HDTV ran an episode last night about Designed To Sell Top 35 Selling Secrets. It featured all three of the Designed To Sell teams, who compiled a list of 35 ideas for bringing in a top dollar sales price for a home.
I thought it was a pretty informative episode which reinforced a lot of important aspects of preparing a home to sell. I actually taped the show and thought it may be a great resource for educating others about the importance of staging a home.
For those who missed the show, here is the top 35 list, along with some of the designer's comments:
#35 De-Clutter: The single most mistake sellers make is not picking up their clutter.
#34 Clean Up To Clean Up: Nothing is more disgusting than seeing someone else's dirt. The second buyers see the dinge (especially in kitchens and baths) the sale is blown.
#33 Fix It or Forget It: When a buyer sees deferred maintenance they immediately make a mental checklist for everything they will need to do to move into the house. This means that money is coming off of the asking price. It will cost the seller less to fix it than the dollars buyers will deduct off of the asking price.
#32 Go Neutral: Neutral colors will make a space feel warm and cozy, and not put anyone off. Paint is money in a can-a gallon can make you thousands of dollars.
#31 Design To Smell: Buyers don't just look at your house, they also smell it. **Interesting introduction of "scent packets" which you can add to a gallon of paint. Apparently it gradually releases a good smelling scent over a period of time.
#30 Spring Into Action: The best time to sell is in spring. 40% of homes are put on the market during springtime. The worst month to sell is December.
#29 Clean It Up or Clear It Out: When buyers pull up and see shabby landscaping they're going to think it's just the beginning of what they're about to see on the inside. Donna Freeman shared one of her worst curb appeal experiences. When they cleared the front yard out, they found a bicycle and an old washing machine. Have bursting color of flowers for interest. In the east coast during colder seasons-use red mulch to add color and contrast to landscaping.
#28 Embrace Your Architecture: It's important to highlight the great architectural features of the home. It helps differentiate the home and set it apart from others on the market.
#27 Opportunity Knocks: Make sure your front door is appealing. Put on new hardware and give it a fresh new coat of paint/stain. A great looking front door says "come on in".
#26 Deck It Out: Buyers are buying square footage. It's important to tend to your back yard and make it usable space. ** Great transformation of a deck & patio area on the show.
#25 Have Them At "Hello": The minute the buyer walks in the door, the seller has 10 seconds to make a good impression.
#24 Fire Up The Fireplace: Fireplaces are one of the most desired things by a buyer. If you have one, it better be your focal point. The 1st rule of real estate is...show off the assets!
#23 Furnish For Selling: Furniture placement makes a huge impact as buyers are walking into a room. To make rooms look bigger, pull the furniture away from the walls. This will allow buyers to see the perimeter of the room, which creates an illusion of more space.
#22 The Money's In The Details: Details such as crown molding are a great way to make a home feel richer, more custom, and having more character.
#21 Design To Dine: Defining a dining space adds value to the home.
#20 Know Your Competition: If you want to get top dollar for your home, you better be the top house in the neighborhood. Go to open houses to check out the competition. It's a good way to see how other realtors are marketing homes, hear buyer's comments, and find out what's important to buyers. You've got one shot to keeping these people at your house-don't let them go to the competition!
#19 Pare It Down: Have one purpose for each room. A room serving as more than one purpose will have buyers thinking there are not enough rooms in the house.
#18 Make It All About The Bed: When a buyer walks into a bedroom, the first wall they see is where the bed should be placed. **Interesting footage of a seller's homemade headboard. They used a light fixture from the kitchen and their wedding veil.
#17 Create Instant Luxury: Buyers are expecting to see luxury in a master bedroom. To create a look of a high end hotel suite: buy a nice bedding set, pull a color from it to paint the room, and add matching window treatments.
#16 Clear Out The Closet: Buyers are looking for storage space. Clear out excess items and organize shelves.
#15 Price It To Sell: Buyers always ask how long a house has been on the market. If it's been a long time, they will think something is wrong with the house. When pricing you want to have a small gap between the list price and the selling price.
#14 Use High End Materials: Two rooms that sell houses are kitchens and bathrooms. Buyers will be drawn to materials such as granite, stone, and marble. These materials are perceived to have high value.
#13 Primp Your Vanity: Vanities are the only piece of furniture in a bathroom, and therefore should show beautifully. Buyers want storage and beauty.
#12 Don't Pour Your Money Down The Drain: Spend the money to change out a shower door or refinish a tub. Buyers don't want to see a used space. The bathroom needs to look fresh and untouched.
#11 Whisk Them Away: With bathrooms, buyers want to feel like they've walked into a spa. Accessories are a great way to take it up a notch. Use folded towels, baskets, and spa lotions.
#10 Cook Up Your Kitchen: If buyers think they need to do things to rehab a kitchen, they're going to take off. Even very modest alterations and improvements to a kitchen are going to bring you a lot of money for your investment. **The single most important aspect in a home to a buyer is the kitchen!
#9 Reheat Your Cabinets: Sanding, staining/painting, and adding new hardware are great ways to give cabinets a new look. When painting, use high gloss or enamel paints.
#8 Use Counter Intelligence: Buyers want to move in and start chopping food on the counters. They won't want to do this if the countertops are grungy. You can never go wrong with updating countertops with granite.
#7 Apply Yourself: Buy new appliances for your kitchen and you will get the money back when you sell. Stainless steel is a good choice.
#6 Open Up and Say "Offers": Buyers are looking for open floor plans, especially kitchen great rooms. Knock down walls and open up rooms.
#5 Go With The Flow: It's important for rooms to flow within the home. Proper furniture placement is key to ensuring there is a good flow of traffic from room to room.
#4 Go From Trash To Treasure: Useable space in a room is key. Clear out unnecessary items from a room and show off a well defined staged room.
#3 Match The Book To It's Cover: Having good curb appeal is essential, but the inside needs to show just as well.
#2 Complete The Picture: Finish unfinished projects around the house. You're more than likely to get top dollar if your house is move-in ready.
#1 Go Over The Top: Pick your projects, pick your battle, and spend a little money. **featured a Designed To Sell home which sold for $61k over the asking price. They went top notch with upgrades, including an updated kitchen with granite etc.
Final Notes: Lisa LaPorta said she is often asked "What is the #1 thing you can do to sell your home?" Her answer was "don't do nothing". She and Clive Pearse reiterated that the biggest mistake is to put your house on the market and do nothing to it. Bottom line: it will cost you!
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