Home Decorators, Real Estate Agents, Home Improvement experts...lend me your ear!

[sheryl]

We have lived in the same house for 20 years, but we are planning on selling our existing house and buying another. We probably would not "build".

 

Our split-level house was built in 1967 and is about 1500 sq ft. It was lack of time, funds and effort that contributed to us not "keeping up" our house like we should. Now we are overwhelmed to "imrpove" it in the many ways people expect a home to be upgraded.

 

Well, we won't high the big $$ to make expensive improvements and we do save some of that money by putting in our sweat equity. Lastly, there is soooo much to do that by the time we improve some facet of the house, some new problem will surface requiring more time, money and effort...hard to get on top of this. Do you see where this is going?

 

Ideally we should replace all our windows which are NOT double pane. We are NOT going to do this as it's too expensive and we'd rather use our money fixing up what is really more important.

Old carpet in house.

Appliances are old....well, the dishwasher and frig.

Painting/interior.

Kitchen counter is disgusting and floor too

Landscaping..well, it's not great. Nothing professionally done. Chopped up and barren back yard. Not good curb appeal.

Tree roots have cracked our asphalt driveway.

Old roof

 

The rooms are box-y and small. It will be a hard sell and I'd appreciate any ideas on priorities we should focus on. The list could go on, but what should we focus on.

 

As a side note, we painting a beautiful muted green in our living room. Kitchen will be a rich browned gold. When you walk in the front door you enter l.r. and can see part of kitchen and d.r. I'm uncertain what to paint d.r. Should I carry over green into d.r. or carry gold from kitchen to d.r? OR, choose an antique white/bone for d.r?

 

Bring on the suggestions, PLEASE!! :bigear::bigear:

 

Sheryl <><

[jec3113]

One neutral light color in all the areas will make the house seem larger. What you can do on the cheap depends how how handy you are. Pergo flooring is inexpensive and easy to put down for a wood floor look that you can do yourself. Neat, clean and tidy will do wonders. Inside and out.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Definitely focus on the kitchen & bathrooms since those are the rooms that sell houses. You can do some nice landscaping and not spend too much $$$. Just make it look clean and maintained.

 

Could you just get some pretty throw rugs to help the carpet seem not so bad?

 

When you're ready to show, make sure you take down all personal photos & personal decor. Less is more basically.:)

[sheryl]

One neutral light color in all the areas will make the house seem larger. What you can do on the cheap depends how how handy you are. Pergo flooring is inexpensive and easy to put down for a wood floor look that you can do yourself. Neat, clean and tidy will do wonders. Inside and out.

 

We have had neutral in our living room for 20 years....cream color. But, other colors can be neutral as well - for instance, muted green, but not teal.

 

Pergo flooring I'll check into. Is this the laminate wood floor series? That was exactly what I was thinking of.

 

Definitely focus on the kitchen & bathrooms since those are the rooms that sell houses. About 8 years ago we "brought up" our bathrooms....gutted and renovated. Now, it was not top of the line mind you, and while the materials are good quality we still have "basic" bathrooms. Still, they've held up well, I think. You can do some nice landscaping and not spend too much $$$. Just make it look clean and maintained. I think we'll have to be creative and keep asking for suggestions from folks locally and do alot of the work.

 

Could you just get some pretty throw rugs to help the carpet seem not so bad?

 

When you're ready to show, make sure you take down all personal photos & personal decor. Less is more basically.:)

SERIOUSLY? I didn't know that. No personal photos? And, personal decor.....to what extreme?

 

Thanks!!!!

 

 

 

[3littlekeets]

Search for reviews on Costco laminate. It is a steal and looks fabulous! We did ours 8 years ago for $1.00 sq ft. and it looks brand new!

 

Kitchen can be done with Ikea pretty cheaply and it can look awesome. Check out ikeafans.com -- same for baths.

 

Paint all rooms and hire a professional cleaning crew :-).

[JenC3]

Make sure all your fixtures are updated: hardware, electric plates, etc. Anything that dates the house. We did this and it was a HUGE improvement. We had our front yard professionally landscaped and painted the entire house. I super cleaned it all and we stained the decking we had added over the years. We sold our house in 11 days. We had already bought another house so the house was empty.

[Laurie4b]

Impressions are what sell houses. And the impression is one of a neutral almost "blank slate" that the buyers can envision themselves in. Your house should also look new and fresh.

 

Paint--neutral is best, and though muted green can work as a neutral in a room, it's not what people are referring to when they say "neutral" with respect to paint for selling your house. Let's say a lavender/pink loving woman walks in your home. If it's painted a neutral color, it doesn't "say" to her: this isn't you. If she walks into your green and golden-brown, it does say, "You don't belong here." You don't want your house to have your "mark" on it when you're selling. You want it to be such that the potential homeowner can envision herself living there without any humps to get over.

 

Old carpet--got to go. I agree about the Pergo. It's nice and neutral and I think looks a little "higher end" than even new neutral-toned carpet.

 

Disgusting floor and counter--got to go. Again, choose a neutral (beige, grey, tan) counter color. You should probably also replace the dishwasher and fridge. Replacing applicances is a cheap way to add to the "new" impression.

