Extra Touches to Help Sell This Fall
Homes can look less inviting in the fall and cooler months, but there are easy ways you can evoke that “homey” feel buyers crave.
"Inventory is low, so if you have your house on the market and it's priced well, it's going to sell," says Gail Hartnett, a National Association of REALTORS® regional vice president and an agent with Keller Williams Realty Boise in Idaho.
Hartnett offers some of the following tips:
--Creating a cozy smell. Hartnett says that fall can channel warm childhood memories of family Thanksgiving dinners. To give the home a more “homey” fall charm, Hartnett has spiced cider and freshly baked cookies during showings and open houses.
--Tidy up the yard. Rake up large piles of leaves, but you don’t have to remove every single leaf from your yard, Hartnett says. "Leaves actually look nice as long as they have some color to them," Harnett says. "But you need to make sure that your walkways are swept clear for safety purposes."
--Put up seasonal decorations. Give the property an appealing “harvest” feel with fall-themed decorations, such as a seasonal wreath hanging on the door and pumpkins or pots of mums on the front porch.
Homes can look less inviting in the fall and cooler months, but there are easy ways you can evoke that “homey” feel buyers crave.
"Inventory is low, so if you have your house on the market and it's priced well, it's going to sell," says Gail Hartnett, a National Association of REALTORS® regional vice president and an agent with Keller Williams Realty Boise in Idaho.
Hartnett offers some of the following tips:
--Creating a cozy smell. Hartnett says that fall can channel warm childhood memories of family Thanksgiving dinners. To give the home a more “homey” fall charm, Hartnett has spiced cider and freshly baked cookies during showings and open houses.
--Tidy up the yard. Rake up large piles of leaves, but you don’t have to remove every single leaf from your yard, Hartnett says. "Leaves actually look nice as long as they have some color to them," Harnett says. "But you need to make sure that your walkways are swept clear for safety purposes."
--Put up seasonal decorations. Give the property an appealing “harvest” feel with fall-themed decorations, such as a seasonal wreath hanging on the door and pumpkins or pots of mums on the front porch.
Contact Stacey Guzanick 262.490.3696, RE/MAX Realty Center Guzanick@gmail.com, if you have questions about buying a house or selling one.
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www.HomesWithStacey.com
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2. Cleaner, contemporary lines. Styles fade in and out, typically following suit with fashion trends and the economy. This year, home owners are gravitating away from traditional and even eclectic designs, instead opting for streamlined, modern looks, says Petrie. This preference is showing up in less-ornamented cabinet fronts, sometimes with a flat door or minimal molding and simpler hardware. Trends also include less exotic countertop patterns, simpler floor choices such as wood planks or bigger tiles with less grout, and pared-back color palettes.
3. Open wide. Whether it’s small or large, a kitchen that opens to other rooms — including the outdoors — offers space to cook. Clients could consider the different zones of a kitchen, such as eating and living space, says designer Jeffrey Collé of Estates by Jeffrey Collé in East Hampton, N.Y. His upscale remodeled kitchens often feature fireplaces, TVs, sound systems, and butler’s pantries — they’re now referred to as “caterer’s kitchens” since they include space and equipment to cook and clean up.
4. White still tops. While white continues to maintain its front-runner status because of its classic chic connotation, gray has increased in popularity, showing up in stained and painted cabinets and countertops fabricated from quartz, quartzite, limestone, granite, and marble with lots of gray veining. If home owners are making choices for a kitchen where they’ll live for years, opting for gray makes sense, but if they’re making improvements to sell, it may be smarter to stay with more buyers’ preference for white. Despite conventional wisdom, some pops of color can liven up a kitchen. 
5. Wood neck-to-neck with porcelain tile. These two choices command the greatest attention for flooring. Both are easy on feet and highly durable, and many porcelain tiles mimic wood so well they’re hard to differentiate. For those who favor wood, narrower widths are in again — 2 to 3 inches typically fit contemporary taste; for those who prefer porcelain, bigger tiles — 12 by 24 inches — are making inroads.
7. Induction, steam ovens, microwave drawers, and more.There’s lots happening on the appliance front; some trends have been around but are increasing in popularity, while others are brand new. But a modern layout continues to separate cooking equipment so multiple cooks can work together without getting in each other’s way.
Steam ovens that cook faster and allow for healthier food preparation, along with a second convection oven; some steam ovens include a cleaning function that permits spills to be removed without heating and smelling up a kitchen for hours, says Hood.
Dishwashers that have three and four racks for silverware and utensils; also, models that use less water, are quieter and bigger, and place jets along side walls.
9. Glass splash and more. Backsplashes have become a major focal point; subway tiles are still popular, though now with beveled edges; matte rather than glossy finishes; a variety of colors rather than just classic white; and in larger 4-by-10-inch formats rather than traditional 3-by-6-inch sizes. Today’s trend is also to lay the tiles in vertical rather than horizontal rows. Bigger glass tiles in shimmery hues are grabbing attention, too—and they represent a green choice, made out of recycled materials. Another option is handcrafted tiles with an Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright influence.
10. LED lighting. Because it’s been mandated by certain states and the federal government has required that incandescent lamps be phased out unless sufficiently energy efficient, more professionals and home owners are making the switch to energy-wise LEDs underneath cabinets and in cans, pendants, chandeliers, and sconces. Costs have come down for LEDs, and lighting trends lean toward fewer but larger pendants above islands and more decorative fixtures above tables.
12. Eating in and cooking out. An eating area is more de rigueur, whether it’s a big table, a corner banquette with a table, or a countertop. And outdoor kitchens, with varying dimensions depending on climate and budgets, remain popular. Many home owners no longer want the full panoply of outdoor appliances, which were often underutilized and overpriced; a good grill sometimes may be sufficient.
