COLUMN: Staging home for sale can pay off

DEAR GAIL: We have just found our dream home and need to sell our current home quickly. We'd like to spruce up the house before contacting our Realtor. What can we do to get our house in shape quickly? -- Donald J.

DEAR DONALD: As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This is especially true when selling a home, which is why you need to "stage" it to sell it. Consider the following:

Buyer's eyes. Look at your home as if it is one you looked at during your home search. If you cannot be honest with yourself, ask someone else to do this for you.

Curb appeal. With pencil and paper in hand, stand at the street and look at the house. What is your first impression? Is it welcoming, attractive and well-maintained? Is the yard mowed and trimmed? Are all of the toys, sports equipment and garbage cans out of sight? Basically, ask yourself this question: "Would I buy this home?"

Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door, then add a new doormat and some fresh potted flowers nearby. Keep the walk and porch swept and clean. After dark, turn on all exterior lighting, and make sure the doorbell works.

Interior evaluation. Walk through each room and note anything that needs to be repaired, picked up or removed. First impressions do not end at the front door, so continue through each room you enter, each corner you turn and each closet you open. Make necessary repairs or touch-ups, and do not let your buyers wonder if there are things unseen they should worry about.

Clutter control. Less is better when selling a home. Clutter control not only involves keeping your rooms tidy, but also removing items so that the home's architectural features can be seen. Uncluttering your home will make it feel spacious, along with giving it a well-maintained look.

A place for everything and everything in its place is important to remember at this time. Remove your out-of-season items from the closets and put them in storage. This makes the closets appear larger, and who doesn't like a lot of closet space? If you do not have room to place your items neatly in the garage or shed, rent a storage unit.

Eliminate distractions and personal items. Allow potential buyers to focus on the home and envision themselves in it. This is difficult to do when your pictures, trophies and name are displayed throughout the house.

Resale homes are different than model homes. With a model home, you want to envision yourself living there and since the home is new, you know it is yours. With a resale, you do not want to think of it as someone else's. Remove any sensitive items that may offend another, as well as personal items from bedrooms and baths to increase the comfort of potential buyers.

Bring out the best. Think of what caught your attention when you bought the home. Does it have a fabulous fireplace, a large yard, a great open and flowing floor plan, or a wonderful country kitchen? Does it have unique architectural features, columns, windows or vaulted ceilings? Remove any furnishings that block a direct view to those wonderful features. If you have beautiful wood floors, remove those area rugs.

Set the stage. Just as you would use props when setting the stage for a play, do the same in your home, especially for an open house. Make the visitors say, "I would love to sit and read here" or "Wow, what a great yard. We can finally have the gang over for a barbecue."

Staging your home will take some elbow grease and a little time, but is well worth it to get the highest selling price in the quickest time.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 8170 S. Eastern Ave, Box 4-275, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.

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