I have finished my investment property. It went on the market yesterday. Should I dress it up? By that I mean other than towels on the towel bars. Any special things you do when you sell a place to make it feel more “homey”?
I’d like to put some pictures up. Maybe i’ll figure out how this weekend.
Skim-coating with joint compound covers texture, renews old drywall and plaster, and leaves smooth surfaces ready to paint.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Have ya heard the one about baking bread/cookies to give the house that baking smell?
Of course the trick is to get the baked part and not the burnt part.
If you need that lived in look I can ship you some toys and fridge art---
Mike
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" Mitremike c. 1990
" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
My aunt the realator recommended premade frozen apple pies. Pop one in the ove on "warm" before you leave. When you get back, turn the oven off and put the pie back in the freezer. Repeat.
Remember that most people have no imagination. The way they see it is exactly how they think it will be, plus their crap. Keep the house as empty as possible, but not like a warehouse. Entry rugs, TP, towels, soap, paper towels, heat and humidity, good smell. Done. LEAVE ALL THE LIGHTS ON!Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Sounds like you are on the same page as me. My ex business partner would want to leave all kinds of crap in the house. He actually left the kitchen table from the old owner ($35 table in the middle of a $170k house)in one of the last houses we did so people could "do their business".
Guy drove me nuts. I think the only thing i'm missing from your list is the soap (which i've been meaning to pick up).
Thanks
Edited 2/22/2006 9:44 pm ET by MSA1
Got the smell covered. For the open house on sunday, were baking C.C. cookies.
As far as the toys and fridge art go.....thanks but I have four aspiring artists of my own.
As far as pictures go, I was always told to keep personal photos off or to a minimum and to avoid any "artistic nudes". As far as furniture goes, I have heard pros and cons on that. Some say to leave it empty so that potential buyers can envision their items there, while others will say that that leaves little for them to imagine with and makes it seem "warehousey" and to therefore have some furniture in place but only a few key pieces in each room. When doing that, the baking smell is a background smell to a nice lived in home, while when done in an empty house, it can rise the GIMMICK lights to some people.
You might try getting an opinion on this subjest over in the House Chat forum.
1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Edited 2/23/2006 8:22 am ET by Ricks503
Hi, Rick...just dropped over from CT, so had to comment. DD just bought a home in NC, and the previous owners did much of what was suggested here, and some of what was warned against. They put in all new appliances, but the cheapest possible ones they could get. The fridge has already been replaced, and the others are going as soon as she can afford it. They recarpeted (good move) but painted the entire house an institutional cold builder's white...hideous. Put in the light fixtures you can buy at Lowe's (two for $16.95) and put Levalors on all the windows, didn't even bother to cut the length to fit. DD and I have already repainted the master bedroom (pale taupe) and the living/dining room (pale mustardy yellow) and replaced the hideous lights...made a tremendous difference. They put in the cheapest prefinished cabinets from Lowe's, which will eventually be replaced. In other words, virtually everything they did, except the carpeting, will have to be re-done. We would have been better off if they had done nothing and offered a lower price, but unfortunately most buyers have no imagination.
When we sold our home before this one, the realtor paid an interior decorator to come in. She had me take down about 50% of the crap I had up (was very nice about it, said people would be looking at my lovely antiques rather than my lovely house, but I knew what she meant!) I also think the smell thing is gimmicky. Very low music in the background might be okay, but when I walk into a house and it smells like pie and/or cookies, I am put off. Looking at homes to buy, I always try to "overlook" the current decor and imagine it as it would be with my stuff, but that isn't always easy.
Not One More Day! Not One More Dime! Not One More Life! Not One More Lie!
End the Occupation of Iraq -- Bring the Troops Home Now!
And Take Care of Them When They Get Here!
