How to play show and sell Fresh paint, Mom's baking can help sell your home

by Clare Mellor
The Halifax Herald Limited - 2004-06-13

Taryl Melanson recalls going to an open house where the homeowners had left a soiled mattress on the lawn. "I'm not lying. It was on Oxford Street in Halifax," she says in a serious tone. The mattress incident got her thinking about the need for a service to help people present their home to potential buyers. "It confirmed what I already knew," the 45-year-old said. "In my search for my own home, I realized there were many homes I went through that were not presented well."

Earlier this year, Ms. Melanson launched her own business, Set To Sell, based in Dartmouth. It is one of several companies that have recently cropped up in the metro area to help people prepare their home for market. Often called home staging, the idea is to do an inexpensive makeover that increases the perceived value of the home.

A rage for some time in Britain and the United States, the concept is gaining popularity in Canada, especially in larger cities like Toronto. Some real estate agents now pay the cost of a consultation with a home stager for clients, Ms. Melanson said. Television shows like the House Doctor, Selling Homes and Sell This House have helped to promote home staging. "That has been great advertising for me," said Ms. Melanson, who so far has had a few dozen clients in Halifax and surrounding areas. "When I started talking about this, people thought I was kind of nuts because they assume that real estate agents would provide this service for their clients.

"Most real estate agents don't have the time or the inclination." The services these companies offer range from a home consultation with written recommendations for each room, to assistance with furniture rearranging, painting and landscaping. Some companies even provide props or accessories like cushions and furniture.

Definite benefits exist to having an outsider do a critique of your home, Ms. Melanson said. "We lose objectivity in our own spaces. In our own homes, we don't see things that others see." Contrary to what many people think, preparing a home for sale is not the same as decorating, says Val Kenny, who in March launched her business ShowHouse based in Dartmouth. "It is simplifying, organizing, making a room look good. It is the little things. It doesn't have to be expensive stuff, whatever you have in the house should be enough for you to present your home in the best way," she said.

Ms. Kenny, 34, a graphic designer, took a home staging course in Toronto in January and calls herself a certified staging professional. She said a major mistake that sellers make is thinking that nothing has to be done to their home. "They think people will like it just the way it is, but for most houses it is not true. You need to prepare your home for better presentation." While they often seem insignificant to the seller, any cosmetic problems like cracks in the ceiling, leaky faucets or chipped paint should be repaired before a home goes on the market. "All those little things (send up) flags to the buyers and they will pick up on them and try to reduce the price of your house," Kenny said. "Most buyers now are young and busy and they want to move in and don't have time for fixing and renovations."

Emotions play a big part in a home purchase, and research shows the buyer makes a decision within seconds, she said. That means curb appeal is very important. Sellers should make sure their house looks neat from the outside. The lawn should be mowed, bushes trimmed and garden tools and toys stored in the garage or shed. "A lot of houses are sold (from the curb) before people even get out of their cars," said Melanson. "The entranceway is critical because of first impressions. The door should have a fresh coat of paint, and there should be a new mailbox." Usually, when people step into the entryway or porch, they get a glimpse of the living room, dining room or kitchen, so those rooms have special significance. "If they don't like what they see at first, it will be very hard to win them back," Kenny said. A problem with almost every home is clutter, Melanson sand Kenny said. "I find that in most homes, some rooms have too much stuff in them and some rooms are kind of getting left out, so sometimes it is a matter of rearranging things," Kenny said.

It is critical that nothing is blocking a hall or room and that there is enough space for viewers to walk around comfortably, she said. Some buyers are obsessed with square footage, so it is important the house look as bright and spacious as possible. Blinds or curtains should be drawn back and the lights left on, even in the day. Another common mistake sellers make is colour choices when repainting. For your home to appeal to the widest number of people, sellers should choose neutral colors such as cream and beige, Melanson and Kenny said.

Colour should be left to the accessories. "If you want to make your house appeal to the widest range of people, make it neutral. They may not like it but it won't scare them away," said Kenny. Use similar colours throughout. "Don't try to use too many colours in the house. Don't make one room pink, and the next one yellow, and the next one green and the next one blue," she said.

Personalizing a home with family photos or personal objects is also a no-no when you're trying to sell. It makes it more difficult for the buyer to imagine himself or herself living in the home. "I find, myself, when I go and see a house I spend a lot of time looking at people's photos. The research says people only spend five minutes looking at a house, so if you have lots of personal photos ... it is very distracting," said Kenny. A well-placed bouquet of fresh flowers or a healthy plant add beauty to a home and make viewers feel welcome.

The smell of a home can turn off buyers, especially if smokers or dogs live there, said Kenny. She advises shampooing rugs or carpets and opening the windows to let fresh air in. Artificial air fresheners are a no-no because they signal the seller may be trying to hide an odour. A clever idea is to do a little baking before an open house or viewing. "Bake something that is good-smelling, like chocolate chip cookies, and place them on a table," Kenny said. "It will make people feel like they're welcome and slow down long enough to recognize the features of your home."