Get Your Home Market Ready!

Spring is the perfect time for Central West End clients to get their homes market-ready!

In anticipation of the upcoming market, whether it’s next year, 2 years or 10 years from now, our clients regularly call us for advice on how to prepare their homes to sell in order to receive maximum return on investment.
According to National Association of Realtors REALTOR Magazine, these are the top design features that are in demand by homebuyers:

* Neutral color schemes
* Multigenerational floor plans
* First-floor master suites
* No dining room
* White kitchens
* Extra-large garages
* Big closets
* Finished basements
* Barn sliding doors

Now, if you have the means and time to check some of these items off of your list, great! If you’re selling an historic home or condo in the Central West End however, several of these features will be nearly impossible to add or wouldn’t make sense to change. But, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve your chances for a good price & quick sale when you do decide to go on the market. Here is a list of items that Paul and I routinely recommend to our clients:

* Clean up your “Scary, CWE basement!”
Remove clutter and items from the floor limiting storage to shelves only. Add lights and paint basement floor. If laundry is in basement, make the surrounding area clean and bright and add area rug to soften, folding table and hanging racks for convenience.

* Neutralize brightly painted rooms
Cool beiges, grays and blues are all colors on trend right now.

* Touch-up paint and remove scuffs from walls and woodwork
Mr. Clean magic eraser is amazingly effective and inexpensive. Use oil /stain crayons for small dings on woodwork and floors.

* Consider layout update
Many home buyers look for first floor family rooms that are located close to kitchens. In many historic homes, that is a tall order. BUT, consider staging your home so that the existing dining room is a family room and the existing formal living room becomes the dining room. This change of usage makes more sense for modern families, so if it’s possible to make the change it may be worth it.

* Clean up the yard
Most buyers are looking for low-maintenance or have a vision for their own secret garden. Make your yard easy for them to imagine it and clear away low tree branches, leaves and weeds.

* Let there be light!

We constantly hear feedback about houses that seem dark, so remove those draperies and heavy valances.