Friday, September 16, 2005

Home tips

Sellers must disconnect emotion

By Lynne Schreiber / Special to The Detroit News

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When my sister was ready to sell her Berkley bungalow, she started by paring down the pictures of cute kids from her refrigerator to just one or two. It's a good thing she did because the kitchen is considered the most important room in the house from a real estate perspective.

"Homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen," said Terry Light on RealEstateABC.com. "They want to be sure there is enough room for their 'stuff.' " If kitchen surfaces -- cabinets, pantries and drawers as well as the face of the refrigerator and the walls "look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer," he noted. "Have as much empty space as possible."

This advice is part of an effort on Light's Web site to teach home sellers about how to prepare a home for sale.

First, "disconnect your emotions," he wrote.

Real estate agents will refer to a property that you buy as a "home," Light said, but a property that you want to sell will be only a "house." That's because buying real estate is an emotional decision whereas selling it happens a lot more successfully without emotions tied up in the transaction.

"Think of your house as a marketable commodity," Light wrote. "Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours."

To that end, make your home anonymous. Paint walls beige, eliminate clutter and put away as many pictures as you can.

Say goodbye to scrapbooks, trophies and souvenirs. Clear off counters, shelves, drawers, closets, garages, attics and basements. If you have to, rent storage space until you sell the house.

"Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer," Light said. "Let a friend help point out areas of clutter. Let your agent help, too." And by all means, when they say the refrigerator is packed too full of personal do-dads, heed their advice.