that helped LOL

In the last 10 years we have converted the oversized garage into a 4th bedroom, laundry and family rooms adding 550 sq ft to the house, added 2 sheds, an above ground pool, and completely gutted and refinished the master bath and of course it got a new roof courtesy of Ivan.

So...not sure honestly who the demographics fit for this house now, but my probably our biggest selling point is going to be the large yard.

 

[TxRabbit]

Interesting thought! I was 34yo and a recently widowed mother of 3 young kids. What appealed to me was that the house was on a very peaceful street and that even though this house was 9 years old at the time, there were new houses on the street worth a lot more money than this one. It was cheap and I knew I could manage the payment and still spend time with my kids, take them to Disney, etc. I had a lot of fun gutting the kitchen and redesigning it.

Did I mention that after I looked at this house I had a dream where my deceased husband told he me liked the house? I think that helped LOL

In the last 10 years we have converted the oversized garage into a 4th bedroom, laundry and family rooms adding 550 sq ft to the house, added 2 sheds, an above ground pool, and completely gutted and refinished the master bath and of course it got a new roof courtesy of Ivan.

So...not sure honestly who the demographics fit for this house now, but my probably our biggest selling point is going to be the large yard.

Adding square footage to the home does change the character of the home but I think the rule still applies. Don't take it too literally. Your buyer will likely be a family with young children. All the improvements you have made to the home will likely still appeal to that buyer, because you just made the home better for a family with young children.

Your home is not likely a first time homebuyer home. The large yard, the 4 bedrooms, etc etc., likely you have a buyer that has purchased before and will have that same criteria. They want their children to be able to play in their own yard (peaceful street), they want a safe place, they like being surrounded by the more expensive homes without having to be in one.

It's possible that your buyer's will even be in their early 30s.

SO. Your buyer will likely want a bit a style, will want at least one area in the home to be an adult area, will want the kids to have a great family room, want their bedrooms to be able to be well organized. They are hoping that all their kids stuff will finally be contained in this new house because they are busting at the seams a bit with the first house that they bought.

SO. Make sure that your kids' rooms are super organized. Get that living room into as much of an adult space as you can. Make that family room feel homey and LARGE. Your kitchen area is awesome. When you show, make sure to make it feel nice and homey. Put a little something on that table, whether it's a potted plant and some placemats, or a runner. Whatever. Suggest those family meals that they want to have (whether they have them or not between soccer practice, dance, piano, or eating in the family room in front of the tv, whatever is another story, but all family's dream of the family meal.)

See where I'm going with this?

Be aware that the buyers will open everything. Get those closets in the bedrooms in shape. Get the cabinets in the bathrooms in shape. Organization is going to be very important to that family. And they need to see that perceived space for growth, so definitely you shouldn't look like you are busting out of the seams.

 

[lucigo]

Adding square footage to the home does change the character of the home but I think the rule still applies. Don't take it too literally. Your buyer will likely be a family with young children. All the improvements you have made to the home will likely still appeal to that buyer, because you just made the home better for a family with young children.

Your home is not likely a first time homebuyer home. The large yard, the 4 bedrooms, etc etc., likely you have a buyer that has purchased before and will have that same criteria. They want their children to be able to play in their own yard (peaceful street), they want a safe place, they like being surrounded by the more expensive homes without having to be in one.

It's possible that your buyer's will even be in their early 30s.

SO. Your buyer will likely want a bit a style, will want at least one area in the home to be an adult area, will want the kids to have a great family room, want their bedrooms to be able to be well organized. They are hoping that all their kids stuff will finally be contained in this new house because they are busting at the seams a bit with the first house that they bought.

SO. Make sure that your kids' rooms are super organized. Get that living room into as much of an adult space as you can. Make that family room feel homey and LARGE. Your kitchen area is awesome. When you show, make sure to make it feel nice and homey. Put a little something on that table, whether it's a potted plant and some placemats, or a runner. Whatever. Suggest those family meals that they want to have (whether they have them or not between soccer practice, dance, piano, or eating in the family room in front of the tv, whatever is another story, but all family's dream of the family meal.)

See where I'm going with this?

Be aware that the buyers will open everything. Get those closets in the bedrooms in shape. Get the cabinets in the bathrooms in shape. Organization is going to be very important to that family. And they need to see that perceived space for growth, so definitely you shouldn't look like you are busting out of the seams.

That all makes a lot of sense! The more I read the more I really wish we could just move out and leave it staged. Of course only in a perfect world would that happen.

 

[TxRabbit]

That all makes a lot of sense! The more I read the more I really wish we could just move out and leave it staged. Of course only in a perfect world would that happen.

