First impressions important for home buyers
This photo, provided by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, shows the bedroom in the other photo after it was renovated.
The photo at right, provided the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, shows a bedroom before it was renovated. The photo above shows the bedroom after it was renovated.
First impressions are critical to selling a house.
While spring is the best time of year to put a home on the market, home sellers need to consider more than just placing a 鈥渇or sale鈥� sign on their property, according to real estate professionals.
It鈥檚 a good idea to take a look at the house through a different perspective, according to Scott Cavinee, president of the Fayette Board of Realtors.
鈥淚 advise sellers to walk through their property as though they were buyers,鈥� Cavinee said.
鈥淪tart at the curb and look at the house because that鈥檚 where many potential buyers make their first decision,鈥� he added.
Bette McTamney, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, agrees. 鈥淓xterior curb appeal hits potential buyers first, so consider painting the front door, clean the light fixtures and wash the windows. Bright sunshine in a home really shows off the property.鈥�
Home stagers, who help prepare a house for the market, concur that sellers don鈥檛 get a second chance for a first impression, Cavinee said.
鈥淵ou consider this your home but to sell it, it has to become a house and a product,鈥� said Barb Schwarz, the creator of home staging. 鈥淵our house must be as presentable and fresh as possible because that鈥檚 what the buyer is going to expect. Buyers are very discerning today, and they want the very best.鈥�
Decluttering is key to making the inside of the house appealing, Cavinee said. 鈥淔ind a local storage unit and pack up many of your belongings,鈥� he said.
鈥淕o through your closets and reduce what鈥檚 in them. You鈥檒l start your own packing process and make the house look more attractive.鈥�
鈥淏uyers only know what they see, not the way it鈥檚 going to be. So pack up your favorite doll or tea cup collections,鈥� Schwarz added. 鈥淢ake sure the house looks clean, uncluttered and smells fresh. The impression they have when they first open the front door sets the tone of the rest of the showing.鈥�
鈥淚f you want top dollar for your house, you need to put some extra effort into cleaning it,鈥� McTamney concurs. 鈥淓veryone is getting ready to list their home; you want your home to show at its best.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to freshen up the entryway of a home. Every nick or hand print on the wall sticks out to a potential buyer,鈥� Cavinee said.
鈥淏uyers want the house to be extremely clean,鈥� Schwarz said.
鈥淭hey will notice dirty light switches, faucets and sinks. It鈥檚 important for your house to be extremely clean so the potential buyers don鈥檛 make harsh judgments,鈥� she added.
Updating the walls and flooring to be more neutral tones allows buyers to envision themselves in your house, Cavinee said.
鈥淭here are lots of things sellers can do to prepare a home for sale, most of which require little or no money. Cleaning, decluttering, organizing. If the home is small or lacks storage, I recommend removing things a seller doesn鈥檛 need day to day. Get all off season clothing out,鈥� Cavinee added.
鈥淚 tell sellers it鈥檚 our job to get prospective buyers to drive past. It鈥檚 the sellers job to get people to want to come in.
鈥淢ake sure the yard is clean of debris. Keep the grass cut. Trim shrubbery. Plant flowers. Pressure wash sidewalks, driveway, porches and patios. Paint as needed. Windows, clean windows mean so much,鈥� he said.
鈥淔ind the source of any offensive smells and eliminate them. Ask a friend to do a sniff test. Sometimes we become accustomed to smells in our homes,鈥� he said.
鈥淣ew bath towels and bedding make rooms look nicer and clean. Stage odd spaces. Show a prospective buyer how the space can be used.
In preparing a home for the market, homeowners are advised to spend as little money as possible. According to REALTOR.com, buyers might be impressed with a brand new roof, but they aren鈥檛 likely to give you enough money to pay for it.
鈥淪ellers need to remember that longevity on the market means one thing鈥� a reduction in price,鈥� Schwarz said. 鈥淢aking a few changes before the house is listed helps the moment the Realtor begins to market the property.鈥�
A Realtor is instrumental in helping the transaction go smoothly, according to Cavinee.
鈥淩ealtors are trained to properly price your house, market your property, negotiate for you and get the best price for your home,鈥� he said.
鈥淪parkling clean, uncluttered homes make the best first impression,鈥� Cavinee said.
Jim Pletcher writes a weekly real-estate story for the 缅北禁地 from a variety of angles. If you have an interesting story about buying or selling a home in Fayette County and would like a story written about it,, please contact 缅北禁地 Executive Editor Mark O鈥橩eefe at 724-439-7569.