Smart Moves

In most areas, a real estate recovery is underway, puncturing the fierce buyers' market that let purchasers dictate the terms and conditions of transactions. But, surprisingly, some sellers have yet to get the message.

That's according to Dorcas Helfant, a seasoned real estate broker who co-owns seven realty offices. She says some sellers, admittedly a minority, are still so nervous about their prospects that they overspend on pre-sale upgrades.

To illustrate, she tells the story of a client who fretted so much about selling his upscale property that he planned to spend $80,000 on a kitchen overhaul.

"Not only was he spending way too much, but he was planning changes that would make it harder, not easier, to market his home," Helfant says.

What the executive had in mind was to give his ordinary kitchen an Italian villa look with ornate cabinets of exotic wood and fanciful fixtures.

"It was a totally personalized vision. But buyers don't want your personal taste. They want a blank canvas where they can fill in their own vision," she says.

It took a while, but Helfant eventually dissuaded her client from his plan. Instead, he did a minor kitchen redo involving classic white cabinets with sleek, clean lines --the sort of interior most purchasers prefer. And after his modest investment, his house sold promptly for the full asking price.

Before doing any pre-sale upgrades, Helfant urges sellers to review their plans to make sure they're both appropriate and worthy of the cost. For advice on pre-sale upgrades, she recommends that sellers visit the Houselogic website: www.houselogic.com.

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Look to real estate specialists for guidance.

To find a happy medium for spending on pre-sale improvements, Helfant suggests that sellers ask one or more local real estate agents to drop by their place and provide a checklist of changes that would be cost-effective.

"Don't be timid about seeking advice from professionals -- even before you choose the person you want to take your listing," she says.

An increasing number of agents now recommend that sellers seek the help of a "home stager," someone skilled in the art of making a property look appealing to potential buyers. They review the home's current furnishings, remove excess pieces and rearrange the remaining ones. They may also lend the sellers additional furnishings to improve the look of the home while it's on the market.

Christian Salinas, a home stager in Washington, D.C. (www.stagingdesigndc.com), says it needn't cost a fortune to dramatically improve the appearance of a home through staging. And although the full services of a stager --including the use of inventory items -- can exceed $1,000, he says a less expensive alternative is to hire a stager for a brief consultation and then carry out the stager's suggestions.

-- Seriously question if a pre-sale addition is warranted.

If you have a small house to sell, would it be a good idea to add another bedroom or two to make it more inviting to buyers with children?

"The answer is an unequivocal 'no,' unless you're willing to throw money away that you'll never get back," says Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home."

With rare exceptions, Davis says homeowners who attempt a pre-sale addition typically recoup no more than 50 percent of their expenses, due to the high cost of expanding an existing home.

Perhaps you believe you could save on an addition by avoiding the architect's fees. But Davis says this, too, would be a mistake.

"Without an architect for your design work, your new room could look funny and fail to blend with the rest of the place. That could torpedo your whole project and prove a costly error. It would be better to dump the addition plan altogether," Davis says.

-- Don't top neighborhood standards with your upgrades.

Real estate specialists agree that when it comes to pre-sale improvements, your kitchen should be a high priority. That's because a kitchen that looks uninviting is a major turnoff to buyers, who could reject your place on that basis alone.

But Helfant says that concentrating on the kitchen doesn't mean you must spend a sizeable sum there. And she stresses that no one needs to exceed neighborhood standards on kitchen improvements.

"For instance, if your countertops look worn and need replacing, you don't need granite -- assuming all your neighbors still have linoleum," she says.

How can you size up neighborhood standards? One way is to seek the counsel of a listing agent who's thoroughly familiar with your neighborhood and has toured many homes there.

"You can also stop by open houses to get a feel for the features of your neighbors' homes," Helfant says.

-- Never forget the street view of your property.

There are more reasons than ever for sellers to focus on the external appearance of their property. The major one is that virtually all buyers now screen properties online or through print publications before deciding which ones to visit. And the front view of your property is the most important image they'll see.

"The landscaping in your front yard must look absolutely amazing," Helfant says.

The good news is that you don't need an expensive landscaping company to make your yard look much better, assuming you're handy with yard gear or know someone who is.

