FOR LAS VEGAS HOME SELLERS CLUTTER CAN BE A SERIOUS TOPIC
Las Vegas home sellers are sure to hear one piece of advice again and again: “declutter.” It’s the simplest of concepts; not in the least controversial. Nobody could convincingly argue that Las Vegashomes whose rooms are populated with bric-a-brac are more likely to attract buyers than are those without. That’s just common sense. Which raises its own issue. If the de-clutter admonition is so self-evident, how come it needs to be made at all? The answer (and this is now the subject of an entire book!) is because, regardless of how good an idea decluttering may be, when put into practice, it encounters a lot of resistance. Before delving into this any further, it’s only fair to give credit where credit is due: the book in question is Christy Diane Farr’s first effort titled “Is Home Your Happy Place?”—and is fully deserving of its unanimous five stars on Amazon. The resistance that many of us feel when called upon to get rid of “stuff” is a common phenomenon. You don’t have to be a pack rat, hoarder, or shopaholic to recognize within yourself an irrational streak that resists letting go of some object or another. Even if it’s one that is of no earthly value now (or ever). Although “Happy Place” is half-humorous, it’s really a self-help book. The author admits to offering information about “how to change your life.” Clearing rooms to prepare for your Las Vegas open house doesn’t require a whole lot of life-changing, but it can impinge on a related thread. The whole moving from one home to a new one is, after all, one of the life’s major events. So the author is on firm ground when she takes the subject of clutter seriously—and the galaxy of things that, left unchecked, wind up filling people’s living spaces. Her classifications include everything from the inexplicable (“Stuff that’s broken,” “Stuff that’s expired”) to the personally problematical (“Stuff that makes you hang onto an unpleasant past”). My personal favorite is “Stuff that used to be a good idea.” Especially when you find yourself tossing an object that you thought would come in handy (but which never did), let’s face it: that’s admitting defeat! More difficult can be clearing away and letting go of objects that we connect with other people and places from our past. Author Farr is expert at humorously coaxing readers into disconnecting the emotional ties to things. When all is said and done, decluttering Las Vegas homes when they go up for sale winds up being well worth the work. More than one client has been pleasantly surprised by how much better they feel when there’s no longer the usual daily disarray to contend with. That’s not surprising if you believe that the better your home feels, the better you will feel—not to mention how much faster it will sell. Another way to speed a sale even further: give me a call!
SIX EASY ITEMS TO BOOST LAS VEGAS PROPERTY CURB APPEAL
Conscientious Las Vegas homeowners keep on top of all the regular maintenance items pretty much automatically. Once you have lived in a place for more than a year or two, you know what you should be keeping an eye on. You have a handle on when major fixes and updates have to be addressed. When you begin thinking about moving on to new digs, though, the focus shifts. Your Las Vegas property is about to enter a beauty contest, after all—so more attention will have to be paid to moving it toward the dazzler category. The floor plan, interior décor, mechanical functions, and the other features that prospective buyers will delve into may all come into play eventually—but only after initial interest has been piqued. Call it what you will: “first take,” “initial impression,” or “curb appeal”—whatever you name it, if it’s positive, everything else can follow. If it’s negative for any reason, all the other factors will be fighting an uphill battle—or worse, a battle that’s never fought at all. Given that most homes that are about to go on the Las Vegas market have basic maintenance issues solved, some of the most important home improvement items are those that boost the first impression. Here are six that are universally cited: Clean. This one is not as obvious as it sounds—owners are used to the way the front of the house looks, and more often than not, don’t even notice subtle loss to a home’s “sparkle.” When years of almost-invisible grime are cleared away, the difference can be startling. Every surface has its own effective cleaning techniques: they’re easy to find on the web. Spruce up the yard. If lawn dominates, dollars spent to bring as much life as possible will be well spent. If the season makes a quick enough turnaround impractical, professional lawn paint spraying services are a temporary fix. Mulch. If fall has given front yard flower beds too much of an overgrown look, be prepared to cut them back into shape—then mulch the newly-exposed soil. The look that emerges can transform unkempt into elegant. Entryway. If there is an entry lantern overhead, make its glass panes sparkle. Front door fixtures should gleam—and if they are beyond polishing, replacing them is not a budget-buster. It can also be transformative to paint the door itself with an inviting color that accents the exterior’s tone—an idea that could be the most cost-effective curb appeal assist of all! Driveway. If there are major cracks, they will need to be filled (quick! Winter’s on the way). But if the only problem is blemishes on asphalt, a seal coat service when the weather allows can be well worth the dollars spent. Identity. The house numbers, whether simply on the side of the mailbox or elsewhere, are more important than most Las Vegas homeowners realize. After all, prospective buyers are certain to look closely at them—which can be turned into an opportunity to forge a distinctive identity. Search the web for images showing “house number design ideas” to see how many interesting looks are out there—then seriously consider if a change might add drama and distinction to your home’s curb appeal. These are not-so-costly fixups that can go far to help your Las Vegas property reach out and reel in its next owner. For more helpful tips—call me!
BEACHCOMBERS TREASURE HUNTERS AND LAS VEGASS MLS
House hunters are sometimes compared with treasure hunters—and it can certainly feel like that when you find a Las Vegas home that’s a perfect fit. The other day, I read a writer who compared house hunting with beachcombing. That might pass muster at first—but when you think it over, it really doesn’t quite work. For one thing, the average beachcomber is only out to enhance a surfside stroll by picking up something interesting. Unlike a dedicated treasure hunter or house hunter, a beachcomber isn’t focused on any specific prize. Dedicated treasure hunters spend days in dusty libraries researching historical rumors about buried chests or sunken galleons. House hunters, likewise, put a lot of energy into prowling through the Las Vegas listings, narrowing the possibilities. Beachcombers are less focused—and a lot less determined. For Las Vegas house hunters, our Multiple Listing Service is the primary go-to resource. It’s a treasure in itself: a single place to turn when it comes to finding Las Vegas homes currently on the market. Beachcombers have no like counterpart. Sure, once the tide is out, any given beach might have a lot of flotsam and jetsam. But it’s blind luck whether any of it will be worth carrying back. Compared with vacationing beachcombers, MLS-combers have much more rigorous standards. Most beachcombers will at least bend down to examine anything shaped like a Shell gas station sign, even if it’s partially busted up. MLS-combers, on the other hand, move on without a second glance if the picture at the top of a Las Vegas listing looks at all shabby. Whenever you are doing some tropical beachcombing, and you find a really large shell (like a conch), even if there’s no extra space in your luggage, you’re likely to haul it back to the beach blanket for everyone to admire. But if you are MLS-combing and you come across an 18-bedroom mansion, you won’t add it to your 4-bedroom, 3 ½ bath Serious Contender list. MLS-combing is more focused than beachcombing. I’d have to go with treasure hunting as the best metaphor for house hunting—and right now, the Las Vegas MLS is loaded with treasures that aren’t even buried. Give me a call if you’re in the market—we’ll give some of the best ones a good look!
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