When preparing to sell your home, there is probably no more important room to prepare than the kitchen.  That really shouldn't come as a surprise to you.  Unless we are talking about a hunting cabin where a "Beer Fridge" could be what the kitchen consists of, your buyer will be looking yours over with a fine tooth comb.

It is interesting how HGTV programming affects the general public.  Most people seem to know now instinctively that buyers want "granite and stainless steel".  The interesting part of that is that it is a given in their minds that the cabinets and flooring must be updated.  What they want is the "icing on the cake". 

My recent experience with this is selling a young couple a new townhouse that offered granite kitchens and bathrooms as well as stainless steel appliances (and crown molding and wood floors and nine foot ceilings) for under $200,000.  So you can imagine that the next house they buy will have to have those items for them to even consider it.

Do you absolutely have to have granite counters and stainless steel appliances in your kitchen in order to sell?  The answer is of course "No".  But you will find that you are in competition with homes that do.  And at the very least, you must have updated matching color appliances (they should be less than ten years old), updated colors (no mauve laminate countertops please), flooring in great condition (if vinyl, no emerald green, Williamsburg blue or anything else that screams "Update me!") 

Surfaces should have all clutter and small appliances removed.  Put away everything, and I mean everything, especially for showings. Unless what you leave on your counter is a thousand dollar Krupp Expresso machine, it probably isn't helping to sell your house.  Uncluttered clean countertops are the best staging you can do in your ktichen.

Any grout or caulk needs to be in good condition and clean.  The refrigerator should be clean (inside and out) and all pictures and magnets removed.  Yes, a buyer will open your refrigerator door and wonder how long the celery has languished on the top shelf.  The oven should be cleaned and appliance surfaces windexed.

Your pantry and cabinets should be organized.  I am convinced that I have sold homes more on the belief of the buyer that they could become organzed and decorate like a seller more than any other reason.  Buyers will admire a well organized clean kitchen.

Lastly, big no no, do not have any smells lingering in your kitchen.  Make sure the trash is regularly taken out.  Air out the kitchen before showings, use an air freshener if needed (not floral, something like cinnamon, citrus or vanilla)  I have also had clients use laundry sheets in the air vents to give the house a freshly cleaned smell.

Just remember, the dream kitchen you are hoping for in your next house is the same kitchen your buyer is hoping for in yours.

Good luck!

Ok, I am back on the topic of preparing your house for sale and I will look at the topic "The First 60 Seconds".

What do I mean by that term?  Simply, it is my belief from what I have seen in showing hundreds of houses to clients that the client decides whether or not they want to purchase the home within the first 60 seconds.

How can that be?  How could a buyer possibly know all the many wonderful qualities your home offers in such a short time? 

Well, it is really more about that all important first impression.  In the first 60 seconds, they have gotten out of their car and are taking in the exterior curb appeal as they walk through the front door.  Once inside, they will determine what kind of condition the house is in.  The buyer can determine:

1. Is the home updated?
2. Does the home have odd or unpleasant smells?
3. Is the flow of the home inviting?
4. Are their allergens in the home which bother them (i.e. cats)?
5. Are the paint colors updated and in good condition?
6. And most importantly, they have seen the kitchen in the first 60 seconds, and is it a kitchen that is not a fugitive from the 1970's, 80's or even 90's?

It amazes me.  Within 60 seconds, the average buyer knows if the house will work for them.  You can see it in their reaction, houses that give a good first 60 second impression will get a careful going over by the prospects.  If it doesn't, they will either race through the house to just see the highlights or I have certainly had a client turn to me and say "I've seen everything I need to see".  I have even had that comment made before we walk in the house.

So if you are thinking of selling your home, try this.  The next time you drive up, see what impression your home makes in the first 60 seconds.  And if you can't say "Wow!", then neither will a buyer.

We have talked recently in our blog about how important it is to have your home ready as a seller if you are seriously trying to get your home sold.  It is much more than cleaning your house and putting a sign in the yard.  Today's buyer not only has much more to pick from (Harrisonburg Rockingham now has over 1000 properties listed for sale-a record!) but is more demanding in the condition of the property and overall expectations.

Today I wanted to talk about picking your battles, what should your priorities be in getting your home ready to sell.  If I were to pick the top priority, the first would have to be curb appeal.

Curb appeal is the favorable impression that your property leaves with a buyer at the first point of contact.  That might be when buyers are driving through your neighborhood looking for homes that might be for sale.  It might be from the pictures that they see on a real estate website once your home is listed.  It might be from the first visit with their agent when they have picked your home as one of the properties they are interested in looking at.

So what does curb appeal include?  It includes how well the yard and landscaping are maintained.  A well maintained yard is where the grass is consistently cut, weeds are kept out of landscaping borders, shrubbery is trimmed or removed if overgrown, and the driveway is in a good state of repair.  A poorly maintained yard is an indication that the new owner would also not be able to keep up with the yard if you can't either.  Overgrown shrubbery indicates that the house is older looking than they hoped.  A poorly maintained driveway is an additional expense that the buyer would rather not incur.

Curb appeal is also how the house presents itself from a first impression.  Bad paint condition or outdated colors of front doors, shutters or siding immediately put a sour taste in a buyer's mouth.  I believe a house can look outdated in as little as ten years time as new colors and new materials come on the market. 

Windows in poor condition, mildew on roof shingles, broken vinyl, decks that need restained or walkways that are mildewed all point to overdue maintenance that a buyer wants to avoid having land in their lap.  These items are things that you should be taking care of annually as an owner, and the thought that "I will leave that for the next owner" are for lack of a better word-silly.  That buyer does not want your overdue maintenance.  If you are a serious seller, you must give your home curb appeal. 

This business is no different than any other retail business, where the merchants are trying to find a way to make the merchandise look great.  You must do the same.

We offer our seller clients a free Home Staging Analysis that gives them a room by room item by item analysis of what they need to do to get their home sold.  Let us know if you would like to experience the difference we offer.

Next week, "The First 60 seconds".

Hopefully you have heard of HGTV, and the associated shows on it many of which involve getting your home ready to sell, and what to do when the house is not selling.

I have had more and more buying clients who are aware of these programs and the design and staging tips that they espouse.   These buyers actually look at homes from the perspective of whether homes they are looking at have been decluttered and staged. 

Why is this important to you as a  seller?  Because some other sellers are taking seriously the task of selling their homes and are willing to do what it takes to get their house sold.  And that affects how competitive your home is on the market.

And isn't it interesting that we do call it a "market"?    If you have been to the local "farmer's market", you know that the vendors who have the best and freshest produce sell it quickly for the highest price.  What is leftover gets reduced by the end of the market day, or it just doesn't sell.

So think of that when you don't think you need to do anything special to sell your house.  The market dictates what sells, and what sells is the best looking and best priced house on the market.

We will look at staging and decluttering next time starting from the outside of your house.  How is it possible to stage the outside of your house?  Check back soon to find out.