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Real Appeal

Decorating to Sell Your Home

By Sarah Van Arsdale

Even though it may seem impossible to accomplish this with kids in the house, you can probably come up with a creative way to get the kids to pitch in. Wildowsky remembers one client whose child was such a Barbie aficionado that the bedroom was "a shrine to Barbie, Ken and all their family and friends." Relocating Barbie's paraphernalia to a floor-to-ceiling closet solved the problem without sending the girl into a state of withdrawal.

All three realtors we interviewed said that taking the papers off the front of the fridge is important, as is cleaning out the closets so buyers can see how much storage is available.

Once you've removed the clutter, consider having at least the bath and kitchen professionally cleaned. Campbell has found that a professional cleaning "can often hedge against replacement unless something is damaged." And a small repair of damage from water leaks, burns or other mishaps can "stave off counteroffers for defects."

Orth says that in Santa Fe, it's crucial to consider the home's "curb appeal," because buyers often make their decision in the first few minutes of seeing a home.

"Landscaping must be in order, and you should add or upgrade exterior lighting," Orth says. "If possible, plant flowers near the door, mulch existing plants, trim shrubbery and remove any dead plants or trees."

As with any suggestion, take into account the particulars of your area. "In the Santa Fe area, many trees have been lost in the last couple of years to drought and the bark beetle," Orth says. "In many areas, it is almost standard practice to have dead pinion pines removed."

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