Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 5, 1990 TAG: 9005080110
SECTION: AMERICAN HOME WEEK PAGE: AH19 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It should be neat and landscaped properly; bare wood that ought to be painted should never be showing; flaking paint is blacklisted; shrubs and lawns should be well-trimmed; the front door, stoop and porch should be painted if necessary.
"So many people will drive by a house and won't even go in," said Judy Webber of Progress-Rush Co. "Curb appeal is very important - it's probably second to location. I think [home buyers] think that if the homeowner is not taking care of the exterior, they're not taking care of the interior."
Browning said that this may be more of an issue with first-time home buyers who don't have the extra cash to put into fix-ups. "The more cosmetic work homeowners can get done," she said, "they better off they are."
The sellability of a house can be influenced by its cosmetic appeal. "I call them, not expenses, but investments, bringing them a return for the dollar," said Donna Hamner of Boone & Co. "Do you need to paint, remulch, rearrange the furniture, hire a cleaning lady an extra day a week?"
She said that doing this makes so much of an impact, that it's always wise to wait until the house is ready to put it on the market. "You only have one chance to make a first impression. Those first people are the best prospects for a home. Those are the buyers that have been in the marketplace." Their agents, she said, are watching for the new listings.
David Bromm of Progress-Rush Co. agrees, saying that homes with little curb appeal sell for less. One house on Stephenson Avenue, he said, sold for about $70,000 in an estate auction. A building specialist came in, put some work into it, and turned around and sold it for about $120,000.
Color - both inside and out - is right up there in order of importance. Neutral colors, such as white or beige, are most appealing, particularly if the color is consistent throughout the house. This goes for both paint and carpet. However, hardwood floors are also much in demand.
According to a Lemon & Lambdon other areas to cover are:
Yard, driveway, gardens: keep them neat;
Toys. Keep them in the backyard;
Fix up the leaky faucets and warped or sticky doors;
Clean up basement and attic - this could make your home seem bigger and cleaner;
Turn the lights on all over the house when showing it, so home buyers can see it.
In addition, a home owner trying to sell his own home should have pertinent selling information on hand for the buyer to see, such as the asking price; the room sizes, the lot size and dimensions; mortgage information; a survey; zoning data; real estate taxes; amount of cash necessary to purchase; comparable sales of neighborhood homes; schools, churches, stores and buses nearby; and a contract of sale.
Hamner did a comparison: If one home is sparkling clean, pretty, smells good and reflects pride of ownership and the other looks like a neglected child, "there is no contest in your mind." A home will lose some of its impetus after those first weeks if it's not ready to sell, especially since activity peaks at the sixth or seventh market week.
According to the Lemon & Lambdon selling tips, $200 spend in redecorating could return $500 to $1,000 in additional selling price. That, plus the house could be sold quicker.
by CNB