Madmom I would like to respectfully disagree about paint colors and appliances.Most investors remodel houses and paint the interior a neutral color such as builders white. This is very common. Doing otherwise gets you into trouble. Painting bedrooms burgundy and bathroom walls dark brown etc just gets too risky. You go with the odds and keeps things neutral.Regarding the low priced appliances, this is very common. You need to understand that the medium and low priced homes commonly have old appliances or none and providing the cheap appliances puts you one step above your competition when you sell the home.I would not recommend anyone go out and purchase "high end" appliances as they put their home on the market. I don't think you'll see a return on your investment. Just an opinion. .++++++++++++++++
-Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain-
Neutral is perfect! I think if you look at new homes, most are finished in some sort of cream or beige or pale taupe. It's just the glaring institutional builder's white that I hate. I also agree about the appliances, was just mentioning my daughter's experience (and that's what DD stands for, by the way!) to show that even when money is spent, it's often not that the buyer wants. Actually, in this case, it was good that they didn't spend much, got bottom of the line appliances, because they're all going to be replaced eventually. If they hadn't put any in, she would have been forced into an immediate remodel, which she can't afford. I just can't stand the white paint.
Not One More Day! Not One More Dime! Not One More Life! Not One More Lie!
End the Occupation of Iraq -- Bring the Troops Home Now!
And Take Care of Them When They Get Here!
That is why I say just a few key pieces in each room. such as a queen bed in the master along with a 5 drawer chest; maybe a small dining table with 2 - 3 chairs and a simple white runner down the middle; a smallish couch and coffee table in the LR with maybe a nice inexpensive rug/carpet if the room is linolieum or hardwood. If anything is on the walls, maybe an occasional, smallish still life or block art modern.
Curb appeal can also not be overlooked. If a house does not look inviting from the outside, some may not even go in. Likewise if it looks really inviting outside and the inside is nice, it will still receive a better impression.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Mad Mom -
Going thru the post, I kept wondering,
Who is "DD"
Dear Departed?
Dumb Divorcee?
Or... something else?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Maybe "Dear Daughter"??? (My wife spends quite a bit of time chatting online on some "moms" bulletin boards, and so I've (sadly) picked up a bit of the shorthand... Don't ask me to explain what it means if DD just POAS b/c she and her DH are BD and hoping for a BFP!
Edited 2/23/2006 11:19 pm by torn
When I mentioned pictures, I meant i'd like to post some here. I really dont want to bang a bunch of nails into my new walls.
Although, this being Ferndale, maybe a couple of nudes of me with a tool belt hanging on the walls.........nahh ferget it!
Edited 2/23/2006 4:59 pm ET by MSA1
Can't fault a dad for tryin'----With four "artist" of my own I run a surplus--couldn't even tell you what color my fridge is--might be Harvest Gold for all I know..Mike"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" Mitremike c. 1990" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
In some parts of the country, there are now people called "home stagers", who make a living by "dressing up" homes that are for sale. I think many of them don't actually do the work, but they act as consultants to suggest paint colors, furniture arrangements, background music, etc., all kinds of things designed to make a home more attractive to a potential buyer.
I'm not moving any furniture in, but the music may be a good idea. I guess I probably have enough with the new towels and shower curtain.
I've been told that the house should have some furniture so that people can appreciate the scale of the rooms - sort of agree. I think bare rooms look cold and uninviting, but if they are filled with loads of garbage, thats no good for sure. Most of your model homes have some furniture and pictures, good stuff and not a lot of it.
I was also told not to cover everything in builder's white. That I agree with. Have received some good feedback on use of moderate color in rooms.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
No builders white in this house. I got it for almost nothing so I decided to have some fun. I have stainless appliances, real oak hardwoods, 6" base moulding, Raised panel wainscoting in the dining room, ceramic tile in the bathrooms, nickel hardware everywhere, and a taupe kind of color on the walls.
I'll try to post some pics, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out.
Edited 2/22/2006 10:31 pm ET by MSA1
I got 4 girls for ya to sun bathe in the yard next door. Being that it's frigggin a 100 below in your area the girls are demanding hazard duty pay.
We only charge 4% but 2 of the girls have their RE license, so you can dump your realtor.
We guarantee your asking price ( +10% if the the husband views the property without his spouse)
Not to be discriminatory, but our guarantee is void if prospective purchaser is female and belongs to NOW.
email me and I'll fax you a contract.