Yes and no. Houses feel weird when they aren't lived in. The people give the house energy. And it feels good to a buyer to see that you CAN keep the house clean and organized while living there. Selling a house is largely about selling an idea.

The reason that people are recommended to get rid of excess furniture and stuff over and over again when selling has many facets. It's easier to keep a house with less stuff in it clean. It's easier to keep it organized. It looks more like what the buyer likely has. Living in a house, you accumulate, but likely, you didn't move into the house with all the stuff you currently have. So downsizing makes you look more like the buyer YOU were and thus appeals more to the buyer that is looking.

My parents sold a house under the funniest circumstances. They had relocated from California to Arizona. At the time, the CA market was really down and the house wasn't selling. They bought a smaller home that they could afford while the CA house still hadn't sold. Years and years later (much longer than they thought they would stay in the little house), they finally found a house that they wanted. It was the type of thing were they picked the lot, picked the floorplan, and the new build was commissioned for them.

While this house was still under construction, they get a postcard/letter in the mail from a Realtor who is working with a buyer that really wanted to live in their neighborhood, so if anyone had been thinking of selling, please call. My mom is a broker, so she knew she'd be able to sniff out right away if the guy was just looking for a listing. Nope. Turns out he is right on. The buyer's are in town for a short period, they really want to see the house, can they come over? Like, that day.

The house isn't a total disaster, my parents live alone and they keep a clean house. But the office was totally unorganized. My mom's on desk filing system and all. You can imagine, doing work at home yourself.

Turns out that the lady of the buyers worked from home, was very similar to my mom, and could just totally picture herself in the office of the house. They loved the house and my parents got into contract.

Funny thing is that the other house wasn't ready. I lived in Kansas at the time, and was pg with DS, so they actually put all their stuff in storage, rented an apt near to me, and rented some furniture, and came to wait for their house in AZ to be finished in KS!

So don't get discouraged about the whole thing about being on the market and having to live in the house. It's intrusive. It's a pain. But hopefully, it won't last long. With the internet and all the housing shows, buyers and sellers think they know so much more about buying and selling houses. But the fact is that it can be a very elusive thing that attracts a buyer to a home. Think positive thoughts. Thoughts and especially words are powerful. Pray. It's more powerful than anything else.

 

[surfgirl]

I havent read all the replies, but i have one additional tip. Get it inspected. Know, before the buyers inspector comes, what really needs to be done to get the house sold.

I disagree with this. If the inspector tells you anything bad, then legally, you have to disclose this. For example.... if they tell you the windows aren't flashed correctly, then you would have to tell a buyer you know this and it could easily scare someone away.

On the other hand, if their inspector catches it (or doesn't), hopefully by then, the buyers are emotionally invested in it and you can negotiate the problem away. (or hire an expert to prove them incorrect)

 

[Luvchefmic]

Just checking in and bumping up your thread..thinking about you ,,,how's it going ?

Ruthie

 

[lucigo]

Just checking in and bumping up your thread..thinking about you ,,,how's it going ?

Ruthie

Thanks for asking...its not going at all. No one has come to look at it, not even another realtor. Its absolutely dead.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thanks for asking...its not going at all. No one has come to look at it, not even another realtor. Its absolutely dead.

I'm so sorry Luci...if you didn't live so far from me I would come over & do whatever I could to help...anytime you come down to where your DH is do drop me a line so we can get together

 

[lucigo]

I'm so sorry Luci...if you didn't live so far from me I would come over & do whatever I could to help...anytime you come down to where your DH is do drop me a line so we can get together

Thanks, will do I will keep you posted. How are everyone else's houses doing?

 

[bethy]

Subscribing.

We're planning to list our house next spring but I'm starting the preparation work early.

 

[lovin diz]

I will post pics as soon as i get my house back in order....

We moved all the furniture back in the rooms; (I dont have to sleep in the dining room anymore.) We steam cleaned the carpet.

we hired a man to come fix the wooden gate, put quarter round on the new floors we put in, and fix a cabinet...Once he does this, the 4 sale sign is going in the front yard...DH and i are really Tired I didnt realize how much work this would be....And, now i have to keep it totally clean--24/7

Luci, praying for all of our homes to sell quickly...

 

[Frye7127]

Don't feel bad, ours is completely dead too. Last night two people stopped in the front of the house for realtor info. Hopefully there will be a showing later this week. I buried my St. Joseph statue and have been praying every day. Yesterday was the ninth day since burying it...I think I was expecting a miracle LOL! In due time....I just wish it would come already.

 

[hickchick]

we have been on the market for over a month. Have had about 10 showings, 1 open house, and no offers yet...

thinking good thoughts for all!