Spring has not sprung, but lots of homeowners appear to be coiled in anticipation of the moment they can slam that "For Sale" sign into the ground.
And those who plan to sell would be wise to take heed of John Gidding's three big tips for home sellers:
•Declutter.
•Enhance your curb appeal.
•Make the kitchen and bathrooms shine.
Gidding, the architect and designer who is host of HGTV's "Designed to Sell" and "Curb Appeal: The Block," expects lots of questions about getting houses ready for the market when he appears next week at the 29th annual Philadelphia Home Show.
He'll speak during the closing weekend of the nine-day show. Also appearing will be Paul DiMeo of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and Christopher Straub, a "Project Runway" fashion designer. The show will include 500 industry experts to discuss money-saving tips and offer professional advice. In addition, four designer rooms will include an eco-friendly living room, spa retreat, baby suite and "man cave."
Gidding, who was born in Turkey to an American father and now lives in Atlanta, says the real key to selling your home is to imbue it with value. He'll talk about his shows and how people react, and he expects people to ask about what goes on behind stage, as well as what to do with their own homes.
Like many others, Gidding sees signs that the real estate market may be coming back.
"The Atlanta market has been pretty hard hit, but in the last few weeks, there's been a big uptick and everybody is breathing easier," Gidding says. "Based on that, I think something is going on. I think people are over this recession in every way, figuratively and literally, and hopefully when the flowers start coming out again and people start feeling good about where they are living, people will go out and buy some more."
Orchestrating simplicity
His three tips aren't as straightforward as they may seem, he says.
Decluttering goes beyond just picking up and clearing off surfaces, he says. It includes removing a lot of your personality from the home and showing off closets and drawers to their best advantage.
If your closets are full, get rid of about 40 percent of the clothing and items in them, and store them in a rental unit or a spare bedroom at your parents' or a friend's house. If your drawers are crowded, clean them out and put in organizers so they're neat.
"You know that people walking through are going to open the drawers," he says. "You have to assume this is no longer your home and people are going to walk through and look at everything."
The trick is to make sure it looks like there's room for plenty more.
And don't make the assumption that people buy according to what they see inside a house.
"The way people enter a home is so important," Gidding says. "The entry is crucial to make people feel safe."
If you don't have a light by the door, install one, he says. If a bulb is burned out, replace it.
If your door doesn't have color on it, paint it, he says. Put flowers on the path and entry. If you have any room for it at all, put some kind of outdoor furniture there, even if it's one piece.
"It shows that there's someone living there who loves the home and your neighborhood and that you appreciate the people around you," he says.
Inside, he says, kitchens and bathrooms are the primary things people look at.
"They don't want to have to do any work on them," he says. "On our show, we do kitchen and bathroom makeovers for under $2,000, so it doesn't have to be expensive; it just has to be thoughtful."
Painting a room can always help, he says. And in the kitchen, simply changing the hardware can make it look great.
Bathrooms should be squeaky-clean, he says. Change the shower curtain and install a new light fixture.
If you're stuck with one of the old industrial mirrors glued to the wall, ask a carpenter to cut four pieces of trim that can be glued directly to the mirror and painted, giving it a framed effect.
"It makes it look that much more high-end and less industrial," Gidding says.
The small things are what change people's impressions, he says. "They're not just buying a house that people are using; they're buying a home that someone really cares about and has spent some time improving and caring for."
His newest show, "Curb Appeal: The Block," goes into neighborhoods where people have complained of an eyesore and renovates the offending home, up to $20,000. The show also goes around the neighborhood and helps people do small things, like add window boxes or other decor that can be seen from the street.
"The whole street is engaged," he says. "By the time we leave, everyone's property values are improving. You'd be surprised to see how many people see us tooling around and feel compelled to come out and do stuff of their own."
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100114/LIFE04/1140310
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