Sometimes, when people have lived in a home for a while, the flaws become comfortable “character traits” which are overlooked if not forgotten. One learns to hold the cupboard door when getting a dish so that it doesn’t fall off and make sure that the guests know about that “wonky” floorboard. It’s so easy to modify one’s own behavior in one’s own home that many people forget that buyers will not be so easily swayed to look past the faults in the house’s makeup.
Some people may think that home staging is a waste of time, but when it comes to real estate - especially these days - nothing can be taken for granted. The time when a home could be shown in messy glory and still sell for big bucks is long gone. Now, homeowners have to clean, de-clutter, repair and stage for home buyers to take a second look. Those flaws that the homeowner and their family overlook could be the final point that sways a buyer to look elsewhere – where they’ve repaired the tiles on the kitchen backsplash and spackled in the dent that Junior made in the bedroom wall when he was three.
It can help to get friends to come over and walk through the place, especially friends who haven’t been able to come over in a while and aren’t as comfortable inside the house as the family and friends close by are. A fresh viewpoint can help home owners look critically at their home’s “character” and take steps to remove, repair and replace items that could interfere with a buyer’s choice to put in an offer.
The home owner does not have to spend a fortune on renovations to get a fresh, new look to their residence. Cleaning, painting and simple repairs can completely transform a home and cost less than $100 – less if one has or can borrow the necessary equipment. Choose natural odor neutralizers and scentless cleaning products and light colors – white, pale yellow, pale blue and earth tones are generally good choices. When in doubt, white goes with everything and is easily painted over.
The important thing is to create a space that is easy for buyers to visualize themselves in. Light neutrals give a sense of airy space that is easy to transform into a buyer’s residence. Minimal furniture and accessories give a sense of space usage. Less is nearly always more.
Recognizing a home’s flaws and addressing them is an important part of preparing one’s home for sale. While a home owner may be able to overlook a home’s less-than-stellar points, a buyer will not and every flaw can equal thousands lost in the home’s eventual sale price. Home owners can get the most by getting a second opinion and fixing the flaws that can hamper the sale of their property.
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