What a difference a couple of years makes.

Back in 2007, homebuyers would beg to purchase your house. They would even bid more than the asking price for the privilege to do so.

Around 2013,… well, not so much. Once the real estate bubble burst and foreclosures poisoned the housing pool, buyers suddenly regained the upper hand. But instead of buying, they waited, convinced that housing prices would continue to drop.

Last year, The seller ruled. A huge glut of buyers, a dismal shortage of houses listing, continuing great rates and more created a feeding frenzy among buyers. This year’s Spring market is shaping up the same way with the pent up demand from last year.

Some residential listings stayed on the market too long, lost that spike of energy and visibility that a new listing enjoys. Some were priced too high, maybe needed a little curb appeal attention.

Be ready for the 2018 Spring Market….or just look like you’re ready. Here’s a bunch of easy suggestions to make your home a desired target for this Spring’s buyers. Even if you’re not selling, or not selling right now, Look these over for some easy home improvement projects.

#1. Accurate Property Pricing.

It’s always tempting to jump on the highest home valuation you get from the stable of Realtors angling to get your listing. You don’t want to leave anything on the table, Right? Of course not. You do want to be careful of starting out with an inflated listing price, though. A listing is never more visible than when it’s brand-spanking new. Today’s buyers are better educated now than at anytime in history. Online valuations, news articles, podcasts and more create a whirlwind of thoughts, ideas and strategies. A good Realtor will weld that information into a tightly focused tool and direct it into the perfect house for their buyer. Prior to placing an offer, I’ll do an opinion of value on the target house, a report of similar houses that have recently been sold in that area. I and my client know what the target home is really worth. If we’re seeing $20K to $30 inflation. We’ll know that the seller has unrealistic expectations. Many buyers will want to look elsewhere.

2. Unattractive Curb Appeal

First impressions are important. That’s the first rule of job interviews. It’s vital for home sellers too. I tend to greet visitors at my open houses in the driveway. In Football, the receiver has to secure the ball at the highest point, so it’s not intercepted. It’s important in sales to secure potential buyers at the earliest point too. That tactic allows me a perfect view of the potential buyers who slow-roll right past the driveway.

It’s a big mistake to not ensure a neat, trimmed and edged yard. Fresh mulch, a few flowers and trimmed trees or bushes do more than just make the property look nice. It tells a story, in a buyer’s mind, about how a property has been cared for and what pitfalls might be awaiting a new owner.

After only a season, green stains start to grow on decks and siding, Gutters fill with debris. Bees and birds nest in shutters and under decks. If your property is marketed correctly, you’ll get at least one drive-by per buyer. Each one has to count.

3. Clutter

It’s so hard to tell someone that the mementos of a life lived are a distraction to a buyer’s sight picture of their house. If you could see the little treasures and knick-nacks, artfully displayed, around my house, you’d know I totally get it.

Buyer’s touring your house are trying the place on, like an article of clothing. Being surrounded by evidence of someone else’s awesome experiences is like them trying on the clothes you’re wearing. Pretty uncomfortable. You display the things that make you happy, that make your house home to you. When you’re selling, you need to decorate for the buyers, to make them feel at home. Generic, neat, orderly, cozy are the watchwords.

In the kitchen, you want to show off lots of countertops and cabinet space. One gadget/appliance per 2 feet of countertop. Cabinet shelf space should have, at minimum, 25% empty space. Can’t see a label? Too much stuff. Half filled closets give the impression your home has room to grow into. Kitchens, mantles and bookshelves should tell a nice homey story and have inches separating items. Dust and cobwebs are obviously a problem. For kitchens, there should be no more than three countertop appliances. Meanwhile, bookshelves should be divided into thirds: one-third books, one-third vases, knick-nacks and pictures, and one-third empty.

The rooms, furniture, pictures and collectibles should be very generic so anybody can imagine themselves living there. More is a distraction. Clutter is saying we’ve filled this house up, outgrown it. It’s like promising a buyer you’ll outgrow it too, right from the start. Have a plan in place to sweep up toys that might spread out across the floors of several rooms. Your listing Realtor might request buyer’s give 24 hours notice for showings, so this isn’t an emergency procedure. Fire drills get very old for sellers, very quickly.

Kids collect yard toys like refrigerators collect magnets. At a showing, don’t let your buyers see a yard strewn with toys. Keep the toys neatly stowed in bins or lined up along the fence. Let the buyer imagine that beautiful scene of kids playing for himself.

