Offering advice on how to make your home more marketable, is one of the many ways a REALTOR can help you sell your house. A real estate professional will be able to quickly assess what features in your home will attract a prospective buyer, and what minor eyesores may drive them away.

You may feel that certain things need fixing or doing to attract buyers. Your REALTOR may agree, but may also recommend steps you can take that might not occur to you. Both the inside and outside of your home must leave prospective buyers with a positive feeling.

Here are some general measures you can take:

Avoid major repairs or decorating

Unless absolutely necessary, don't go overboard with your time, effort and money. Majors decorating before selling is both unnecessary and undesirable since the buyers often prefer to select their own paints and colours. But if the paint, both inside and out, is dull, peeling or dirty, you may want to paint key areas in light neutral colours. Major repairs, such as replacing an old roof - unless it's already leaking - are unnecessary. Most prospective buyers will take these faults into account when submitting an offer, however, and you may have to adjust your price.

Clean and unclutter

Rooms, closets, cupboards and hallways will appear larger and more inviting if you remove unnecessary items and tidy up everything else. Remove anything bulky and unused from your basement, garage, and tool shed. As you unclutter, clean everything, inside and out. Prospective buyers will be looking in closets, under the sink and throughout your basement.

Make minor repairs

Once you've got a house that's clean and clutter-free, take a look around and see if there's anything that might detract a buyer. A leaky faucet, holes in a screen, stuck or broken windows, doors that squeak, lights that don't work, missing door handles, cracks on the wall or ceiling are all minor things that can be easily fixed. Chipped floor tiles or a badly cracked driveway, however, may require more time and money than you can afford. You may find it easier to adjust your selling price to reflect the cost of these repairs, rather than doing them yourself. Your REALTOR will be able to advise you.

De-personalize your home

Your house reflects who you are. But a wall of trophies, room full of family portraits or that elephant table lamp your grandmother left you along with the bright red area rug, may do nothing to attract a buyer. Anything that a buyer may find difficult to imagine in their own home will distract them. If you have brightly-coloured walls or patterned wallpaper, consider repainting or wallpapering in neutral colours.

Some redecorating pays

If your carpet or floor covering is in really bad shape, consider replacing it. While you may not recover the cost, you will certainly sell the home faster. This is an especially good idea if there are hardwood floors underneath which can be sanded and polished. Wood floors may be the only feature that makes a buyer pick your home over another. If your home has worn broadloom only, consider replacing it in a neutral shade.

The same holds true for old or torn draperies and other window coverings. Simple inexpensive window treatments can work wonders. Adding a valance or fabric swag that complements the room's dcor can be inexpensive and very appealing. It will also open up a small room and make it appear larger and brighter.

Beautify the exterior

The exterior of your home is as important as the interior to the buyers. Be sure to weed the flower beds, keep the lawn mowed, hedges trimmed and sidewalks clean. Fix and paint the deck and any fences. Flowers can make a yard look colourful and pleasant. Plant them in garden beds, hang them from railings and porch ceilings, add flowerboxes to window sills. At night, highlight garden features with spotlights and floodlights. Well-lit paths and entrances promote safety, discourage burglars and are an added feature to any home. To finish things off, hang a pretty wreath on the front door and add a welcome mat to greet buyers.

Avoid hiding any serious problems

If your home has a major problem, don't try to hide it. Make your REALTOR aware of it, so that it can be disclosed to prospective buyers. For example, don't simply plaster and paint over a crack you know is caused by a structural problem, or stop taking showers because a pipe leaks and paint the stained wall. Your REALTOR will be able to advise you on whether the problem should be fixed or simply disclosed.

The above article was submitted by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board for the information and benefit of consumers.

July 1999