 

Landscaping is not easily done quickly because it needs time to grow. I would not spend a lot of time thinking about that--just make it look neat. If you have a porch that you could put a pot of flowers on, the flowers will focus attention on your entrance. Paint your front door.

 

Every thing spic and span. Take down curtains to let in lots of light. Leave minimalist furniture out--less is more. A pp was correct, that any personal photos need to go. (Again, you want the buyer to imagine her family living there, not looking at evidence that they don't.) You may want to remove some furniture to make the rooms look more open. The less furniture, the larger the rooms will look. No "stuff" out---you may need to put it in storage. The closets/cabinets need to be clean and organized. Go look at the show house in a new neighborhood (if anyone is building in your area!) That's the look you're going for--basic furniture, but not many accessories.

[elegantlion]

Definitely focus on the kitchen & bathrooms since those are the rooms that sell houses. You can do some nice landscaping and not spend too much $$$. Just make it look clean and maintained.

 

Could you just get some pretty throw rugs to help the carpet seem not so bad?

 

When you're ready to show, make sure you take down all personal photos & personal decor. Less is more basically.:)

 

Agreed with bathroom and kitchen. If you are selling in spring get some nice colorful plants (color is cheap). We spent 30.00 one time on flower, plants and mulch to clean up the front of our house. The person who bought it loved to garden and raved about our landscaping.

 

Basically you should walk through your house with fresh eyes. If you're bold enough invite a few blunt but tactful friends over to give their opinions. :D

 

Neutral is best with paint colors. I'll throw out some random ideas: Go see some open houses, get an idea of what a home in your selling price looks like. Declutter. Clean everything. Well organized closets and kitchen go a long way. Take down personal effects, you want potential buyers to see themselves in your house, not living with your house, kwim.

 

What's under the carpet? Can you pull it up? Is there any wallpaper? Remove it. The chances that a potential buyer has the same taste as you is unlikely.

 

Work on curb appeal. If buyers are turned off when do a drive buy, they may never see the interior.

 

Make sure you address all cracks, as in settling cracks. Does all the trim and doors match in color and style? The house we just bought had maroon and turquoise trim (seriously). It is all now a crisp white, it unifies the house.

 

Personal decor: no family photos, remove everything from the fridge,

 

Make sure every room is defined. Dust ceiling fans (most overlooked cleaning aspect. Dh and I used to own a cleaning business. I could tell the overall cleanliness of a person by whether their ceiling fans were dusty)

 

Watch House Hunters and listen to some of the critiques people give. Granted everyone is going to want granite countertops and updated appliances on those shows, but watch and learn. Then walk through your house again.

 

Read up a little about staging a house, it can make a world of difference.

 

ETA: If you spend 2k on upgrades that will go a long way. It really can make the difference in an offer as well.

Edited December 14, 2010 by elegantlion

[sheryl]

Impressions are what sell houses. And the impression is one of a neutral almost "blank slate" that the buyers can envision themselves in. Your house should also look new and fresh.

 

Paint--neutral is best, and though muted green can work as a neutral in a room, it's not what people are referring to when they say "neutral" with respect to paint for selling your house. Let's say a lavender/pink loving woman walks in your home. If it's painted a neutral color, it doesn't "say" to her: this isn't you. If she walks into your green and golden-brown, it does say, "You don't belong here." You don't want your house to have your "mark" on it when you're selling. You want it to be such that the potential homeowner can envision herself living there without any humps to get over.

 

Old carpet--got to go. I agree about the Pergo. It's nice and neutral and I think looks a little "higher end" than even new neutral-toned carpet.

 

Disgusting floor and counter--got to go. Again, choose a neutral (beige, grey, tan) counter color. You should probably also replace the dishwasher and fridge. Replacing applicances is a cheap way to add to the "new" impression.

 

Landscaping is not easily done quickly because it needs time to grow. I would not spend a lot of time thinking about that--just make it look neat. If you have a porch that you could put a pot of flowers on, the flowers will focus attention on your entrance. Paint your front door.

 

Every thing spic and span. Take down curtains to let in lots of light. Leave minimalist furniture out--less is more. A pp was correct, that any personal photos need to go. (Again, you want the buyer to imagine her family living there, not looking at evidence that they don't.) You may want to remove some furniture to make the rooms look more open. The less furniture, the larger the rooms will look. No "stuff" out---you may need to put it in storage. The closets/cabinets need to be clean and organized. Go look at the show house in a new neighborhood (if anyone is building in your area!) That's the look you're going for--basic furniture, but not many accessories.

 

 

Got it, thanks. We'll have to be creative on where to find a decent yet inexp frig....maybe craigslist. Much to do!!

 

 

Agreed with bathroom and kitchen. If you are selling in spring get some nice colorful plants (color is cheap). We spent 30.00 one time on flower, plants and mulch to clean up the front of our house. The person who bought it loved to garden and raved about our landscaping.