4. Dirt and Debris

My dad used to tell me: “When you buy a used car, you’re also buying the problem the last owner had with it. Be ready.” Buyers tend to think, “If I notice these items, what else am I not seeing?”

My dad was a Marine Corps drill instructor. He also taught me that if you look for a problem long enough, you’re going to find one. The best situation is a buyer looking at your house with unabashed adoration. That’s the best situation and it’s rare. Even then, their Realtor will be on the lookout for potential problems for them. Don’t offer a starting point for discontent.

Consider replacing/cleaning carpets, maintaining floors, removing faded or stained wallpaper. Food-o-philes, like me, might need to pay extra attention to countertops and backsplashes….stoves or spice racks. Obvious wear and tear can reveal traffic patterns and reinforce the idea that a home can be worn out.

Outdoors, The sight of old rusted cars, lawn equipment or home improvement project parts give a disorganized and messy feel. This a theme that runs throughout: Potential buyers may wonder what else is out there that I can’t see.

5. Odors

Ever wonder why the listing you’re touring has scented candles all over? Or why maybe 3 of the 5 houses you visit on a home tour have cookies baking in the oven? Make sure your home smells fresh and inviting. Kitchens, typically, hold the most odors, good or bad. The next most odiferous room is the living room. The fabrics hold scents: upholstery, pets, smoker’s scent, etc.

Food tends to give off a homey scent that’s welcoming and inviting, right? Not necessarily. Fried foods can leave a harsh scent. Coffee smells wonderful, unless you like really strong, percolated coffee, then it can be more like burnt wood.

I love my dog and over the years have become used to his, uhm, special scent. I don’t even notice it. Not quite the majority of people visiting your home will actively dislike dogs or pets in general. Mammals, birds and reptiles leave odors. Even fish tanks have a noticeable odor.

The pet smells can infuse upholstery, wallpaper, carpeting, drapes and other fabrics. Food/water dishes, toys, litter boxes all give off odors or even mental images in a buyer’s minds. Have a plan in place to quickly hide or remove these items for showings. This gets back to making the house a little generic. A pet-phobic buyer might not be able to get over evidence of Marmaduke’s food dish.

The same problems are a huge factor for smokers: If you have a smoking room, even a 3 season porch, you have a smoking house. Cleaning carpets, drapes, upholstery, etc. will help a lot. You’ll also want to remove ashtrays, pipes and other paraphernalia. Consider enjoying the great outdoors for smoking, while your house is on the market.

6. Wallpaper

You may have spent hours looking through samples to pick your perfect wallpaper design and colors. Now, you’re going to want your walls speaking to the broadest cross-section of people possible if you’re trying to sell.

Many buyers look at wallpaper as the last owner’s stuff. They see it as just another chore if I buy this place.

Removing wallpaper may not be the hassle it once was. There are tools and removal substances that might make it less labor intensive. The preferred décor method is currently paint on new construction. The most common colors I see are neutral off-whites in an eggshell finish to resist stains. For an easy and stylish accent, add a nice chair rail and a contrasting color.

7. Misrepresenting your home

When I represent buyers, I warn them all, “Listing pictures are a hook and not necessarily reality.” I’ve viewed some seriously beautiful properties that may have left a few important details out. Flooding basements, rafters collapsing, obvious mold, dead furnace, etc. The best one I’ve seen was an old in-ground pool that the homeowner filled in with dirt and planted bushes around.

Realtors, representing the buyers, are on the lookout for even subtle evidence of issues. Being up front about how you represent your property establishes a basis for trust through a sometimes difficult sales process. It speaks well about you, your agent and, by extension, your property.

The above suggestions are important, but might not be feasible for all sellers. Funds might be an issue. Capacity might be an issue. The problem might not be a problem for your property. The Realtor representing you should work up the tactics and strategy to place the best image of your property in the minds of potential buyers and their Realtors.

To sum it all up, by putting your house on the market and being serious about it, you’re transforming your house’s mission. Your property has been the base from which you’ve lived your life. By listing it, It’s also become a commodity for some unknown and unknowable buyer’s eyes and heart. It needs to speak to those people in a personal way for a successful sale.

Lew McConkey, Realtor

Coletta Cutler Realty, Hanson