Expert: Jessica Bryan - 3/29/2005

Question
My wife and I are preparing to sell our 1576 sqft home.  We have some work that we believe needs to been done before we start showing the house.  Here is a list of things we believe needs to be done.  We welcome your opinion and recommendations.

- We want to paint the inside of the house.  Right now the house has an off-white color, trimmed in white.  We are thinking of painting the whole inside white (trim and all).  We think this might make the house look larger and give the buyers an opportunity to imagine the colors they would like in the house.  

- The family room over the garage has horrible carpet.  (rest of the carpet in the house looks really nice, just needs to be steamed) Should we re-carpet or should we put in some sort of tile.  Which would be cheaper for us and which would be more appealing to buyers?

- We also want to replace the tile in the two bathrooms.

Again, we welcome any advice you have.

V/r
Mr. Stacey J. Parson


Answer
Dr. Stacey;
Fresh paint is always a boost to the look of the house.  You didn't tell me the age of the house but based on the fact that you are also wanting to replace tiles I am assuming that the tiles are perhaps outdated.  Go with something neutral but not stark white.  As for the carpet in the family room, make sure to replace it with something that matches the rest of the house.  New carpet is a real plus when selling a house.  Other things to look at:
The most important area of the house is the kitchen.  Make sure that all appliances are sparkiling and pristine.  If they are old, then perhaps replacement is a good idea. An updated kitchen will net you the most money in a house.  The second area is the bathroom.  Replace old fixtures and make sure that everything is extremely clean and sparkling. Replace old torn screens and repair any broken or rotted wood around the exterior or interior. Finally, when showing the house, have the lights on, drapes and blinds open an present the house in the best light possible.  Bright and light is what everyone looks for.  Also, have some fresh scents like Glade Plug-ins Spring Rain in the house.  Don't go overboard with heavy florals--just something light.  Fresh flowers in a vase is a very nice touch but even more important is curb appeal so make sure that the garden is looking good.  If you don't have flowers growing, invest in a few potted flower arrangements in pots by the front door.  Remember, you can take these with you and they will add temporary color and cheer when people drive up to the house.

I hope that this helps.
Good luck.

Jessica Bryan
Managing Broker
House to Home Realty Services