 

Basically you should walk through your house with fresh eyes. If you're bold enough invite a few blunt but tactful friends over to give their opinions. :D

 

Neutral is best with paint colors. I'll throw out some random ideas: Go see some open houses, get an idea of what a home in your selling price looks like. Declutter. Clean everything. Well organized closets and kitchen go a long way. Take down personal effects, you want potential buyers to see themselves in your house, not living with your house, kwim.

 

What's under the carpet? Can you pull it up? Is there any wallpaper? Remove it. The chances that a potential buyer has the same taste as you is unlikely.

 

Work on curb appeal. If buyers are turned off when do a drive buy, they may never see the interior.

 

Make sure you address all cracks, as in settling cracks. Does all the trim and doors match in color and style? The house we just bought had maroon and turquoise trim (seriously). It is all now a crisp white, it unifies the house.

 

Personal decor: no family photos, remove everything from the fridge,

 

Make sure every room is defined. Dust ceiling fans (most overlooked cleaning aspect. Dh and I used to own a cleaning business. I could tell the overall cleanliness of a person by whether their ceiling fans were dusty)

 

Watch House Hunters and listen to some of the critiques people give. Granted everyone is going to want granite countertops and updated appliances on those shows, but watch and learn. Then walk through your house again.

 

Read up a little about staging a house, it can make a world of difference.

 

I'll read your reply tomorrow....late now.

[Ellie]

When you're ready to show, make sure you take down all personal photos & personal decor. Less is more basically.:)

SERIOUSLY? I didn't know that. No personal photos? And, personal decor.....to what extreme?

According to all the experts I've been faithfully watching on TV :lol: people who are looking at your house want to imagine themselves living there, which is easier to do if your own personal pictures and whatnot aren't on all the walls and surfaces and everywhere. Take down *all* family pix. If you have a bunch of framed pictures on the mantle or the piano or wherever, put 'em away. Not only can they distract people just because they want to look at your pretty pictures, they can also be perceived as clutter, and if there's clutter, it's harder for folks to see what the house is really like.

 

Remember that if paint and decor and all are not your personal style, it doesn't matter, because you're going to be moving. Put the colors you like in your new home. :)

[Pretty in Pink]

I will second the suggestion that you paint the entire house one light color. Maybe this is the muted green of which you speak. Remember though that paint always looks darker on the walls than it does on the paint chip. I think you would be better off to go with a light tan or a very light, muted green than a medium green.

 

Do you have popcorn ceilings? At the least the ceilings probably need a fresh coat of paint; same for baseboards, chair rails, crown mouldings.

 

Wood floors, or laminate, are fabulous. People love them. If you can afford to install this type of flooring on the main floor, I think that you should. Any new carpeting should be light and neutral.

 

Update fixtures, door stops, etc. Brushed nickel and rubbed bronze are popular finishes right now.

 

Appliances should match, stainless if you can afford it. If your kitchen is small enough you could probably do an IKEA overhaul. You might also consider cabinet refacing. Depending on the length/shape of your countertops you may be able to get away with purchasing remnants.

 

Clean out your closets. Try to get them down to just half full. They will look roomier to potential buyers. Same for garages, attics, basements. Remove knick knacks. Remove all clutter. Go for a few larger, tasteful pieces on the walls rather than lots of smaller, framed photographs (as a general rule). I think the ideal when showing a home is to stage it almost like a hotel room or a model home - when you stand back and look at the room you want to see clean, uncluttered lines.

[Brigitte]

Paint and flooring are the two biggies. Neutral on the paint and not too many different colors. I would go with a cafe-au-lait color in the living, dining and main hall and an even lighter shade in the kitchen. Flooring should be new and can be the absolute cheapest stuff you can find (people only care that it is new). Next I would go for the counters and light fixtures.

 

As for your landscaping, given the time of year, I would simply clean up the yard and trim everything. Make the yard neat and tidy.

 

Appliances should match in terms of color. Scratch-and-dent sections of the stores are a good place to start. Best Buy often has packages with all the appliances for pretty cheap. People are attracted to stainless right now, but if you only have the funds to replace one appliance, I would get whatever matches the rest of the appliances.

 

Yes, you do have to depersonalize a house to sell it. Decluttering is also very important.

 

Finally, you need to be very realistic in pricing the house. Talk to a couple of realtors and get their opinion. You can also ask them to come in before you do the work for their opinion on what you need to do to sell quickly. They might even know of investors who might want it as-is.

 

Good luck to you.

[Margo out of lurking]

The rooms are box-y and small. It will be a hard sell and I'd appreciate any ideas on priorities we should focus on. The list could go on, but what should we focus on.

 

As a side note, we painting a beautiful muted green in our living room. Kitchen will be a rich browned gold. When you walk in the front door you enter l.r. and can see part of kitchen and d.r. I'm uncertain what to paint d.r. Should I carry over green into d.r. or carry gold from kitchen to d.r? OR, choose an antique white/bone for d.r?

 

Bring on the suggestions, PLEASE!! :bigear::bigear:

 

 

 

Agreeing completely with all of the comments about cleaning everything OUT. The less you have will make your house appear more welcoming to buyers and give the impression of more room. This means everything fitting neatly into all cabinets and closets, with leftover space. No piles of anything, anywhere---not on dressers, not on floors, not on counters. The only things touching the floors should be furniture or room decor items--no books, toys, laundry baskets.

