PREP WORK

Getting ready to sell? 10 staging tips to wow home shoppers 

By Lucie Brand 

The Globe and Mail September 4,  2013

1. Start with a change of mind

Too often investors/home owners become either too emotionally attached or not attached at all. I have worked with investors who were renovating a property and blew their budget on some obscenely expensive tile they “had to have” and had nothing left for furnishing the place. On the other hand I’ve worked with landlords who did not see the value in painting a place that had gone through 3 tenants! Looking at a property from a buyer’s perspective is key.

Take a tour with a realtor or a staging professional and get some outside opinions on what areas you should focus your dollars on and what’s needed to get the maximum offers.

2. Maximize curb appeal

The outside should draw people inside. Neatly trimmed bushes, mulched beds, weeded lawns all help make that crucial “first impression”. Freshly painted front doors with new mailboxes and house numbers are easy ways to create maximum impact without breaking the bank. Adding seasonal urns by the front door for some colour are another way to brighten up concrete steps or boring brick.

3. Choose neutral colour palette

Bold colours are great for living, but not for selling. Light and Bright should be your motto! Stick with a warm, neutral palette like tans, taupes and greys. Avoid dark colours, especially in small spaces (like powder rooms). Keep the ceilings white to keep walls looking tall. Rule of thumb, if the walls haven’t been painted in over 2 years, now is the Time!

Return on investment: 109 per cent*

4. Let there be light

Lighting plays a vital role and is often overlooked when getting a property ready for sale. Dark hallways, rooms with little natural light, basements and bathrooms should be addressed. A minimum of a 2-bulb overhead fixture with maximum watt bulbs can transform a dingy area. There should be NO overhead receptacles without a light fixture! Consider adding pendant fixtures in dining rooms and eating areas. Big box stores offer affordable options in brushed nickel or silver fittings.

Adding ambient lighting is essential especially in areas where there is no overhead outlets. Adding table lamps and floor lamps will help brighten up any room and help your property appear as “light-filled” as possible.

Return on investment: 303 per cent*

5. Flooring

This is the other main area that always increases the value of a home. It will ALWAYS cost you less to replace worn carpet or add new flooring then to leave it to the new home owners.

Most purchasers are looking for reasons to discount their offers. Flooring is one of the first things buyers see when they walk in. If their first thought is “I will need to replace these floors”, I guarantee they are discounting their offers $5000-$10000 for condos and $7000 – $15000 for houses. Doing the work yourself will cost you a fraction of that amount.

Return on investment: 107 per cent*

6. It’s all in the details
Replace all burnt out bulbs, touch up any nicks and dents in high traffic areas, replace torn screens and fix leaking faucets. Once the fix ups are done it’s time to focus on the pretty stuff. Fresh linens in the bathrooms, a bowl of fresh green apples on a kitchen island, fresh flowers on a dining table or in the entrance way.

Adding live or silk greenery to bathrooms and adding a new crisp bedding set to the Master all help create the impression of a well-cared for home.

7. Clean, clean, clean

This may seem like common sense, but unfortunately it’s still the one area owners tend to try and shortcut.
This is the time to hire a professional cleaning company. Special attention should be placed on appliances, inside and outside of cupboards, baseboards and windows. Bathrooms should be scoured and if necessary use grout cleaner to get the tiles looking spotless!

8. Highlight best use of the space

Tenants may have liked to use the dining room as an office, but it should be shown with it’s intended purpose. Giving a room more than one function (i.e. guest room and office) is a great way to effectively show the space. In condos this becomes essential when space is at a premium.

Using small glass desks with a stool you can tuck in can creatively introduce a “work space” where one wouldn’t think possible. Adding a daybed to a den/office creates extra sleeping space. Determine what adds the most value to potential buyers in your neighbourhood and showcase the space accordingly.

9. Kitchens and bathrooms are the place to invest

If you have dated cabinetry, cracked and worn laminate counters, chipped or broken tiles, consider investing in repairing and upgrading these rooms.

If your budget is limited, changing cabinetry hardware to brushed nickel or silver knobs and handles will give it an immediate appeal. Consider painting cabinetry instead of replacing them.

Depending on the price point of your property it is often worthwhile to install stone counters. This immediately adds value and is very durable for long term use. If stone is not in the budget, consider a “stone– like” laminate counter. Recaulking around sinks and bathtubs is a simple improvement that can greatly improve the look of a bathroom.

Return on investment: 172 per cent*

10. Vacant properties sit, staged properties sell

Staged homes sell 2 – 3 times faster and up to 6 per cent more than unstaged ones**. People perceive staged units that are well decorated as worth more. Professional stagers know how to highlight the features of the unit and distract from any “not so desirable” features.

