Spring Market Checklist - Part 2

The Denninger Report  - by Gini Denninger

Decide what pieces of furniture can be stored, sold or given away. A home shows better with less furniture. Make sure they are classic or in current style. If you have older furniture, try to minimize shabbiness with quality bedspreads, couch covers, decorative pillows or any other means. I have had buyers get so fixated on the furniture and how out of date it was that they began to view the home as out of date too. Arrange the furniture in an attractive manner that shows off the rooms qualities, for instance, if you have a picture window place something by it that draws the eye to the window.

Evaluate your home with a ruthless eye! Patch all the nail holes, in fact, always pull all picture hooks out of the wall and patch those holes. Leaving holes is lazy and it is a rare buyer who will want to put their pictures up in the exact same place. They will discount for the potential patch work they have to do. How rough are your floors? Do you have hardwoods that no longer shine? Is your kitchen tile worn or cracked? Is your carpet thread bare in spots, or permanently stained? Are the faucets leaking? Are the faucet handles intact and not discolored in anyway? Are your cupboard handles dated? Light fixtures dated, might they need replacing? Do all cabinet drawers line up properly? Cabinet doors stay shut? Fix and repair everything that you can afford to or you may pay later at the closing table. Consider your homes color scheme. If your colors are extra bold, or not in style (pastel colors anyone?), you need to change them. One of the biggest turn-offs for buyers is thinking they have to paint a home before moving into it. You are not doing them a favor by saying: “Let them paint it… that way they can choose their own colors!” This never flies and can actually be the difference between selling quickly or lingering on the market and selling at steep discount later. Lastly, light bulbs! Make sure all your light bulbs are in working order. If the buyers try to turn a light on and it does not work, they do not think the light bulb is dead, they immediately think “electrical problems”.

Clean, clean and then clean some more! No dust bunnies allowed! Your surfaces should sparkle. This includes windows, shelves, counter tops, cabinet doors, stoves, refrigerators, light fixtures, ceiling fans, mirrors, furniture, bedding, tubs and showers. Polish what can be polished to a shine. Vacuum daily in case there is an opportunity for a last minute showing. Caulk tubs, sinks and showers. Check the curtains, clean them if they are dusty, or at the very least, see to it that they are attractively arranged. DO NOT USE SHEETS FOR CURTAINS! If you do, this screams poor, which translates into “too poor to do basic maintenance” on this home.

Check for odors. Ask a close friend for help here. You may not smell them since you live there. Your friend or even Realtor, will be happy to find odors for you if asked. Once you identify where they are you have to identify the source and take care of it. Nothing gets potential buyers out of a house faster than foul odors.



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