"You can do wonders with ordinary trimming, edging, cutting and mulching, along with the addition of some blooming flowers. The key is to just get the work done, always remembering that your yard is the frame around your home," Helfant says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

There's been a gradual generational shift in lifestyle preferences among homebuyers, real estate experts say. More buyers from the "Generation Y" group -- those in their 20s to early 30s -- now wish to live in walkable communities loaded with amenities rather than in suburbia.

"Young people just think it's cool to live in the city. They're bored with the suburbs where they grew up and find the city a lot more exciting," says Mark Nash, a real estate broker and author of "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home."

Nash says many in Generation Y -- also known as "millennials" -- are drawn to an active lifestyle with friends and entertainment at close reach. They seek to live near restaurants, shops, clubs and movie theaters.

Christopher Leinberger, author of "The Option of Urbanism," notes that developers alert to the trends are building more housing units in vital downtown areas.

A former real estate developer who now heads the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at George Washington University, Leinberger says property values are rising faster in walkable communities than in car-dependent ones. These include established city centers as well as "new towns" designed to replicate many of the features of older city neighborhoods.

"Walkable communities used to be niche markets for developers. Now they're primary markets," he says.

Here are a few pointers for homebuyers seeking a walkable lifestyle:

-- Keep shopping convenience in mind when choosing a neighborhood.

Nash says most young people shopping for an urban home overlook the need to live near a supermarket. He says having close access to a food store is an important feature, especially for those who don't intend to own a car.

Because most shopping trips involve groceries, Nash recommends that urban homebuyers choose an area no more than a 10- to 20-minute walk from a full-service supermarket.

"Before you buy, investigate to make sure you won't be stuck in a 'food desert.' People who don't have cars hate lugging their groceries long distances by bus or subway," he says.

-- Factor green space into your home-buying decision.

Nash says about a third of urban homebuyers are high-powered professionals who take their outdoor activities as seriously as their work.

If outdoor recreation is key for you, or you at least wish to see greenery from your living room, you'll want a firm assurance that green areas around your place will stay that way.

Whether you plan to buy in an old urban area or a new walkable community, Nash urges you to visit local government offices to determine if new construction is planned for the area.

-- Don't ignore crime statistics.

Nash says more homebuyers -- whether aiming to buy in an urban or suburban neighborhood -- now drop by the local police station before deciding whether to settle in a particular neighborhood.

"The police should pull out maps and show you which specific areas have the most reported crimes," he says.

Moreover, police can tell you what types of crime are most prevalent in a neighborhood -- more information than you're likely to find simply by scanning online data.

-- Check out the noise level of an urban community.

Homebuyers vary widely in terms of their comfort level with city noise.

"Some people who grew up in suburbia are shocked at how much street noise there is in the city," Nash says.

He tells the story of a manager in her early 30s who failed to factor noise into her selection of a one-bedroom condo in a glitzy high rise. But immediately upon moving in, she discovered that the trash from an adjoining building was picked up at 4 a.m., creating a terrible clamor that woke her up.

She didn't sell her unit. But to protect herself from sleepless mornings, she had to make sure always she wore earplugs when going to bed.

Trash runs aren't the only cause of noise problems for city residents.

"There's just the general roar of traffic in the city. Taxi drivers ride their horns. And there are always those ubiquitous police cars and fire engines in densely populated areas," Nash says.

If you're sensitive to noise and want urbanity without clamor, Nash strongly recommends you search for one of those rare urban enclaves that offer a degree of protection from the din.

"Even in the city, you can sometimes find a secluded building or a quiet gated community away from street noise," he says.

-- Stay focused on your ideal life.

For most urban millennials, easy access to such amenities as restaurants and public transportation is vital. But beyond these features, buyers vary widely in the community attributes they consider critical.

"There's more than one urban lifestyle," Nash says.

"Besides outdoorsy people, there are those I call 'downtowners,' who wish to live in the heart of the city so they can go quickly to arts venues and charity events," he says.

Another group of young homebuyers want to move to a family-oriented city neighborhood where they can stay indefinitely even after having children. For them, quality daycare centers and schools are a factor in neighborhood choice.

As with all home-buying, the careful selection of a property is the best way to avoid buyer's remorse.

"No matter the neighborhood you pick, you'll feel a lot better about the money you spend if you get the dream lifestyle you really want," Nash says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

In most areas, the economy is improving and the number of foreclosures is tapering off. Yet, as always, there are numerous homeowners at a financial crossroads who must sell under duress.