If your budget is limited consider focusing on the main living areas and at least one bedroom. If you can’t borrow furniture and artwork, rental companies carry everything from furniture to linens. Just keep in mind that the goal is to show people how to use the space effectively.

Return on investment: 299 per cent*

Remember that 79 per cent of buyers have already viewed your property on the MLS, make sure that your property stands out among the competition! Staging is your key to getting noticed and getting SOLD.

Photo By: Exterior Encounters

PIY

Paint exterior wood siding Do It Yourself or Not?By Gene and Katie HamiltonTribune Content Agency August 12, 2013

A coat of paint on wood siding provides a protective coating on the surface, but for strict aesthetics, the paint can transform an ordinary house into one that stops traffic. Any professional painter will tell you the devil is in the details, and the best looking and longest lasting job is the result of time spent preparing the surface before rolling on a good quality latex exterior paint.

To prepare, prime and paint 1,500 square feet of wood siding on a house, a painting contractor will charge $1,850, which includes the material and labor. You can buy the materials and do it yourself for $195 and pocket a 91 percent saving. If the siding is damaged or requires removing layers of paint and repair work, the time and cost will be considerably more.

The painting process includes several phases. If the siding has areas that are dirty or covered with mildew, wash them using a garden hose with a scrub brush attachment or rent a power washer. Scrape any loose or flaky paint and sand them; also sand any bare spots so they're smooth. Then apply a first coat of primer, followed by a topcoat of paint to all the surfaces allowing it to dry between applications. Protect the surrounding plants and shrubbery with drop cloths while doing the prep work and painting.

If your house was built before 1978, it is possible that lead paint was applied to your siding. If lead is present, dry scraping and sanding the old paint is highly toxic to you and your neighbors, especially to small children. It is a job that should only be done by professionals trained in lead-safe practices. To learn more about dealing with lead paint, check out http://env.gov.nu.ca/sites/default/files/Waste%20Lead%20Policy.pdf

To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit http://www.diyornot.com and http://www.m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

GEARING UP TO LIST IN THE SPRING?

Home not selling? Clean, paint and pare price
March 2, 2010
Jennifer Wilson-Speedy
YOURHOME.CA EDITOR

If only selling a home was as simple as putting up the "For Sale" sign. Instead, it's an emotional process balled up with agonizing financial decisions and life changes that only get more stressful the longer the property's on the market.

Sofie Allsopp helps Brits make over their homes to speed up the sale of stagnant properties in Unsellables UK ,an across-the-pond rethinking of the Canadian Unsellables series.

This season, Allsop says, brings "new people (and) some really great properties" – at least, once they've cleared up the filth, clutter and worn-out decor.

"I'm always amazed when people's houses are dirty when they put it on the market."

In addition to the general turnoff that is grime, clutter "makes a house look so much smaller," she says, recalling an episode where the newlyweds' house was piled so high with boxes "you could barely see the floor."

These kinds of messes not only eat away at valuable floor and counter space but also hinder prospective buyers' ability to envision their own belongings in the home, which is often a key step in their decision making.

So, if you're preparing to sell, it's worth the effort to pare down before the first showings, including stowing family photos and mementos. Allsop also recommends putting oversized or extra furniture into storage to help make rooms feel larger.

Plus, she notes, cutting down on clutter now means less packing when moving day comes.

Faded decor is another Unsellables no-no. Often in houses that have been lingering on the market, "everything just looks a bit tired and unloved," says Allsop.

As a result, paint is "one of the most important things to do before you put in on the market," she says, suggesting sellers opt for "pale but interesting" colours, such as muted greens and blues, to help create a fresh look without imposing a bold, and potentially intimidating, personality on the space.

Sellers must also consider their furniture placement. Paring down will help open up spaces, but pieces must also be arranged to emphasize the home's flow, which means natural walking paths and doorways shouldn't be blocked. Try to showcase the flexibility of the space too. For example, convey that the home office could also be a bedroom by adding a small bed.

To prevent your home from languishing on the market, Allsop says one of the most important steps is getting a real estate expert to help you set a realistic price. She says a lot of the time people list their homes for too much money – and it ends up sitting for months until they lower the price.

In addition to delays for the sellers, listings that sit on the market also lose appeal with prospective buyers.

"If a house has been on the market for a few months, people will keep seeing it in their (web) searches and it will start to feel stale," she explains. "Price it for sale."

And, she adds, don't forget to give your home's exterior a little TLC – she notes that will be the photo on your Internet listings.

"You have two seconds to impress before someone clicks on to the next house," she says. "No one looks at a home with an overgrown yard and says, `This is the house for me.' "

Mowing the lawn, painting the front door, stowing the garbage bins and putting out some flowers "will instantly make the front of the house look smarter."