Listing your Ottawa Home - Things Buyers Will Notice #17
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Children
Not that children are lined up to be viewed but that all the paraphernalia that is synonymous with children is open for viewing.
Recently my Buyers and I were looking at a home that was immaculate in every nook and cranny. Based on the two children’s bedrooms, it was apparent that there was a pre-schooler and a baby living in the house. Both rooms were wonderfully decorated - not too many items, not too many toys strewn about and no smelly baby things. What was more wondrous was the family room. There were no toys in sight. Just when we thought the people did not have fun, we found the toys stacked neatly in the cupboard under the stairs. The house had been cleaned and staged for an Open House. Still!!!
There were baby proof items such as the spinning door knob covers and the kitchen cupboard door latches in the house. All other items related to children (such as that ever present net with $500 of bath toys hung over the tub) were boxed and put away. It was amazing.
My Buyers were not planning to have children. In other houses we had seen, the toys and heaps of children’s laundry were ever present. Not in this place. It was immediately possible for the Buyers to see themselves living in the home and to see that, with only painting the two children’s rooms, this house could become their haven.
We made an offer to buy the home.
Photo credit: Shelf System for Toys @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendycopley/2354794207/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing your Ottawa Home - Things Buyers Will Notice - #16
THINGS FOR SALE IN THE HOUSE
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Several years ago I was a buyer looking for a new home. At one location, the huge basement had been converted into an artist’s studio. It was a home in Alta Vista, a rambling bungelow with a basement the same size as the ground floor. After touring the first floor (a disappointment as no renovations had been made to keep the home current), we 
descended to the basement. Not only was there studio space but each and every wall was hung with paintings with price tags attached. There must have been six or seven rooms with paintings on the walls. I can only assume that 1) the owner was running a full time gallery from the basement; or 2) having the house for sale meant visitors so the owner hung the pictures with prices to market the paintings to visiting home buyers. In any case, it was confusing, distracting and almost all of our time in the house was spent evaluating the painter’s skills. (The photo is from the 2008 Ottawa annual Art in the Park event. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the work of local artists and not in their homes.)
Years later, I was hosting an Open House. Strategically situated by the front door was a price list of all of the furniture available for sale in the home. One piece was spectacular and, almost without fail, visitors were drawn to look at, touch and discuss this piece of furniture. I am sure that, like the paintings, buyers were unable to focus purely on the house.
If you are selling your home and need to sell some of the contents, make sure that you separate the one sale from the other. Buyers can be easily distracted. It is easier to make decisions on items under a couple of hundred dollars than a home for several hundred thousand dollars.
Photo credit: Arts in the Park 2008 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ming2046/2562180598/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Ontario ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers Might Notice - 14
WALLPAPER
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Not-So-Good - Wallpaper - The buyer was looking for a home built in the 60s. Yes, I know, the 60s!!!!! For the best list price, we were finding homes untouched for the past 40 years. Original owners (and there were a few) were just now selling. Do you know what is in those homes? Well, I am going to start by talking about the wallpaper. Holy Hannah! My buyer was not born in the 60s and thought that the paper might be kitchy. No - not so much. After 40 years it is permanently glued to the wall and removing paper like that will take time, effort and lots of patience. Do you think the seams were glued down with airplane glue (another part of the 60s)? My money was on the drywall / plaster coming away with the paper.
Here are some samples that I found on Flickr that are identical or close cousins of the colour, type and style we saw:
Think about stripping before selling. Be proud of the house you are selling.
Photo Credit: Wallpaper @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/sindesign/298786928/
Photo Credit: Wallpaper and Picture @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekonon/88467637/sizes/m/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 13
CEILINGS
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good and Not so Good - Ceilings. There was an era when plasterers were hired during house construction to finish off the lath and plaster walls and to do decorative swirls and curls and strange designs on the ceilings. If I had to guess the timeframe, it would be around 1920 - 1970. I could be wrong. Do you know what I mean? You can see some these designs in older homes in Sandy Hill, the Glebe, Ottawa South, etc. Some of them are beautiful and reflect real craftsmanship. Others - well - not so much. This week I was out with a buyer looking at homes built in the 1950s. In the basement of one home the ceilings had been plastered - BUT - it was as though they had paid for the plaster by the truckload and were moved to use it all. The ceilings were low, especially where the heating pipes had been encased. The plaster, dried and hardened after many decades, dripped from the ceiling in long upside down peaks. It was as though we were in a cave with decades of stalactite growth. My client was over 6′ tall so there was a clear and present danger in that basement. The following image is so close to what that ceiling looked like that I had to share it with you.
This plaster time seemed to be followed by the stippled ceiling time. Here, the drywall guys or painter guys would be hired to tape off the drywalled ceiling and then, rather than do the fine sanding and make the joins invisible, stippling was added. This covered any and all imperfections. Once up, they are a real bugger to The problem now is - we seem to hate stippled ceilings. The Americans call it popcorn ceilings (and I for one wonder what their popcorn looks like). Removing stippled ceilings is not for the faint of heart. You need a shower cap and cape, you need a lot of water to loosen the stippling and then you need plastic covering everything (of course your plastic is the cap and cape). We - scrape - wet - scrape - wet - scrape OOOOPS!!! Drywall, tape, sand, mud, sand, mud, sand. Now you know why those stippled ceilings are still around. It could be worth the cost to have someone come in and do the ceilings professionally. 
Whatever your decision on your ceilings, minimize the odd and bizarre. At least touch up the paint smears from painting the walls and, if you are a smoker, you might want to paint the ceiling (plastered, stippled or drywalled) as the yellow from the smoke is not a selling feature.
Be proud of the house you are selling.
