Page 49 - Busienss Council of Westchster - Relocation & Moving Guide 2020

REAL ESTATE
TIPS FOR SELLERS
Expert advice from real estate and staging professionals
Selling your home can be stressful and emotionally challenging. It also can be the start of an exciting new chapter. Boost your return on investment with these savvy tips.
THE INTERIOR
1. Declutter
Christine MacDonald, real estate
salespoerson at Houlihan Lawrence, suggests striving for minimalism. “Simplicity is always best. Make each room easy to walk in.” Deborah Valentino, real estate broker and certified stager at Houlihan Lawrence, suggests clearing kitchen surfaces, as visualizing prepa- ration space is important. “Put away the microwave and toaster oven from 1990. Replace with a bowl of lemons,” she advises.
2. Keep it neutral
Painting is a good investment, says
Valentino, but dark colors are out. She suggests repainting your home in light, airy hues like natural cream or maritime white from Benjamin Moore. Glorianne Mattessi, real estate broker at Douglas Elliman, agrees: “A fresh coat of paint is the lowest dollar investment with the highest rate of return.”
3. Allow natural lighting MacDonald suggests letting the sun work in your favor. Open the blinds and let the light come in. But don’t forget to
clean your windows.
4. Expose the hardwood
Ditch the carpet and reveal any hard- wood flooring, despite its condition, says Valentino: “Show the hardwood floors even if they are not freshly sanded and stained.”
5. Depersonalize
It’s hard to picture yourself living in a
house if everywhere you turn, you see baby photos and graduation pictures. “You are selling your home, not your fam- ily,” says MacDonald. “You want buyers to envision themselves living in your home.”
6. DIY
Staging professional, interior design-
er, and Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors affiliate member Marie Graham of White Plains-based The Refreshed Home suggests obtaining your own home inspection report: “It prevents surprises, keeps things on track, and lets you price it right from the beginning.” She advises repairing or replacing what is broken, as “no one is looking for fixer-uppers, and buyers always over-estimate cost and hassle.” Graham says to be mindful of code violations. “This will be an emotional and actual speed-bump, and could affect appraisal/buyer financing.”
7. Have Realistic Expectations When Remodeling
Joseph Rand of New York and New Jersey-based Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty says, “Never expect to get 100 cents on the dollar for any renova- tions you do. The best return you could get is anything that adds bedrooms, bathrooms, or square footage. Remodels usually return about 50 cents on the dollar, at best.”
8. Leave it to the Pros
Rand advises that professional staging is a must. “All the real estate agents I know do it when they sell their
own home. So should you.”
THE EXTERIOR
1. Refresh and clean up
“If the paint [on the front door] is peeling, paint the front door and add new house numbers and a new mailbox,” says Mattessi. Valentino suggests getting rid of garbage cans or cars in the driveway.
2. Boost curb appeal with maintaining greens
Amy Via of Houlihan Lawrence in White Plains says, “If the weather is appropriate, consider seasonal plant- ings. Mums look wonderful in the fall and are a cheap and easy way to freshen front porches or gardens.” She also suggests making sure the lawn is moved and clean of leaves and debris before an open house or showings.
3. Don’t overdo the outdoor décor.
Via advises against lawn ornaments. “A nice seasonal wreath or a pot of season- al flowers goes a long way. Overdoing it with decorations takes the empha- sis away from the house and clutters the experience of entering a home. Let your house speak for itself, not the singing Santa that goes off every time your buyer walks by.”
4. Repair or stain a deck and stage the backyard or patio
“Buy, make, or borrow a fire pit,” suggests Graham. “Get some Adirondack chairs and string white lights. This is ‘found’ space that does not count as square footage.”
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