Some improvements can help with marketing a house

Featherston

Garson

When selling a house, it is important to visually appeal to buyers. For some sellers, this may entail making improvements prior to placing a house on the market.

Megan Featherston, CEO and founder of VNTG Companies in Cleveland, and Carole Garson, Realtor at LoKation Real Estate in Boca Raton, Fla., discussed sprucing up a home for maximum appeal to buyers.

“Clean and classic improvements to kitchens and bathrooms pay back in dividends,” Featherston said. “White kitchens generally look larger, creating a fresh and inviting invitation to potential buyers. The same is true with bathrooms. Keeping it classic with sophisticated neutrals, classic ceramic or marble subway tile and shaker cabinetry are sure wins in the Cleveland market.”

Dated appliances that do not compete with standard appliance technology and functionality should be replaced prior to showing a home, she suggested. Additionally, a kitchen with updated appliances will not appeal as well if the kitchen itself is not updated.

New paint may help heighten a home’s appeal, depending on the current color and condition of the walls, Featherston pointed out.

“If the wall colors are extremely opinionated, dark or in obvious poor condition, there is nothing better than a fresh coat of light (or) neutral paint,” she said. “Lighter neutrals and trending white colors make rooms look bigger, ceilings higher and the glow of natural daylight resonate in the home.”

Sellers shouldn’t “paint for paint’s sake” though, she noted. It may be more affordable to stage a home with neutral furnishings.

As for flooring, hardwood floors are more appealing than carpet, Featherston said. If a home has carpet covering hardwood floors, sellers may consider removing the carpet to reveal the hardwood floors to potential buyers.

Decluttering is an important step to take before showing a home, she said.

“Remember, the goal is to appeal to every qualified buyer possible,” Featherston stated. “Don’t forget the garage and basement. They too need to be light, clean and real estate ready.”

A few of the first things buyers notice when they view a house are natural light, cleanliness and floor plans, Garson said.

Decluttering goes a long way, she said.

“I can’t emphasize enough – my husband and I have bought and sold five, six houses –

the biggest thing is to declutter,” she said. “Empty closets and kitchen cabinets. Just get rid of the excess stuff. Clean out the garage, clean out storage units.”

Buyers like to go in and see spacious closets in which they can fit a lot of stuff, she said. Decluttering helps them envision storing their own belongings in these spaces.

The aesthetics of a home, such as colors and outdoor features, are other important details that buyers pay attention to, she said.

“I think a fresh coat of paint goes a long way, and also landscaping; mulching, cleaning up the beds, putting in some flowers, pruning; just making everything look really well-kept,” Garson said.

Updating appliances depends on price point, she noted. Kitchens and bathrooms are the best investments as far as upgrading a home because those appliances are the pricier ones.

“When people walk in and they see that the appliances are good and the bathrooms are updated, then it’s like, ‘OK, we just have to paint, we have to maybe change the flooring,’ so I think they’re important; but then again, it just depends on where you are at a price point and what the expectations are from that buyer,” she explained.

Some people prefer carpet in bedrooms, she noted. People in the northeast especially prefer this during the winter months because carpet helps provide warmth in a room.

Hard flooring, however, is primarily preferred and there are several innovative options for hard floors these days, she pointed out.

“There’s so many great options with the engineered wood and the porcelain tile,” Garson said. “They make porcelain tile that looks like wood, so there’s so many of those options that are much more affordable than actual real wood. That can get very pricey.”

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