Real Estate and Reston, VA: April 2008

Any of my listing clients know that when reviewing with them the ‘to do' list for marketing preparation, I tend to focus disproportionately on the entrance to their home.

Besides being a big believer in the old adage (I can only find credit given for the quote to a 1966 toothpaste campaign), ‘you never get a second time to make a first impression' a buyer can learn a lot about your house, and your attitude toward your house, at your front door.

How can a purchaser learn a lot in such a little space?  Here are some ways:

1. Attention to Detail:  This is just one small area of your home, but if you have taken care of it and paid it special attention, they can extrapolate that you will do the same in other areas of your home.
2. Sets the Tone: If it is warm and inviting, that first impression can carry on in to the entryway of your home. Conversely, if it is not, they might be wary of what they will find upon opening your front door.
3. Condition Matters: A fresh door mat means nothing if the caulking around the front door trim is pulling away.  Do the bugs tend to congregate under your portico?  Wash them off! No one likes a bunch of dead bugs at the front door. Regularly brush off spider webs, dead bugs and other debris. These little things matter. 
4. Fresh Flowers in Clean Pots: Silk flowers can be lovely, but at the front door, they will be perceived as a ‘short cut.'  It takes only a couple of minutes to plant some lovely flowers in pots on either side of your door.  If  you do not have the room for a planter, skip the silk wreath on the door and go for a bright entry mat and maybe a small welcome sign.
5. Weeds:  A house that is being marketed cannot afford to have weeds in any of the beds or in the lawn.  Again, their presence shows a lack of attention to detail.  No one will notice that they have been cleaned up, but I can guarantee they will notice if they haven't!
6. Light it up! One of the necessary aspects of the real estate business is that some people can only look at homes in the evening. This can make the first impression better--softer light can minimize flaws--but it can make your house a ‘drive by' if you do not have good outdoor lighting.  Make sure all of your bulbs work and that the outdoor lights are on if you will not be home before it gets dark. I know that is wasteful, but in the grand scheme of things, it is more wasteful to have your house sit on the market. If you need supplemental lighting, consider putting in solar powered sidewalk lights.

I know that preparing your home for marketing is one big to-do list, but as you work down the list, don't overlook the importance of the entry-way!

There has been a lot written lately about the importance of ‘greening' your home--but it is mostly geared toward remodeling. But buying a new home is a wonderful opportunity to work towards protecting the environment, too.  There are some simple things that you can ask about a house that you are considering that can help you to evaluate how ‘green' the house is and what you can do to improve its carbon emission footprint.

The government has provided a really great website to help you understand the right questions to ask and to find tools to evaluate your current, and future, house.  You can find this website at: http://www.energystar.gov/. Here you will find information about appliances, HVAC and more, and how these items can impact the environment.

Some questions that you can ask your seller to help you evaluate the ‘green factor' of a home you are considering:

1. How old are the appliances? Which, if any, of them are Energy Star appliances? Per the website, the definition of Energy Star appliances are," ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models."
2. Ask the seller for copies of the heating and air conditioning bills for the past year. There is a tool on the Energy Star website that allows you to enter in the information and generate a measure of carbon emissions. This tool, called the Energy Star Yardstick can be found at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?energy_source_id=n&fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep3&zip=20194&people=5&area=6000&decade_id=1990s&pump=No&dm=M.
3. Check the insulation levels. This can be a hard task, but a good home inspector should be able to provide information about the levels in obvious areas, such as the attic.  Insulation levels are easily corrected by either blowing insulation in to  fill in space between walls, or laying sheets of batt insulation. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to R-38 (or about 12 -15 inches, depending on the insulation type).   Other places that often lack insulation are the trim and moldings around doors and windows.
4. If you are really serious about evaluating the ‘green factor' in the home you are buying, you could hire a professional to perform a comprehensive home energy audit.  A thorough professional audit will use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.
5. Have the owners used any sustainable products in their remodeling projects. Examples include, cement board siding, decking made out of recycled materials, and natural stone decorative products.

The government website, http://www.energystar.gov/ is a wonderful resource for educating yourself about energy efficiency. For many of us the effort to ‘go green' seems overwhelming. Buying a new house is the perfect time to take one of these ‘baby steps' towards reducing our personal carbon footprint!

In my years of selling real estate, and working with buyers, I have never had a client say to me,” find me a house that is in marginal condition.” I have had requests for fixer-uppers and requests for homes in excellent condition, but nothing in between.

When you decide to sell your house, you need to stop seeing it as your home. You need to take off the blinders and look at it with a critical eye. It is human nature to stop noticing the little things that need repair. It is absolutely essential, however, that you now revisit these items and do your routine maintenance.

The first meeting I have with a seller is usually a ‘walk around.’ I point out to them all of the little things they may, or may not, be aware of being in need of repair. This includes, but is not limited to, caulking, grout, power-washing, weeding, wall cleaning, dry-rot, tarnished door handles, drippy faucets, running toilets and more. I think you get the picture!

The second meeting is a review of these items and a more specific consultation about what things to pack up and how to best present the home. Because the first list is usually so extensive, and can include a lot of relatively minor items, I review the house again—not through the eyes of a listing agent, but the way I would review it for my buyer clients. If I would point out something to a buyer, I point it out to the seller. Little things, like the inspection sticker on the HVAC being dated 5 years earlier are pointed out and I always ask them to re-caulk around the tubs and showers.

If you are contemplating selling your home right now, you are likely to be nervous about the process. Taking the time to prepare your house for the pickiest buyers (and their pickier Realtors®) is worth every minute and every penny that you spend. It will save you days, weeks or even months of housing your house listed for sale.