BC Sunshine Coast real estate by Menno at Royal lePage Real estate on the BC Sunshine Coast

It happens that people look at a house and immediately know that THIS is the home for them. One might call that a “sale at first glance”. What do you need to do to YOUR house to make it so attractive, is there perhaps a trick to this?

You go home shopping with a long list of conditions and wishes - then you suddenly see that ONE house and you immediately know that THIS is the one. How does that work?

We don’t really want to admit it but it’s probably true for most buyers that when a house looks better “at first glance” that we may tend to like it more. It might sell a little bit more easily and it might even attract a somewhat higher selling price. This might be the reason that many sellers go to great lengths to “doll up” houses before selling them.

Is it actually worth it to fix up your home before trying to sell it. Logic says that, if you quickly put a $20,000 kitchen in your home, it’ll sell faster and for more money. If you put $20,000 in the garden: same thing. Bathroom: also the same. The question remains: are you going to recover that $20,000? Or are you going to take a loss on that improvement money? Or are you possibly even going to earn it back with a bonus?

It’s easy to understand that an updated house will be more attractive to buyers than a house in “original” condition. (that’s realtor jargon for houses that aren’t updated, renovated or even fixed up). Before rushing to spend a small fortune on updates, let’s first determine if you are going to recoup that same amount in a higher sale price. Generally speaking, it’s not likely that you are going to recover all of the cost of renovations done just to make a house sell more easily. These things are hard to measure – obviously people will pay more for a house that appears nicer to them, one that represents better value. In a highly price-conscious market, many people would rather buy for a lesser price than pay extra for something they could get done at later time.

As a home buyer, it's good to remember that you'll be rummaging through houses where people are actually living - which could be upsetting to some people.

FEELING COMPASSION FOR SELLERS

Sellers of homes are competing with each other for home buyers. It’s safe to say that a buyer will choose the property that offers the best value and utility to them. Although buyers’ preferences aren’t the same for everybody, there are some general recommendations one could listen to as a seller. This might help in securing the right buyer more quickly – leading to a successful sale.

There never are two identical houses in the same location. There are never two identical buyers. Every viewing, every property transaction and every sale is unique. Still, one can safely say that a clean-looking, fresh-smelling and organised-feeling house will sell much more easily and therefore at a possibly higher price. Buyers usually need a house that’s ready to move into – not many buyers want a fixer-upper. If they do, they will want to pay rock-bottom – and that’s a different market altogether. Buyers, in a house that’s not dressed up right, will focus on the mess, on the dirt and on the unappealing feel of the home. They won’t want to stay very long and they will compare with other houses, automatically favouring the ones that look and smell nicer. It goes to simple human nature.

It may be simple enough to throw a lot of money against the house and improve it that way. If you prefer to be on a budget, here are some tips from the professionals on how to make low-cost improvements:

When a seller can well imagine what a buyer would like to see as a first impression, the chances of making the sale will be much improved.

SIMPLE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK

AT FIRST GLANCE – To a point, buyers pretty much make up their minds about your house even before they get out of the car. To ensure they have the right idea, clean up your yard, rake the leaves and sweep driveways and porches. Scour the front door, porch, railings and steps. Tuck away all your recycling cans and bins at the back of the house. (Better yet: bring the cans to the depot and collect the deposit fee; spend the cash on fresh flowers to display in the house.)

CLUTTER EATS EQUITY – Purge your closets, empty cupboards and box up small appliances. If you must keep the stuff, rent a storage locker, otherwise sell it and toss the rest. Pare everything down, be ruthless. An easy way to create space is to get rid of some furniture. Clean and simple furniture will do the trick; less is better.

THE NEUTRAL LOOK – Since you want buyers to imagine themselves as living in your home, not to feel like a guest in it. Specifically, you stash anything connected to your family or to your personal interests. Hide the hockey trophies, store family photos and remove all traces of day-to-day life. Go for a nobody-really-lives-here look.

SMELLS, GRIME and BROKEN STUFF – Get rid of the stink. There’s nothing worse than stepping into a house that smells of smoke, grease, dampness and pets. Some say it’s even bad if it smells like cookies baking or fresh paint (must be covering up something). The best smell is no smell at all.

NO DIRT – Cleanliness helps put a buyer’s mind at ease since it suggests that probably, you’ve taken good care of your residence in other ways as well. Clean everything: walls, door handles, light switches and pantry cupboards. If you can’t do it, hire a professional cleaner to scour the inside of the home and a contractor to power-wash windows, walkways, gutters and pathways. A clean house suggests low-maintenance too; many people like that thought.

NO REPAIRS – Dripping faucets, cracked tiles and mouldy caulking around the bathtub can knock thousands of dollars off the price of your home if not be an outright turn-off. Get things fixed.

THE LOOK OF COLOUR – Your single best investment may be a fresh coat of paint in key areas of your home. Paint your front door and put some urns with brightly coloured flowers on your front step or just inside the entryway. Those things make a house seem cared for, different and important.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT – The brighter and sunnier a space, the easier it is to sell. Clean windows let in more light than soiled ones. Clean the shades on your light fixtures, change light bulbs and add floor lamps if an area seems dim. Finally, when it comes time to show your home, make sure the lights are on, in the hallways, closets and dark areas especially.

STILL A PERSONAL TOUCH – Adding a touch of humanity can help too. A vase of flowers on your dining room table, even a simple rose in a bud vase can warm up a room. This is where you can let some of your creativity show through. Make it look and feel not too dull and sterile.

Before making improvements that cost a lot of money, it's always a good idea to establish if it's worth it to put in that extra work and expense.

IMPROVEMENTS THAT STEP IT UP A BIT

To doll up your house quickly, you could call in the professional stagers – at a cost. It’s also possible to ask your friendly real estate agent for some general advice. There are people who “stage” other people’s homes and they do that for a living. They have a knack for making things look their best. They know what colours and furniture styles are “in” and they have a nice way of telling you what pieces would best go into storage. Hire a specialist, when you can’t perform most of the above items yourself. It’ll be worth it in the end. Your home will probably sell more quickly and possibly even for a better price.

There could be reasons why it’s inconvenient or difficult to dress up your home for sale. An obvious reason would be that somebody else is living there (a tenant or family member for instance). You can still ask them to help of course – but results will vary. Another obvious reason is a lack of interest in the property. We see that in estate sales, bank-forced sales and sometimes even family break-up situations.

Of course ,there’s more to marketing a house than to make it look good. Your real estate professional will have various other methods of bringing YOUR home to the buyers. It’s an excellent idea to read up on what goes on behind the scenes of a real estate office, so that you get a clearer understanding of what’s involved to go from list-to-sold.

Marketing isn't so easy; many things can be done wrong. It's much like walking a tight rope, in order to achieve what needs to be achieved: making the sale.

MORE about marketing your home on the Sunshine Coast in the following blog articles:

Statistics (recent): http://www.mennorealty.ca/Blog.php/jan-2013

How nice to come to the Sunshine Coast: http://www.mennorealty.ca/Blog.php/a-magnificent-setting

10 Years ago on the Sunshine Coast: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20002

Market developments: http://www.mennorealty.ca/Blog.php/up-r-down

Immune to the financial troubles elsewhere: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20049

When you think you can’t buy: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20058

Mortgage and insurance questions: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20075

The valuation of your mortgage: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20035

Who knows about a debt-free retirement: http://www.menno.ca/?p=20024

The strategy of staging your house: http://www.mennorealty.ca/Blog.php/beware-of-staged-homes