Photo credit: #1. Stalactite Layers @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomscott/152131917/sizes/m/
# 2 - Popcorn Ceiling Removal - Oh The Fun! @ Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/74399486@N00/403422078/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 11 & 12
WINE COOLER and ALCOHOL BOTTLES
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good - Wine Cooler installed in the Kitchen. This is a bit of the wow factor. Most Buyers can see themselves having a cool glass of white wine upon arriving home after a long day of work. Your wine cooler helps build up the chic elegant nature of your home.
Not-so-good - Counter full of Alcohol Bottles and Mix. If the valuable real estate (meaning space) on your kitchen counter is dedicated to your alcohol collection, it will be difficult for the Buyer to see him or herself cooking in your kitchen - drinking and partying yes. Either drink up those bottles as you pack or move your bottles to a less visible location in your home.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 9 & 10
GARAGE DOORS and AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENERS
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good - Garage Door with no dents. A nice smooth garage door and if it is stained wood, even nicer. So one day when you were not paying attention, you drove into the garage door. Were you out with friends at the bar? Kids in the back seat distracting you or were you just on ice and slid into the door? So many garage doors are metal and, as you know, once you dent metal it is difficult to make it better. In New Zealand autobody guys are called “Panel Beaters” and now I can think of job opportunities for panel beaters here in Canada. Those darm dented doors. If you can, beat back the worst of the dent(s) by using wood blocks on either side of the dent and, as gently as possible, trying to smooth out the dent. It does really detract from the appearance of your house.
Not So Good - Automatic Garage Door Opener that Does Not Work. It is frustrating. It is always caught by the home inspector and, although replacement costs are not pennies, they are not in the thousands either. Think about repairing or replacing the garage door opener before listing you house.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING
Photo credit: GB’s Garage Door at http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdies100/2111021523
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 7 & 8
CARPET UNDERPAD and PET STAINS
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good ~Thick underpad beneath the carpet. Who knew we would all have such sensitive feet that we can tell if the underpad is extra thick beneath the carpet. While it seems important wherever there is carpet, it is a real seller if it is in the basement where we all expect the floors to be cold.
Not so good ~ Pet stains on the carpet. Have the pets had accidents in the house? Did you catch it right away? Did you have a professional carpet cleaner come in and get those carpets looking Spot less. If those spots from Spot are left unattended, the Buyer assumes that the whole carpet needs replacing. You might find that the offer will reflect the Buyer’s expectation of major expenses. Why just blame Spot? Do you have friends and partners that like to spill coffee and red wine on your carpet. Stains of unknown origin to the Buyer are a definite no-no. Do whatever you can to get rid of them.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING.
Photo credit: Rugdoctor http://www.flickr.com/photos/puckman/232190086/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 5 & 6
CLEAN DISHWASHER and DIRTY OVEN
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good - Clean Dishwasher. On a weekend buying trip, a buyer and I saw nine homes. In every home we opened the dishwasher door. In almost all cases there were dishes in the dishwasher and that was not a problem. We noticed that a number of people had kept the dishwasher door clean all around the inside edges. This was an indication of people who cared about cleanliness and was seen as an indicator of good housekeeping and maintenance around the rest of the home.
Not so good - Dirty Oven. In this day of self-cleaning ovens, it is hard to believe how many people do not clean their oven before putting their home on the market. If the oven is included in the sale, a buyer will always open the door to see inside. Sometimes it is disgusting and a potential fire hazard with how much dirt and grease have been left in the oven. Before going to bed tonight put on the self-cleaning oven feature and let technology do its thing. In the morning, all you have to do is wipe out the ashes and clean the door.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING
Photo credit: A Dirty Place @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/inconsistency/28453422/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 3 & 4
KITCHEN COUNTER TOPS and OVERSTUFFED FREEZER
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good - Kitchen Counter Top. The kitchen counter top is important. Buyers want to know if there is enough space for them to prepare food. Show them that you can put a kettle/toaster/coffee maker on the counter and still have room. Do not take everything off the counters and think that buyers will be fooled into thinking there are miles of preparation space. Keep the counter spotlessly clean.
Not-so-good - Overstuffed Fridge Freezer. If the fridge is included, buyers will open the fridge and freezer compartment doors. On one recent buying trip, a ziplock bag of frozen chicken breasts fell out of an overstuffed freezer and almost got my Buyer on the toe. Either eat some of the frozen food or move it to a freezer in the basement. The buyer wants to think there is room in the fridge freezer for his or her things.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING
Photo credit: Update at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennfiersimpson/428761732/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - 1 & 2
HARDWOOD FLOORS and SLOPPY PAINT JOBS
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series lists the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Good - Hardwood floors. Hardwood floors that are clean and in good condition are always noticed. Sometimes, when the wood is not oak, the Buyer will want to know what type of wood was used. Make sure you have this on your feature sheet or in your house binder.
Not-So-Good - Sloppy paint job. You watch the home selling shows on TV and know the importance of putting on a fresh coat of paint. Did you also know that if you did it in a hurry and were not careful, the buyers notice you also painted spots on the ceiling, left paint drops on the railings, and didn’t tape off the baseboards? If you are going to paint, it is worthwhile to take your time and do a good job. A sloppy job indicates that there may be something hidden or less than professional in other areas of the house.
BE PROUD OF THE HOUSE YOU ARE SELLING
Photo credit. Corner at Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/edgeplot/14446114/in/photostream/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ PH. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
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Welcome
My name is Valerie Zinger. I am a Realtor in Ottawa. I look forward to listing your property or helping you find your home.
Phone: 613-723-5300 Click here to contact Valerie by Email at:
vzinger@royallepage.ca -