 

Everything I've read and experienced says to remove as many personal items as possible, family photographs, cutesy knick-knacks. Buyers want to envision themselves in that house; they do not want to imagine what it'd be like to live in YOUR home. Staging your house is totally different than cleaning when you have company coming over.

 

I would encourage you to go with a single truly neutral paint color throughout the house. It will create a better visual flow, making the rooms seem much less choppy/boxy. Imo, a muted green, and the brown/gold are not the best use of your money or time. Remember that you are painting to appeal to potential buyers who will not necessarily share your decorating/color preferences. You want to avoid anything that will cause a potential buyer to walk in and begin thinking of what they would change. (We just bought a house with $70K+ in updating, and my dh's complaint was the Corian kitchen countertop--grey with a hint of soft green.)

 

Do you have wood floors under your carpet? Consider the cost of having those refinished instead of new carpeting. (Check into remnants also. The sellers of our house have a carpet business and installed some sort of used carpeting in the bedrooms--it's white carpet but lacks that "new" carpet smell, leaves no lint behind, and wasn't advertised as recycled.)

 

Your first priority, however, is the outside curb appeal. Whatever you do inside will be secondary to the first impression you create on the outside. Your new roof and new driveway are at the top of the list. Those are expensive repairs that will be flags in any inspection and are in a different category than cosmetic changes inside.

 

How fun to plan, and how fun to see your plans become reality!

[Ferdie]

Another thought would be to talk with a real estate agent first. When we sold our home we interviewed three real estate agents and part of the interivew was to walk the home and have them tell us what needed fixing and replacing. It really helped us prioritize. I was also surprised that a few things that I thought were a mandatory didn't need to be changed and the house ended up selling without making some of those changes.

 

Good luck!

[sheryl]

Agreed with bathroom and kitchen. If you are selling in spring get some nice colorful plants (color is cheap). We spent 30.00 one time on flower, plants and mulch to clean up the front of our house. The person who bought it loved to garden and raved about our landscaping.

 

Basically you should walk through your house with fresh eyes. If you're bold enough invite a few blunt but tactful friends over to give their opinions. :D

 

Neutral is best with paint colors. I'll throw out some random ideas: Go see some open houses, get an idea of what a home in your selling price looks like. Declutter. Clean everything. Well organized closets and kitchen go a long way. Take down personal effects, you want potential buyers to see themselves in your house, not living with your house, kwim.

 

What's under the carpet? Can you pull it up? Is there any wallpaper? Remove it. The chances that a potential buyer has the same taste as you is unlikely.

 

Work on curb appeal. If buyers are turned off when do a drive buy, they may never see the interior.

 

Make sure you address all cracks, as in settling cracks. Does all the trim and doors match in color and style? The house we just bought had maroon and turquoise trim (seriously). It is all now a crisp white, it unifies the house.

 

Personal decor: no family photos, remove everything from the fridge,

 

Make sure every room is defined. Dust ceiling fans (most overlooked cleaning aspect. Dh and I used to own a cleaning business. I could tell the overall cleanliness of a person by whether their ceiling fans were dusty)

 

Watch House Hunters and listen to some of the critiques people give. Granted everyone is going to want granite countertops and updated appliances on those shows, but watch and learn. Then walk through your house again.

 

Read up a little about staging a house, it can make a world of difference.

 

ETA: If you spend 2k on upgrades that will go a long way. It really can make the difference in an offer as well.

 

Hey, I just noticed your name is Paula. Am I just not observant or did you just add your name? OK, good points. The issue is we will probably have to spend 10K as we've neglected the house and it's an older house that still needs some updating.

 

Granite kitchen counter....thankfully it's an incredibly small kitchen w/counter space to match. New dishwasher, frig, sink, floor. New roof as it's 15-20 years old. That's about 5k there. Add in paint and carpet in bedrooms. We have lovely hardwoods (real thing) in living and dining rooms. It's one of the best features to this house. Back when these homes were built..we were told that the carpeted 2 bedrooms upstairs "may" have hardwoods UNDER the carpet. The 3rd bedroom does have hardwood stained. Now, I don't know if there is hardwook in the other 2 b.r. and even if there is, if it's stained or not. Then we need to set aside money for landscaping and "extras" the buyer will insist on like: new hot water heater, new HVAC or who knows what. We must hire some of this work out as it's being our knowledge and capabilities, let alone necessary equipment, so that will increase the cost. We paint ourselves.

 

Do you have a recommendation on a storage unit? I'm assuming the best route to go in the south is one that's heated and air-conditioned? THANKS, Paula!

 

[/color]

According to all the experts I've been faithfully watching on TV :lol: people who are looking at your house want to imagine themselves living there, which is easier to do if your own personal pictures and whatnot aren't on all the walls and surfaces and everywhere. Take down *all* family pix. If you have a bunch of framed pictures on the mantle or the piano or wherever, put 'em away. Not only can they distract people just because they want to look at your pretty pictures, they can also be perceived as clutter, and if there's clutter, it's harder for folks to see what the house is really like. Good point here. My house is small so I don't need for it to look smaller by the clutter.