Well the house is in Ferndale. While this is no "Gay Mecca" i've been told it may very well sell to a homosexual couple, so I dont know if your offer would be money well spent.
Thanks though.
MSA1, the market in Ferndale has cooled off the last couple of years. I know of one investor that was sitting on a remodeled flipper for more than a year and he was considering donating it to the hurricane relief until he found out he would still be on the mortage. For sure I could pick that one up for the amount due, most likely on a lease option with nothing down!
Sorry for the depressing news but if you're house is priced right it will sell.
First impressions are huge, so the exterior landscaping is actullly quite important. Make sure that is perfect. Since Ferndale is small lots, you should be able to have the ultimate landscaping package at very reasonalbe costs. Buyers are sold before they walk in. Once they get inside, they will justify everything because they already sold themselves on it from the outside.
If you don't believe that previous statment, think back to when you purchased your own home. Would you really think you would buy a house that you hated from the outside?
Ferndale is too a Gay mecca!
Are you offering seller financing or is this cash only deal? What kind of marketing are you doing? Are you selling it yourself or using a sales professional? Just curious.
Your timing is right. Good luck!
blue
Blue,
The yard was a wreck when we got it. It has a new driveway, and has been final graded, but due to the time of year it has only been seeded. Its a clean yard but no lawn (i'd put it in but its february).
The house is completely fresh inside and out. I went a little high end so i'm at 140k. I have been told untouched houses in the area go for about 120k.
Do you live in the area or are you up by flint (I think I read that here)?
If you're around this weekend, come on by 1 to 4 on sunday open house. E-mail me and i'll give you the address [email protected] .
I am represented on this one. Its through Remax.
I'm not personally offering financing but i'll take anything that wont bounce. I hope to grow to that point but i'm still small.
As far as marketing.........i've told everyone I know about the open house and told my realtor to call some of the bigger realtors in the area and invite them.
I'm not overly impressed with my realtors motivation. I told her to get me a "coming soon sign" for the front during construction and two weeks later she shows up with a sign my kids could've done better in half the time. I am still learning about these types of things and try to implement the things I pick up. Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Mark
If you don'tr have grass, paint the dirt green. Make sure you use Builers Solution first to level it out a bit ;)Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
You remind me of the first house we did. We had some fake flowers in the flower beds in january. Nice fresh flowers in a foot of snow. you'd be surprised how many people asked us how we got them to grow.
Mark, your experience with realtors doesn't sound unique. Most of them talk a big game to get the listing, then hope someone else sells it.
Your best bet would have been to seek out the number one realtor office in Ferndale. Then find out who's the number one sales agent in that office. Then list with him.
One trick that might get you additional showings is to offer a $500 bonus to the selling agent. Those notes show up on the notes in the MLS and agents will respond to them becuase we all need an extra $500!
It's easy to second guess, but I'm guessing you could have put the landscaping and lawn in immediately following the driveway. Your procrastination will cost you either sales, or price. On the next flip, immediately put the landscaping in and put up multiple For Sale By Owner signs. Use directional signs in the surrounding blocks.
I hope things work out. Sorry, I'm not going to have time to be hanging around Ferndale this weekend. I'm still painting my condo to get it ready for the spring rush!
Now if I can only figure out how to dump my stuff.....Maybe I'll try the advice I offered you!
blue
I didnt get the house till september and between contracting (gotta eat) and having to excavate half of the foundation, i just simply didnt have time for lawn. I know this may hurt me but even as a bare lot it miles better than when I got it (I know this means nothing to a perspective buyer).
I couldnt agree more on your realtor approach. In fact thats what we did with our first ferndale property. This guy is good. he sold the first one (granted in 2002) in three days.
I gave the realtor i'm using on this one the sale because she helped me get the financing to get the place and I told her if she helped me get in i'd give her the sale.
Ah, Ferndale.That is where I used to live before I have the sex change operation and was know as Mary Hartmann.
