St. Albert realtor Sheryol Shera estimates that potential buyers make the decision to purchase within eight to 10 seconds of entering a house.
"That's what the research says," the Royal LePage realtor said, adding, "I know that to be true. I've seen it. If you want to sell your house, the first impression better be a good one."
Winter months are traditionally slower months for real estate. At the end of last month, there were 236 houses listed for sale in St. Albert. Just 29 homes sold in December. Realtors Association of Edmonton statistics show that 30 homes sold in January 2011.
Most prospective homebuyers will visit three to five homes in a row with their realtor. Perhaps that home-buying couple is looking for a bungalow. In the space of a Saturday morning, they may see four others that look just like yours.
Sellers need to make their own home stand out, but it may take more than spit and polish to sell that house. Your house is your biggest life investment but making a profitable home sale may necessitate spending cash on fixing it up.
Box the souvenirs
To do this, you need to separate yourself from the emotion you've invested in your home. You are likely proud of the way you've made it look warm and comfy. Friends may have complimented you on the way you've added personality to your house.
Most buyers don't care. They don't want your house. They want their own.
Shera, who is also a professional home stager, stressed that houses need to be spotless, but more than that, they should also appear anonymous to potential buyers.
"The hardest thing to do is to de-personalize your house. Put away all the knick-knacks. Take your personal pictures down," she said.
If, in those first few seconds of viewing your home, the purchasers are strongly attracted to your art, they may miss the cozy fireplace or expensive flooring. When they get back in the realtor's car, all they may talk about or remember is the painting you had in your living room.
"You don't want your buyer to focus on your son's graduation photos or wedding pictures. You want the purchasers to see the strong points in the house," Shera advised.
Removing clutter means clearing the fridge of magnets and putting away the catchall basket that usually sits on the dishwasher or on your dresser. It may mean that your children have to take their signed posters off their bedroom walls.
"If you're going to move you're going to have to pack it all up anyway. You might as well do it now," Shera said.
Kitchens and bathrooms
Clean houses sell more quickly than others, but always try to think about what people are going to see and what they may be looking for.
"Think to yourself, if I didn't live here, what would I notice. Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes," said Christine O'Donovan of Realty Executives Masters.
O'Donovan believes that investing money, especially in the kitchen, will help a house to sell.
"If your fridge or stove look tired, look for deals and consider purchasing new modern-looking appliances," she said as she explained that new appliances make a home financially attractive to home buyers.
"For example I was showing a young couple homes and they didn't have a lot of extra cash. It's not easy for them to come up with money but if the appliances were new, they could be purchased as part of their mortgage. They won't have to borrow money for appliances," she said.
O'Donovan suggested that a tour of local show homes would help sellers get an idea for the latest fashions.
"What is popular now is stainless-steel appliances, not white appliances," she said.
New paint is the least expensive cosmetic change that can be made to update a house. But don't just consider painting the walls. Paint those old kitchen and bathroom cabinets too. Get new wider baseboards to set off the paint job. Take dated drapery valances off the windows and consider purchasing some inexpensive side panels instead.
"Just putting new hardware on the cabinets and new faucets in the bathroom and kitchen along with a lick of paint makes a huge difference," said Shirley Williams, broker/owner of Royal LePage.
Williams also suggested that if owners can afford to purchase new cabinets, they might be able to ask for a higher price for their house.
"You can buy new cabinets for $5,000 and you will at least get your money back, if not more when you sell your home," said Williams.
Look up! Way up
Stand in each room in your house and consider it from every angle. Does the bathroom fan need vacuuming? Do the window frames need to be stripped and painted? Is the closet in your son's room a disaster? Should there be new caulking around the tub? How is the flooring?
"People do not like laminate flooring if it looks cheap and it's lifting or splitting. Fix the floor and put in nice hardwood or ceramic tile," Williams said.
At the same time, Williams cautioned against making expensive cosmetic changes that may not appeal to your buyer.
"New rugs are a big expense that I don't advise clients to change. You might not pick the right colour and they are going to rip it out anyway," she said.
Make the changes before you put the house up for sale, because a home that's a work in progress won't attract that first-impression buyer.
"One mistake people make is not starting soon enough. If you're considering putting your house up for spring sale, start now," said O'Donovan, who pointed out that just cleaning a closet can be a whole day's work for most people.
O'Donovan suggested that getting a realtor or a home stager to give advice on how to make a home look saleable, could result in a quick sell.
"Ask a professional to advise you on how to put your house in the best light that it can be," O'Donovan said. "Give the buyer the impression that you've cared for your home."