"No matter the year, divorce is always a big factor forcing home sales," says Sid Davis, a long-time real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home."

Another major reason for an involuntary home sale is the loss of a job.

"More than half of all mortgage applicants rely on two incomes to meet their house payments. So when one income is gone, they may either have to sell their property or let it go through foreclosure," Davis says.

A major problem for homeowners who must sell involuntarily is that they typically lack enough cash for extensive pre-sale improvements. But a little money, say, $500 to $1,000, can stretch a long way if used strategically.

Here are a few pointers for home-sellers:

-- Dispense with emotional barriers to your home sale.

The forced sale of a home can lead to anxiety or depression on the part of the owners, according to Davis. But being in a bad mood can have serious consequences if it means they're unable to cope with the complex process of preparing their property for market.

"When people are in a funk, their home almost inevitably goes downhill," he says.

One possible way to cope with a housing crisis is to call on friends and family members to lend their support and to help strategize the steps forward.

Besides the classic to-do list, you'll want to create a timeline for your pre-sale work, which can easily span several weeks or longer, says Vicki Norris, a professional organizer and author of "Restoring Order to Your Home." Having friends and loved ones help you will not only make the job easier, it will help brighten your mood.

-- Improve your kitchen through personal diligence.

For sellers whose kitchen cabinets are showing their age, Davis suggests several inexpensive ways to make them look much better without hiring a contractor.

"If your cabinets are all wood and look dull, rub them with lemon oil. If they're painted and look scruffy, sand them down and then repaint with high-gloss white paint. Also, consider updating your cabinets with new door pulls and hinges," says Davis, author of "Home Makeovers That Sell."

Also, you can replace a worn kitchen floor inexpensively by laying new tile, a skill easily acquired through a free or low-cost workshop offered at a home- center store like Home Depot.

-- Discover the dramatic difference fresh paint can make.

One obvious way to add appeal to your interior is to repaint walls and trim. For advice on painting technique, consult the websites of major paint manufacturers such as Sherwin Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com).

"Ninety percent of good painting is simply prep work -- like sanding and surfacing. Almost anyone can do it," Davis says.

Most reasonably fit people can do their own painting. But selecting the right paint tones -- shades to help rather than hinder the sale of your home -- requires talent and skill, says Jody Wilens, an interior designer who provides home staging services through a small firm called Interior Design Transformations (www.idtdesigns.com).

If you can't afford a full home staging, Wilens suggests you look for a local stager willing to work on an hourly basis. She says much staging guidance can be offered during a one-to-two-hour time span. This can include a "color consultation" to help you select the right neutral tones for your interior paint.

Wilens stresses the importance of putting your property in "turnkey" condition to maximize its appeal to potential buyers.

"Nowadays, buyers don't want to have to do any work to a house after moving in," she says.

-- Set yourself apart from other sellers through de-cluttering.

Many homes that go on the market are cluttered with belongings -- so much so that it's hard to show them effectively. That's because visitors can't see past all the kitchen gadgets, electronic gizmos and cosmetic containers to picture themselves living in the property.

"After a couple minutes in a junky house, the buyers just zip out, never to be seen again," Davis says.

But the good news about de-cluttering is that the process is nearly cost-free. And editing out all those superfluous possessions can help your property stand out.

Many people have trouble letting go of perfectly functional items they no longer want or need. They think it's a waste to throw them in the trash. That's why Davis recommends that many sellers donate their extra things to charity.

"You'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing someone will actually make use of your cast-offs," he says.

-- Plan an intensive weekend cleaning blitz.

After you've purged all your clutter and made sure all the necessary repairs are done, it's time to tackle another core project: making your place glisteningly clean. To do this, Davis urges you to set aside at least one full weekend for in-depth cleaning.

"Natural cleaning products, like baking soda and vinegar, are fine for a lot of cleaning and don't involve heavy chemicals. Plus they're very low cost," he says.

Always remember to include window cleaning -- which only requires the use of a ladder, a painting extension pole, a squeegee, and a bucket of water mixed with a small amount of dishwashing detergent.

"A house with clean windows looks a lot lighter and more airy. That's precisely the kind of aura that current buyers want. The brighter, fresher and cleaner your property becomes, the sooner you can expect it to sell," Davis says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)