Wow appeal: How to woo buyers in slow housing market
It added an element of interest and "wow" to the previously nondescript room. The red of the couch, the sheen of the bamboo floor and other touches of style were suddenly highlighted.
While Utah homeowners could once get away with basic fixes before selling their property, real estate professionals such as Nebeker say current market conditions require sellers to work harder to woo a buyer by staging and arranging their homes to create an impression.
There's a lot of competition, and Utah has been fairly insulated from the national housing slump. Last quarter, 8,216 homes were listed for sale in Salt Lake County and only 2,284 homes were sold, according to the Salt Lake Board of Realtors.
"Especially in this market, there are buyers out there looking for homes because interest rates are low and there are a lot of homes for sale in certain areas," said Jim Bringhurst, broker with The Bringhurst Group. "It's important that your house stands out."
The top tips from market experts are to clean, de-clutter and make sure the yard looks appealing at first glance. After that, it's recommended a person stage and accessorize.
Belma Michael Johnson, host of the popular HGTV television show, "Designed to Sell," said he believes one or two "power accessories" in a room (think back to Nebeker's picture) can add a freshness and visual interest that will help sell a home. Removing clutter will make a room look larger, while cleaning is just plain smart, he said.
"People don't want to buy your dirt," said Johnson, who was in Utah recently to speak at a home show and promote his new book, "Easy Green."
He tells the story of working on a home in Chicago for his show. The homeowners had a collection of dead flies in their light fixture and Johnson had to clean them out.
Not a good selling point, he said, laughing.
Kimberly Hammond, an interior designer with Colemere Realty Associates, LLC., said sellers should look to make their homes appeal to the senses of a buyer, including sight, smell, touch and sound. During a tour of an entry-level home she helped stage in West Jordan, Hammond described how she advised the owners to paint the white walls with a more soothing neutral such as light beige.
Furniture was removed from some rooms to make them look bigger, while accessories were added to rooms such as the kitchen and laundry room to help buyers visualize how the home could look once purchased.
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