Spotlight on Real Estate: First Impressions Matter When Selling a Home, Say SFAR REALTOR® Members

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 30, 2006

It’s time to sell your home, but before hanging out the For Sale sign remember that a little bit of fresh paint and expert staging can go a long way in marketing a property for quick sale at the highest possible price. Renovations can be a good investment as well, according to REALTOR® members of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® (SFAR), but only if the work is high quality and done professionally, otherwise the effort can backfire.

“Paint and staging yield the highest return,” said Ilse Cordoni, managing partner for Zephyr Real Estate and director of the SFAR. “While these technically are not renovations they can freshen up the house and maximize its potential. Most sellers are not in the renovation business, they just need to sell their house at the best price and terms.”

Cheaply done or homeowner done renovations are often not worth the expense, since they can end up looking poorly and decrease the perceived value of the property. But when there is a major defect such as a bad roof or foundation, the seller should have reports, estimates and costs drawn up before putting the property on the market. This, reports the SFAR, is a common selling issue. Buyers often want discounts for needed work, but a prepared seller can lower the amount if they problem solve in advance and build any repairs into the purchase price.

“Finding these sorts of things out after the buyer has made an offer is the worst thing that can happen,” explained Cordoni. “This usually results either in the buyer exiting the deal or demanding a price reduction greater than the actual cost to correct the problem.”

According to Lorrie French, broker associate for Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate and SFAR director, for homeowners to sell in today’s market the property must appeal to the buyers. If a home is in disrepair, the REALTOR® will ask the owner to make needed improvements to obtain optimum dollar.

And it all starts at the curb. “Make sure a home has curb appeal. The first view is critical,” she said. “The exterior must be manicured – both the front and the rear yard should be landscaped, which has appeal to buyers. If necessary, clean and paint the interior and refinish hardwood floors.”

A minor facelift, paint and staging can do wonders to transform the sales ability of a home, both SFAR REALTOR® members agree. Professional home stagers have resources for making a house look its best and maximizing its potential. This may include new carpeting or landscaping, refinishing floors or installing new window coverings.

"Stage the home so buyers can visualize themselves living there,” said French. “There are stagers who do minimal staging or full staging depending on price point - most of them have a team that can meet a homeowners needs.”

Working with a REALTOR®, Cordoni said sellers will benefit from the professional network of contractors, stagers, landscapers, cleaners and painters they use and will ultimately get a better price than hiring these individuals on their own.

All of these efforts can increase the seller’s return on investment by $50-$100 thousand dollars depending on the location of the property. The message here: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Additional information and a variety of important homeowner resources are available to San Francisco Bay Area homeowners at http://www.sfbaywindow.com, a product of the SFAR.

Content provided by the San Francisco Association of REALTORS®. For more about the Association, visit http://www.sfrealtors.com or call 415.431.8500.

The San Francisco Association of REALTORS® was founded in 1905. It is part of a network of local and state associations of REALTORS® chartered by the National Association of REALTORS®. The San Francisco Association provides business-related products and services to its more than 5,000 REALTORS® members in San Francisco and the Northern Peninsula who pledge to abide by a strict code of professional conduct.

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