Oregon Real Estate Queen

TIPS FOR SELLERS # 2 – IT JUST MAKES “SENSE”

By Lori Palermo – Oregon Real Estate Queen

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason.”

Immanuel Kant

In “Tips for Sellers – Part 1”, we talked about what you could do to the outside of your home before putting it on the active market for sale. In Part 2 we’ll take a look at the inside of your home and suggest things you can do very inexpensively to put your home in its very best position to make a potential buyer feel welcome. It is imperative that you take an unbiased look at the inside of your home – as if you are walking in the door for the first time. A great way to do this is to use your 5 senses. Here are some tips for preparing your home for sale “sensibly”.

1. The first thing a potential home buyer will notice upon entering your home is how it smells. Odors from pets, cigarettes, cooking odors and even heavy duty cleaning (chemical) smell can leave a lasting negative impression. Buyers are more likely to remember the “cat-box-odor” than they are the expensive hardwood floors you just installed. Your teenager may love the smell of patchouli incense, but it may leave a potential buyer with his nose searching for the door! Pay special attention to the laundry room and bathrooms. Musty, moldy smells could make a buyer think of the health risks associated with other kinds of mold. Make sure that if you use a fragrance or room freshener in your home that you use it sparingly. Try using just one or two scents throughout your home. “Piňa Colada” in the bedroom, “Pine Forrest” in the bathroom, “Warm Apple Pie” in the kitchen and “Spring Garden” in the living room can be a little overbearing. Studies show that “comfort” smells like sugar cookies, bread baking, or French vanilla are appealing to most people.

 

2. Stand in the center of your home – or the room where people tend to gather most often. Now, close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? Are there plumbing noises you haven’t heard before – a faucet dripping or a toilet running? These are usually very easily fixed if caught early. Listen again. Is there a television on in every room or a stereo left on by mistake? In preparation for a viewing of your home, be sure all of the televisions and musical devices are turned off and leave the radio set to an easy listening or classical station playing softly.

 

3. Move room to room and pay special attention to the places people “touch”. Light switches, door handles, door jambs, kitchen appliances, mirrors and windows all get soiled very easily and very often, especially if there are children at home. From the time he was small, my son couldn’t walk out of the living room without jumping up and “touching” the top of the entry-way. I though it was cute – until he could actually reach it! Fingerprints are distracting – anywhere – so pay close attention to those “touchy areas”.

 

4. Think about the first thing you notice as you walk into each room of your home. What do you see? Make sure that each room is well lit – no burned out bulbs. It is very important to use the appropriate wattage of bulb for each fixture as well. Using a high wattage bulb in a fixture that requires a low wattage bulb can be a safety hazard. Speaking of safety, make sure that all toys are put away. Little toys lying about can be very dangerous if stepped on or tripped over. Probably the least expensive and most effective tip is this: De-clutter everything. Eliminate the piles of old newspapers, file away the mail, and put away the stacks of clean laundry. Leave nothing that could be distracting to a potential buyer. Organize your closets and cabinets (yes, buyers will look in there). Be consistent. See that the beds are made, floors are vacuumed, swept and mopped, and the furniture is dusted or polished daily. If you have lots of furniture that make your rooms look crowded, consider renting a short term storage unit to store some of the larger pieces.

 

5. Be tasteful in your decorating and remember, “Less is best”. It is very important to leave enough room for a potential buyer to imagine their belongings in your home. For example, large collections can be very distracting and take away from the versatility of particular areas of your home. A few family pictures are great, but a gallery of your ancestors up the stairway and down each hallway can hamper a buyer’s vision. Again, renting a storage unit for large pieces of art or decorations is well worth the cost. Use neutral colors when painting that would likely blend easily with a potential buyer’s own furniture.

Once you have assessed your home – in every “sense” of the word, turn on some soft music, pop some cookies in the oven, place some fresh flowers on the table, and put the welcome mat out. If I can be of any help to you in the sale of your home, please don’t hesitate to contact me at loripalermo@comcast.net.

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