 

Remember that if paint and decor and all are not your personal style, it doesn't matter, because you're going to be moving. Put the colors you like in your new home. :)

 

Thanks, Ellie!!

[sheryl]

I will second the suggestion that you paint the entire house one light color. I feel like I'm not understanding this. Do you mean every.single.room in one color? I know one color helps for the house pattern to "flow", but every room? As you can tell, I don't have a decorator's touch. :001_smile: Maybe this is the muted green of which you speak. Remember though that paint always looks darker on the walls than it does on the paint chip. I think you would be better off to go with a light tan or a very light, muted green than a medium green.

 

Do you have popcorn ceilings? At the least the ceilings probably need a fresh coat of paint; same for baseboards, chair rails, crown mouldings.

 

Wood floors, or laminate, are fabulous. People love them. If you can afford to install this type of flooring on the main floor, I think that you should. Any new carpeting should be light and neutral.

 

Update fixtures, door stops, etc. Brushed nickel and rubbed bronze are popular finishes right now. Thanks for those tips. Will add that to my list.

 

Appliances should match, stainless if you can afford it. If your kitchen is small enough you could probably do an IKEA overhaul. You might also consider cabinet refacing. Depending on the length/shape of your countertops you may be able to get away with purchasing remnants. Ah, you're creative. This fits our style. We will definately look into remnants first. Habitat for Humanity? Any other place?

 

Clean out your closets. Try to get them down to just half full. They will look roomier to potential buyers. Same for garages, attics, basements. Remove knick knacks. Remove all clutter. Go for a few larger, tasteful pieces on the walls rather than lots of smaller, framed photographs (as a general rule). I think the ideal when showing a home is to stage it almost like a hotel room or a model home - when you stand back and look at the room you want to see clean, uncluttered lines.

 

There is much consistency in responses from everyone. I will go into declutter mode then after the New Year. Good New Year's project.

THANKS!!

 

 

Paint and flooring are the two biggies. Neutral on the paint and not too many different colors. I would go with a cafe-au-lait color in the living, dining and main hall and an even lighter shade in the kitchen. Flooring should be new and can be the absolute cheapest stuff you can find (people only care that it is new). Oh, I get it now. People want new...it's what FIRST meets the eye and that's appearance, not necessary quality. Right? Next I would go for the counters and light fixtures.

 

As for your landscaping, given the time of year, I would simply clean up the yard and trim everything. Make the yard neat and tidy.

 

Appliances should match in terms of color. Scratch-and-dent sections of the stores are a good place to start. Best Buy often has packages with all the appliances for pretty cheap. People are attracted to stainless right now, but if you only have the funds to replace one appliance, I would get whatever matches the rest of the appliances. Good...we do the scratch and dent for some things. Good idea.

 

Yes, you do have to depersonalize a house to sell it. Decluttering is also very important.

 

Finally, you need to be very realistic in pricing the house. Talk to a couple of realtors and get their opinion. You can also ask them to come in before you do the work for their opinion on what you need to do to sell quickly. They might even know of investors who might want it as-is.

 

Good luck to you.

THANKS!!

 

Agreeing completely with all of the comments about cleaning everything OUT. The less you have will make your house appear more welcoming to buyers and give the impression of more room. This means everything fitting neatly into all cabinets and closets, with leftover space. THANKS! That paints a good mental picture. Room left over. No piles of anything, anywhere---not on dressers, not on floors, not on counters. The only things touching the floors should be furniture or room decor items--no books, toys, laundry baskets. Gulp...this is a problem area we will ALL need to work on. Great!

 

Everything I've read and experienced says to remove as many personal items as possible, family photographs, cutesy knick-knacks. Buyers want to envision themselves in that house; they do not want to imagine what it'd be like to live in YOUR home. Staging your house is totally different than cleaning when you have company coming over.

 

I would encourage you to go with a single truly neutral paint color throughout the house. It will create a better visual flow, making the rooms seem much less choppy/boxy. Imo, a muted green, and the brown/gold are not the best use of your money or time. Remember that you are painting to appeal to potential buyers who will not necessarily share your decorating/color preferences. You want to avoid anything that will cause a potential buyer to walk in and begin thinking of what they would change. (We just bought a house with $70K+ in updating, and my dh's complaint was the Corian kitchen countertop--grey with a hint of soft green.)

 

Do you have wood floors under your carpet? Consider the cost of having those refinished instead of new carpeting. (Check into remnants also. The sellers of our house have a carpet business and installed some sort of used carpeting in the bedrooms--it's white carpet but lacks that "new" carpet smell, leaves no lint behind, and wasn't advertised as recycled.)

 

Your first priority, however, is the outside curb appeal. Whatever you do inside will be secondary to the first impression you create on the outside. Your new roof and new driveway are at the top of the list. Those are expensive repairs that will be flags in any inspection and are in a different category than cosmetic changes inside. Got that...thanks.

