• Your home's curb appeal is critical. It begins at the street in front of your home and includes everything up to your front door. Keep your lawn well manicured this enhances curb appeal. And so do simple, inexpensive planting projects.

• Painting pays off. Look at both the exterior and the interior. A lot of scraping and a little paint can go a long way! Remember, choose neutral colors that are consistent with the style of your home and neighborhood. Consider the color of your roof. And a top quality painting job is a sure way to increase the value of your home.

• Both interior and exterior remodeling add beauty and value to your home. Don't have a lot of money to spend? General upkeep will maintain the splendor of your home and require a much smaller commitment.

Remodeling can make your home more valuable as well as more livable. Knowing which remodeling strategies will produce a greater return on your investment is important.

• Keep the value of your home within 15 to 20 percent of the others in the neighborhood. Buyers who can afford more will look in more expensive neighborhoods.

• Pay attention to mass appeal. Play it safe with colors and materials as buyers prefer neutral, mainstream design. Avoid bold colors and out-of-date hues.

• Kitchen and baths generally offer the highest percentage return on initial investment. Other options that require a substantially lower initial investment but give smaller returns include energy saving projects (insulation, heating systems, etc.)

  Decorating to Sell

 Your personal decorating style may affect prospective buyers. It's important to be as clean, clutter-free and neutral as possible so buyers can visualize how their furnishing will look in your home.

There IS a difference in how you live in your home
and how it should look once it's on the market!

First Impression: What does your home say when potential buyers walk in the front door?
Your front entry is your home's first visual impression--make it a good one! Even if your home doesn't have a distinct entryway you can create a warm welcome with a few suggestions from the pros: Use a plant, or decorative lamp to create a focal point. Hang a picture or mirror on the wall. Use a decorative throw rug. Add a wall shelf or table arranged with collectibles and flowers.

Neutralize your home.
You may like your bold colors but repainting walls in neutral colors (white, off-white, beige or gray) may make your home seem more unified and spacious. It's important to create an atmosphere that doesn't jar potential buyers and allows your personal belongings to blend into the background. Other suggestions: Paint dingy woodwork to lighten up a room. Cover dark chairs or sofas with neutral slipcovers so they blend into the background. Add color with accessories (pillows, vases of fresh flowers or small area rugs).

Maximize space…minimize possessions.
Perhaps the key to decorating to sell your home is to maximize space while minimizing your possessions. Keeping your furnishings sparse will avoid the look of overfilling the room. You may want to consider putting a few pieces of furniture in storage and removing some knickknacks and accessories.

Take the time to arrange the furniture to make use of a focal point (entertainment center, fireplace, picture window, favorite piece of furniture, etc.). Pick a room arrangement that makes your room look the most spacious and appealing.

Mirrors or metal surfaces help create a feeling of spaciousness. Use tall plants, artwork, or vertical stripes to move the eye upward.

Let the light shine in.
Natural sunlight is desirable to prospective buyers--so open your curtains, raise the shades, and let the sun shine in! But make sure the windows are sparkling clean!

If window coverings are old and dingy, or block light and the view, take them down. Replace them with simple mini-blinds or shades--or dress them up with a simple draping of sheer fabric that lets the light shine through.

Add lighting for a brighter look.
Lighting makes a big difference! Make sure the lighting is adequate in each area for the tasks performed there. Use the highest watt bulbs your fixtures will accommodate and add inexpensive strip lighting in dark areas.

Does your home have a particularly nice feature or area? Spotlight it! Or create a special mood in one of your rooms with a dimmer switch.

Above all, when the home is going to be shown, TURN ON THE LIGHTS!

Clean up and clear out. Today's buyers are looking for a home they can move right into. You can help yourself by putting your home in move-in condition and neutralizing your décor. Do a thorough cleaning of all the rooms-and don't forget the windows! Get rid of pet or smoke odors-add candles, or put a dab of vanilla on cold light bulbs. Organize and sort possessions--remove about half of the items stored in closets and cabinets. Consider storing out-of-season items and excess furniture.

• Neutralize the interior. Painting is a instant cure for outdated wallpaper and colors and may the best interior improvement you can make! Use light neutral colors that suggest newness and cleanliness and brighten a dull or outdated room. Consider painting kitchen cabinets--but make sure the paint job is a quality job. It's important to patch holes, scrape peeling paint, sand the surface and, if necessary, put on a primer coat. Choose a premium-quality paint--the difference in results far exceeds the difference in cost! Repair water-marked ceilings. Remember: don't paint to hide a problem; always fix and then paint.

   

• Pay attention to details. Potential buyers look at the details of your home. They will notice the leaky faucet, the outdated light fixtures, the lack of storage in your closet. Pare down possessions, brighten the lighting. Potential buyers will notice details such as windows and screens and doors.

   

• Examine your floors. Badly worn, outdated or stained floors or flooring can be a big problem to a potential buyer. If you decide to replace flooring coverings concentrate on the high visibility areas first. Consider cleaning carpets and vacuum often. Do you have hardwood floors under your carpet? You may want to consider pulling up the carpet and refinishing the wood floors. Repair cracked or broken tiles. Make use of neutral color area rugs to diminish the impact of the flooring beneath. Talk to your Evergreen GMAC Agent about some of the programs available through local flooring companies--you may be able to install new flooring and delay the payment until closing!

   

• Call in the professionals. Some repairs or projects may call for a professional. Be sure to get several estimates first. Your Evergreen GMAC Real Estate sales professional may help you decide whether or not the projects should be tackled before putting the home on the market. Sometimes creating an allowance to allow the new homeowners the ability to tackle the job might be more realistic. If so, having bids available might be helpful to potential buyers.

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