I'm a realtor and look at and show houses on a regular basis. Price is biggest factor on selling your home or any home.I buy houses and flip them and my procedure is to sell the house vacant and with no furniture. I install the wide wood blinds (not the cheap mini blinds) and I provide new appliances: dishwasher, refrigerator, and elect stove.My houses are spotless clean with the smell of new paint and carpet. The new (inexpensive) appliances sparkle.All of the above are in stark contrast to many of the other homes on the market which are not spotless clean, carpet needing cleaning, outdated kitchen and bathroom.I know another investor who flips houses and the one he's selling right now has no window coverings and no refrigerator and it went under contract a couple of days ago.Several years ago I listed a house and it wasn't moving. It was vacant.
The homeowners asked if having furniture would make the home more marketable and I said "yes lets try that".I went by the home a few days later and they had gone to a garage sale or salvation army or goodwill and had brought in some things that you probably couldn't give away at a garage sale.I bit my lip and didn't say anything and the house did eventually sell.One one occasion I showed an ordinary condo to a single elderly woman and when we walked in we saw some of the most beautiful and expensive furniture either of us had ever seen. It made all the difference in the world. She fell in love with the condo and wanted it.Hope you sell your home quickly. Around here I cannot price my remodeled home significantly higher than the other comparable sized homes I competing with. People will buy the POS house over mine if it's priced 10 K less.Good luck!.
.++++++++++++++++
-Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain-
so you had an addadicktome?
"Not to be discriminatory, but our guarantee is void if prospective purchaser is female and belongs to NOW."Yes because I'd organize your "girls" and have them picketing for part ownership of your operation since you are basically making money off their backs eh? so you'd probably have to go bellyup and leave town.And you know us liberated women aren't prone to having our nether regions do our thinking for us, so we'd of course get the house for less than the asking price.
Girlbuilder,
Why ya wanna squeeze in on my action? You women already got half the money and all the ######.
<<And you know us liberated women aren't prone to having our nether regions do our thinking for us, so we'd of course get the house for less than the asking price.>>
And its thinking like that, with all the NOW, NAGS and femin#zi groups that fuels all this "repeal the 19th amendment" talk that has been going on in Washingtons inner circles.
Anybody else agree " we messed up when we let them vote"-- a show of hands please.
Wish I could chat more, but I'm heading up to Nawlins for food, drink and bead exchange..... and you think the Indians got a bad deal with Manhattan... you should see the deal I'm negotiating with a kindergarten teacher from Iowa for some plastic pearls.<<G>>
Why ya wanna squeeze in on my action? You women already got half the money and all the ######.<<And you know us liberated women aren't prone to having our nether regions do our thinking for us, so we'd of course get the house for less than the asking price.>>And its thinking like that, with all the NOW, NAGS and femin#zi groups that fuels all this "repeal the 19th amendment" talk that has been going on in Washingtons inner circles."Well I rubbed a nerve there didn't I?Repealing the right to vote wouldn't go over too well since half the voting population would vote that down now wouldn't they?I didn't get half from any man, not even the one I had three kids for, so don't give me that "every women gets hers" bit. What I have I earned on my own through hard work just like everyone else here (excluding those trust fund folks who may lurk here or anywhere else) and I don't ask for favors based on my gender because such usually comes with compromise and a price. And I stick by my assertion, which basically was founded on the one you insinuated yourself now didn't you?
"...since you are basically making money off their backs eh?...."
Somehow I don't think that was his idea.
Ok, I was in a cynical mood.
Go around the block and drive up to the place. What's the first thing that catches your eye? Walk in the front door. Again, what catches your eye. Do this for every room. Or better, have a friend who's never been there do it.
This will give you an idea of what areas would most benefit from dressing up.
happy?
Good advice. Outside the house is fresh but as I told Blue, the dirt front yard stands out. I'd sod it but its february. Inside, the hardwood is hot ( I have a great hardwood guy), to my eye the whole house is eye catching. I made raised panel wainscoting for the dining room, I used tall (6") base moulding and we have some nice neutral (tan/sandstone) tile work in the bathrooms. I also like my kitchen, it has white cabinets, stainless appliances, and a tile floor.
