how do you make your home more attractive to buyers?

My family is selling our house and I want to help them. What are some good things to make the house look "really cool" yet not spend hours and hours preparing for one potential buyer?
Thanks!
~Alim

Clean clean clean, then leave the minimum amount of "things" you can live with.

Square Eye said:

Clean clean clean, then leave the minimum amount of "things" you can live with.

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Agree!

New Paint is an inexpensive way to "redecorate" and make your place look new. Only if you need it though.

Get some good scented air freshners/candles. Something that smells like "home". Cinnamon, baked goods, something that everyone will think smells nice.

You might also consider taking a glance at your landscape. Home buyers WILL judge a book by its cover.

I guess it all depends on how much you want to do and want to spend. I have some other suggestions, but based on what you actually want to spend will dictate what you do.

well we're not in a big rush to sell our house but we don't want this to drag on for months. would planting more flowers help? we already have a few in our front yard but nothing big.
and speaking of paint what type of paint is the best?

Thanks Very much!
~Alim

The two most important rooms, when selling a home, are the kitchen and bath. If your counter top is old, you may want to consider granite 12x12 tiles. If the cabinets are in decent shape, a coat of paint and new hardware are equally important. The bathroom vanity is importatnt, as well as flooring. I am nearing completion on my first flip and will be selling the home furnished and decorated. My specialty is re-using found materials, flea market finds, etc. You would be amazed on what just a new coat of paint can do.
Which brings me to staging. You really want to make you prospective buyers see themselves living there. I am not sure how long you have been living there, but we all tend to collect too much clutter, so going through and boxing up some of your un-necessary "stuff" helps make the home seem more open and spacious. You were right about planting. Curb appeal is extremely important. You have to give people a reason to want to come in. If the front in not in that great of shape, people will not want to stop to see the inside. They will just assume that the outside is a sign of things to come.
I do this for a living, so can tell you that spending a little money goes a long way prior to selling. You do not want your realtor just continuing to suggest lowering your price if there are no offers right away. Let me know if there are any specific areas of your home that you feel need work. In this market, here in Michigan, you have got to try to differentiate your home to compete with all of the foreclosures out there.

If your family is determined to sell in a weak market, they will need to either offer a better product or a better price than comparable property in the area.

In many areas there is much more property on the market than there has been in years. More choices for buyers makes selling your home that much more difficult.

A fresh coat of paint works wonders, but many buyers expect upgraded finishes in kitchens and bathrooms. Stainless appliances and granite countertops are currently very popular (as were avocado colored fridges in the 70's) so in order to appeal to those buyers there are investments to be made.

Otherwise, to make your home appealing to the most buyers you will need to attract them with price, dazzle them with curb appeal, and impress them with cleanliness and lack of clutter.

Cheapest DIY fixes are very thorough cleaning, neutral interior painting, paint kitchen cabinets and update hardware, replace outdated fixtures, paint front door and exterior trim.

Midrange, high return would be a new low-end stainless appliance package ($2000) and upgraded countertops. Base, door and crown moulding (if appropriate to your home) and upgrade baths.

Your best return on investment will be kitchen and bathroom upgrades assuming the place is in good condition with neutral paint.

-good luck

If they don't NEED to sell now, I'd suggest they give the market 12-24 months to stabilize. Buyers are justifiably very wary now and there are currently more unsold homes on the market that there have been since the early 90's. It's not a sellers market now.

I have to agree, kitchen and baths are where your investment should be. You also need to consider your curb appeal. Depending on the condition of your home's exterior, vinyl shutters are an inexpensive way to add color and architectural interest. Check out the testimonial section of our website and you'll see the transformation and increased appeal by adding shutter and window headers. www.accentbuildingproducts.com/cgi-bin/accent/shutters/testimonials.html

Kitchen and bathrooms should be on the top of your list. Also landscape is another biggy, a well taken care of lawn, trees, and shrubs can certainly make a good first impression.

Plenty of lighting and space inside is important, highlight the features of your home.

I have a question, Educator, about the neutral colors. By that, do you mean everything should be light beige or off white? We're thinking of selling our house, and I've already updated most of it in the last four years, but the colors are primarily mid-range - not light nor dark.

My husband's kids repainted their house in a neutral color before they sold, and the buyers repainted it the original color! What a waste of time and money. I don't want that to happen here, nor do I want to have to spend a lot of money on adding color with new decorative items and pictures, since I'd like to change our color scheme when and if we move.

I am good with color, as I've done graphic design in the past, but realize not everyone would like the dramatic color I have in some rooms - as in our bedroom that has a dark faux leather finish. We have some nice lighting which makes for an intimate atmosphere. However, I am assuming that should be changed?

Another question, we have birch cabinets in the kitchen which don't look the greatest with pale colors. I repainted the walls a darker color and someone asked whether we had new cabinets! What is your suggestion there?

Thanks for your input. There are some great ideas for consideration here.

I may be able to put 2 cents worth into the answer.
After doing thousands of home inspections and remodeling jobs....I have to say the color does not matter to most folks.
They usually have a family member, friend or realtor along who gives their advice on colors and things to change on a home. The biggest thing to get folks interested is the curb appeal. You have to get their interest up enough to walk in the door. I would let folks have their imaginations run wild with new designs and colors if they want to. It keeps them interested in the home because folks seam to remember things they do not like in more detail. "I loved the house except for that orange color in the living room."

Painting is a DIY which most folks can handle, and dream up new rooms they would like....unless they already approve.

More deals are not done because of flaws in the house than of paint colors. If you have someone look over your house for defects, you will not have as many reasons to negotiate with the price when the buyers find problems. This is how to get your asking price with a little maintinence paid for up front...not spending time and money on paint.

Everyones tastes are different, I like to see things changed up a bit when I check a house, it creates conversation.

HGTV has many shows that discuss how to spruce up a house with minimal budget.

I am always amazed at the transformations they can do on a house with very little money (with a LOT of labour). It may be worthwhile watching a few (my parents house, curb appeal, sell this house, etc) for not listed already.

I just sold one of my homes two months ago. I think it is VERY difficult to predict how buyers will react to things-- paint colors or whatever. A seller that might think granite countertops are the ultimate may show it to a buyer who sees noting but high maintenance to keep it looking right. I tried to sell one of my homes with a $10K white marble floor to a buyer who liked carpeting. As an example I look at myself(I realize I'm not a typical buyer), I have bought 6 homes, sold 5. I buy homes(that I live in) for the potential not necessarily what I see existing. While I realize many can't see what their future home may look like, most that buy a home end up making it into what they want it to be. The other situation is that many of the sales hinge on the type of real estate salesperson you have and their ideas which may or may not confict with yours. Not many people can argue with clean & bright so this is the way I've tried to present my homes. The next most important thing is to be flexible with the terms and offer things that show that. Pay for closing costs, offer home warranties, have an inspection done and available as well as offering to reimburse for their inspection at closing, help with the down payment if it's that kind of home --- everyone wants to feel they saved some money or wants to hold onto some of their cash after closing for unexpected items.