 

How fun to plan, and how fun to see your plans become reality!

 

THANKS!!!

 

Another thought would be to talk with a real estate agent first. When we sold our home we interviewed three real estate agents and part of the interivew was to walk the home and have them tell us what needed fixing and replacing. It really helped us prioritize. I was also surprised that a few things that I thought were a mandatory didn't need to be changed and the house ended up selling without making some of those changes.

 

Good luck!

THANKS!!

 

 

 

I just want to thank all of you on these replies. Will print and discuss with dh. Y'all may have enlightened me to go with a more neutral color. But, I can't wrap my head around painting every.room.one.color. Is that literal? Every room?

These are excellent suggestions and whew we have our work cut out for us.

 

Thanks Ladies!!

 

Sheryl <><

[tex-mex]

Impressions are what sell houses. And the impression is one of a neutral almost "blank slate" that the buyers can envision themselves in. Your house should also look new and fresh.

 

Paint--neutral is best, and though muted green can work as a neutral in a room, it's not what people are referring to when they say "neutral" with respect to paint for selling your house. Let's say a lavender/pink loving woman walks in your home. If it's painted a neutral color, it doesn't "say" to her: this isn't you. If she walks into your green and golden-brown, it does say, "You don't belong here." You don't want your house to have your "mark" on it when you're selling. You want it to be such that the potential homeowner can envision herself living there without any humps to get over.

 

Old carpet--got to go. I agree about the Pergo. It's nice and neutral and I think looks a little "higher end" than even new neutral-toned carpet.

 

Disgusting floor and counter--got to go. Again, choose a neutral (beige, grey, tan) counter color. You should probably also replace the dishwasher and fridge. Replacing applicances is a cheap way to add to the "new" impression.

 

Landscaping is not easily done quickly because it needs time to grow. I would not spend a lot of time thinking about that--just make it look neat. If you have a porch that you could put a pot of flowers on, the flowers will focus attention on your entrance. Paint your front door.

 

Every thing spic and span. Take down curtains to let in lots of light. Leave minimalist furniture out--less is more. A pp was correct, that any personal photos need to go. (Again, you want the buyer to imagine her family living there, not looking at evidence that they don't.) You may want to remove some furniture to make the rooms look more open. The less furniture, the larger the rooms will look. No "stuff" out---you may need to put it in storage. The closets/cabinets need to be clean and organized. Go look at the show house in a new neighborhood (if anyone is building in your area!) That's the look you're going for--basic furniture, but not many accessories.

:iagree: The current slug in the housing market is the fact your house may be on the list waiting for a buyer for a LONG time. Try to entice a quick sale if the house is in shape. Buyers will either negotiate a lower price for the sale (in their mind, they'll be spending $50K or more in remodeling a kitchen, bath, yard, carpets, etc.) if you do no changes or make a bid close to your asking price -- if the home "looks" appealing. Kitchens and baths are the ticket.

 

If the home inspector find serious issues with the home (i.e. roof, plumbing) -- I suggest not fixing it. Give them an allowance out of the sale to fix the repair. Some things can be fixed for pennies. Do that. But things like a new roof? No way. Settle it out of the sale of the home.

Edited December 14, 2010 by tex-mex

[Pretty in Pink]

I feel like I'm not understanding this. Do you mean every.single.room in one color? I know one color helps for the house pattern to "flow", but every room? As you can tell, I don't have a decorator's touch. :001_smile:

 

Yes, I mean every single room one color. The whole house. I have a friend who refers to this as 'painter's beige'.

[AuntieM]

Y'all may have enlightened me to go with a more neutral color. But, I can't wrap my head around painting every.room.one.color. Is that literal? Every room?

 

 

 

 

Yes. Every room. I would personally go for a little bit darker than your average beige - think coffee with LOTS of cream - for a custom but spacious look. Too close to white and it looks like a a generic apartment.

 

Fresh coat of creamy white on all wood trim. That cleans and lightens things up like nobody's business!

 

You might look into PODS for your interim storage needs. And if you let a realtor tell you what to do... well, get three realtors in to tell you what to do. See if they actually agree.;) You should have that many in anyway, to give you their sales pitch for marketing your house when it's time to list. Just let them know this is preliminary.

 

You haven't told us how your home compares to those surrounding you. You do need to get it up to what's around you. However, you don't want to sink in so much money that you'll be the most expensive house on the street after improvements.

 

Save the colors you love for the new place.

[Margo out of lurking]

I can't wrap my head around painting every.room.one.color. Is that literal? Every room?

 

 

Yes. One color of paint, the identical color in every single room, hallway, or other wall surface. The only exception would be to choose a satin finish semi-gloss for the trim work/doors--but still in the same color.

 

(I know others have already answered, but I wanted to add another voice to the chorus!)

 

That's terrific that you already have hardwood floors. I would check into the cost of having them finished/refinished vs. new carpet. The wood floors will last longer (with regular household use). The shiny finish will reflect light and make your rooms appear bright, welcoming, and fresh.