Cut flowers, just the sort from the grocery store, are a very nice touch. Put them in two or three rooms. Total investment, about $20 a week, reward can't be measured.
Greg
I considered flowers, not a bad idea.
It depends. If the rooms are small to begin with, you don't want to make them feel smaller by filling them with stuff, however, if there is some cavernous "great room" or something, it would probably be good to furnish it a bit (not to much though).
Having the windows professionally cleaned makes a huge difference. I sold a home last spring, by owner in three days for full asking price.I have no home selling experience and am not much of a people person.Three tone paint on the exterior, three semi neutral colors on the inside. No furniture, no window coverings, no soap.New appliances though.The aroma things sound cheesy, but may work on some buyers.A full color flyer is helpful
A good show to watch if you have the Home and Garden Channel is "Designed to Sell". They come in and look at a home, spend $2000 in materials, do a "make-over", and the house sells immediately for a gigantic profit.
Well, cynically, of course, I realize that they choose houses that can benefit from a smart make-over, etc. All those design shows are somewhat "gimmicky", in my opinion. Still, they repeatedly emphasize some great selling points: Curb appeal - has to be there or the seller will take a hit. No "fix up" things staring the buyer in the face. Rooms have to "make sense" and have a clear purpose (no bedroom/office/nursery type rooms). Clutter must be removed! Furniture is helpful if it is in proportion to the room, helps "sell" the room, and is attractive. It doesn't have to be expensive to accomplish that task! Accessories help if they're tasteful and not personal, such as photographs and "kid stuff" on the refrigerator. Bathrooms and kitchens that look dingy or outdated will take dollars out of the seller's pocket. Natural light is a seller's friend - they will often change out an plain door for a French door, and the difference is stunning.
I've learned a lot of things watching the show, so if you get a chance, watch an episode or two - they also have a website area on HGTV, and maybe they have a book out there you could look through for ideas.
I would say, yes. Maybe consider rental places to minimize the costs of furniture for presentation.
Last night I was at an HOA meeting (the 1st meeting!), and the builder said they've sold the model home (where we were meeting) as-is with all furniture and accessories included. In fact, the home was already sold and the builder was leasing it from the owner.
I like the cookie idea, too, and maybe a big-screen TV with high-defintion hooters on it (a la Bikini Destinations). Someone mentioned a staging company, but I've not seen this. I'll have to keep it in mind.
MSA1,
If you don't already furniture there, why not give it a week or so and see what happens. Then, you can adjust as needed.
When we bought our home 22 years ago, the owner had it fairly sparsely furnished, I don't know if that was because they cleared out the clutter or had less "stuff". The nice thing was the realtor had a small photo album showing the rooms and yard. It was a good reference for us. Were we to sell now, I'd rent a big dumpster and toss over 2 decades of "stuff", declutter everything to a minimal level so that it still looks lived in, then take photos. I would then store unessentials off-site. The prospective buyers could then imagine how a room could be used (I have one tricky room, so it would be great for this one), and then they can see the house for the home it could be. A realtor (or honest friend with a discerning eye), could offer the best assessment.
I cannot express how important the curb-appeal is. Seeing a tree on a cul de sac was what caused me to investigate further. I liked the house from the outside first and the inside second - though there was some hideous wallpaper. A couple of years ago, I did a bed around the mailbox for about $100 in a weekend that gave big impact. I also did one around the front entry the year before, again for low cost. I have some good cheap tips on how to do this if you are interested. I wanted instant results and didn't follow the "rules" exactly, but the beds are great even today and I did them for our enjoyment, not for resale.
My problem now, is how to make the undesirable neighbors disappear! The view is undesirable now and the undesirables are out in force when the weather and plants look nice. A different sort of problem, I know...
Good luck to you. I'd give it a shot for a couple of weeks and reassess if needed. It not, you've saved yourself some grief and expense. (You can always ask for feedback from realtors showing the house that might pinpoint exactly what the minor issues might be if you don't get an offer fairly quickly.)