[sheryl]

Yes, I mean every single room one color. The whole house. I have a friend who refers to this as 'painter's beige'.

 

 

Continue with your patience towards me....I'm slooooowly getting this.

 

I believe your word of one color, but I don't "understand" it. It would seems boring to me to walk in and not see any individual room personality. Now I don't believe in every room being a different color...that's boxey, but one color........I guess it's my problem I'm not getting this.

 

It boils down to what y'all are saying, My tastes are not someone else's. On the other hand, a little color in the l.r., kit and one bedroom might seem appealing and inviting..no?

 

There is so much consistency in this thread, that it would stand to reason that we need to heed the advice. It's just a complete turn around from what I'm used to.

 

Thanks!!

[Margo out of lurking]

It boils down to what y'all are saying, My tastes are not someone else's. On the other hand, a little color in the l.r., kit and one bedroom might seem appealing and inviting..no?

 

 

You're not looking to appeal and invite; you want them to picture themselves living in your house. :001_smile: The problem is that what one person thinks is appealing and inviting is not necessarily what someone else wants to live with.

 

If I think about it, I may like the way some of my friends decorate their homes. But there's not one that I'd rather have than my own. Their stuff is not mine, their taste is not mine.

 

If a buyer wants to change what they see in your home, they can. Give them a blank slate to work with. You want to create an image for them, so they can see their things in your house--their furniture, their paintings, their decorations, their bedrooms. You want to remove as much of you as possible (while still living there!).

[sheryl]

You're not looking to appeal and invite; you want them to picture themselves living in your house. :001_smile: The problem is that what one person thinks is appealing and inviting is not necessarily what someone else wants to live with.

 

If I think about it, I may like the way some of my friends decorate their homes. But there's not one that I'd rather have than my own. Their stuff is not mine, their taste is not mine.

 

If a buyer wants to change what they see in your home, they can. Give them a blank slate to work with. You want to create an image for them, so they can see their things in your house--their furniture, their paintings, their decorations, their bedrooms. You want to remove as much of you as possible (while still living there!).

 

 

OK folks....

 

My sister suggested green in the first place. And, I chose the specific green which is beautiful.

 

I just skyped her and I mentioned to her this thread and she mentioned now doing what y'all are saying. A neutral caramel or mocha brown w/creamer :D color. Auntie M is suggesting a mocha coffee color.

 

Gee Kristine, you have a way of "painting a picture with words".

 

To every single one of you and to Pretty/Pink who's been patient with me, I'm changing gears as you suggested.

 

Good thing I posted now. I have 3 colors of Laura Ashley brown/gold in my kitchen....sample blocks. And, 3 colors of green on l.r. walls.

 

Our family room is in a brilliant white. It's downstairs in back of house/morning sun and surrounded by a canopy of trees. Very little sun, but we do get some light. Can we keep that room white? It's in good condition. The rest of the house in mocha.

 

Can we at least paint one bathroom with color. We bought a gallon of paint that I'd hate to waste. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks. Alot of work ahead. Sheryl <><

Edited December 14, 2010 by sheryl

[sheryl]

Also, would anyone paint their ceiling a completely different color than their walls? That's shown in magazines.

[elegantlion]

Also, would anyone paint their ceiling a completely different color than their walls? That's shown in magazines.

 

Ceilings should be white. That is the most universally appealing.

[AuntieM]

Also, would anyone paint their ceiling a completely different color than their walls? That's shown in magazines.

 

I love painted ceilings. I have some painted ceilings. But they are not always appreciated, especially if they're not white. To brighten things up, a fresh coat of white would be good, if necessary. Otherwise, I think actually painting a ceiling is a real pain in the neck (literally!).

[Melinda in VT]

Can we at least paint one bathroom with color. We bought a gallon of paint that I'd hate to waste. Any suggestions?

<

 

No. :D

 

Save the gallon and use it on your next house.

[sheryl]

Oh, OK!! ;)

[Guest Katia]

OK folks....

 

My sister suggested green in the first place. And, I chose the specific green which is beautiful.

 

<><

 

Just responding to this one thing; about the lovely green walls......I've been looking at houses myself, as dh may be transferred, and, honestly, if I walk into a house with any shade of green on the walls, I walk back out. I can not stand green of any shade inside a house, but especially on the walls.

 

Now, the creamy coffee color.....that would be lovely.

 

Just an fyi from a potential buyer. :)

[3littlekeets]

Just responding to this one thing; about the lovely green walls......I've been looking at houses myself, as dh may be transferred, and, honestly, if I walk into a house with any shade of green on the walls, I walk back out. I can not stand green of any shade inside a house, but especially on the walls.

 

Now, the creamy coffee color.....that would be lovely.

 

Just an fyi from a potential buyer. :)

 

I agree...the thought of repainting before I ever moved my stuff in would kill me! Neutral Tan/Beige is the way to go. That said, I'd have no problem with 1 color in a bathroom or kid's room.... The majority should be move in ready, though.

[KidsHappen]

Ok, I am going to pretty much agree with everyone else:

 

Stick with one neutral color throughout the entire house, maybe a rosy beige or very, very lite mocha. Don't use flat paint. No one likes flat paint. It is impossible to clean. At the very least go for an eggshell finish. Then use a cream colored gloss for trim. Skip the ceilings.

 

Pull up your carpet and see what you have. Leave all hardwoods and maybe refinish if needed. If you don't have hardwoods in the bedrooms, price compare a wood laminate at Sam's or Costco and a medium grade carpet at the cheapest place you can find it. Go with whichever if cheaper.

 

Definitely replace the flooring, cabinet tops and dishwasher in the kitchen. You don't neccesarily have to buy a new fridge. About half of the houses that we looked at didn't have fridges and some didn't even have stoves. You can refinish the cabinets themselves if they need it.

 

Refinish bathroom cabinet tops and flooring if neccesary.

 

Replace faceplates for electrical outlets and switches.

 

Clean thoroughly, get rid of all clutter and remove any personalizations.

 

Fix the roof if you can afford it. That is a big expense and many people won't buy a house that they know needs that kind of work.

 

Work on the curb appeal. You don't have to have fancy landscaping. Plain and simple will work if it looks neat, clean and easy to keep. Definitely make sure that you give the outside a face lift though. If the paint is good, consider spray washing. If not then paint. Make sure all trim, mailbox and other things like this are in good condition and look neat and clean. Have the windows washed.

 

 

Those are the most important points I can think of.

[Anne Rittenhouse]

Declutter it!

Clean it to within an inch of its life!

Remove all old carpeting!

Paint it all one color in the inside! (Off White only!) Ceiling (Flat white ceiling paint only!) Leave the trim alone unless you can do a ripping good job with the painting. Most people can't, just clean the trim with soap and water.

The outside...buy, rent, borrow, or steal a power washer. Use it!

Wash the windows!

Rake, trim and mow the yard. Do it weekly!

 

PRICE IT WELL! Come to the emotional place where you can accept you are selling a shell. Let others determine the fixtures and fittings that suit them. Talk to several real estate agents and hire the one that will help you present and price the place as a blank/gut job. There are those buyers on the market that would rather see next to nothing done than cheap/hurried/cosmetic fixes that have to come out in the end anyway. When I buy a fixer, I appreciate the above list of fixes, nothing more.

[sheryl]

Good Morning Ladies. I don't have time to reply to each post personally, but I'm referring to everyone since my last reply....THANKS.

 

I'm headed off to Lowe's this week to look at paint samples again....that light mocha/coffee color. I may post the color so y'all can see or vote on one. (I'm NOT computer savvy and don't know how to operate all the wtm functions). I'm embarassed I said that, but it's true.

 

Please know I'm appreciative. We bought the beautiful muted green to start painting the lr this week and then I posted this thread. It would have been a big mess to paint and have to repaint.

 

The timing is not good with Christmas next week....is it? Even though we don't do alot of gifts, I'd like to get dh and dd something and haven't. I feel terrible.

 

Will try to remember to post the color. How do you do that? :tongue_smilie:

 

Sheryl <><

[Pretty in Pink]

Hi, Sheryl.

 

While I do agree that flat paint is a pain to clean, it hides a multitude of imperfections so much better than shiny paint. I can't recall which of these more durable finishes is less shiny - eggshell or satin - but I would go with one of those in the kitchen and any baths that need painting, and possibly other rooms so long as the walls are in good shape.

[AuntieM]

Hi, Sheryl.

 

While I do agree that flat paint is a pain to clean, it hides a multitude of imperfections so much better than shiny paint. I can't recall which of these more durable finishes is less shiny - eggshell or satin - but I would go with one of those in the kitchen and any baths that need painting, and possibly other rooms so long as the walls are in good shape.

 

FLAT! FLAT! FLAT!

 

It's often less expensive, anyway!

 

You can even get a wipeable flat for the bathroom, I know Benjamin Moore makes one. If not, eggshell.

[sheryl]

Thanks for the tips. I really believe that we'll paint in eggshell. Pretty, the spectrum goes like this: flat, eggshell, satin, soft gloss, light gloss, heavy gloss....or something very similar to this at Lowe's.

 

Announcement! To all of you poster's who've responded with advice.

 

I went out and gathered several light taupe/mocha colors today!!! ;)

[kreistetter]

Our last two homes were fixer-uppers & we did most of the work when we were getting ready to sell. Make sure the entrance is clean & freshly painted if possible. The buyers will be standing on the front porch looking around while waiting for their realtor to open the lock box. A few potted plants and new welcome mat can go a long way. We had kitchen counter issues at one of the houses. The cheapest fix was to have them re-finished. We used a company called Miracle Method to re-surface the counters, bathtub, & bathroom sink. It looked like granite & came with a warranty. I have always packed up about 1/2 of the "stuff" we have out, and all personal photos go away. It is much easier to clean up when there is a showing.

 

A tip that worked well for us when we had showings was to keep a laundry basket by the back door. Anything that I couldn't get put away, went in the laundry basket & out to the van when we left. I also used the dryer as a hiding place. No one ever looks there, but they will look in closets & cabinets.

 

Good luck!