Home isn't selling? Try creating tasty 'cream puff'

Contra Costa Times

Your home has been up for sale for longer than you'd like. You and your agent are sure the price is right for the market. You've done all the basic fix-ups -- such as purging clutter, pruning bushes and repairing leaky faucets. Prospects come through week after week. Yet still your place doesn't sell. You're stumped on what to do next.

One plausible idea is to pull $10,000 or less out of your savings account to make your place a standout in the eyes of would-be purchasers -- what real estate agents call a "cream puff." This is a home so attractive and well-kept that prospects will usually choose it over similar houses in the neighborhood offered at the same price.

"The cream puff is so alluring, it seduces buyers subliminally. It's a very well-groomed property," says Sid Davis, a seasoned real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide for Selling a Home" (Amacom).

Is it worth plunging precious savings into a home just to make it more aesthetically appealing to buyers? Yes, assuming you live in a desirable community where property is still moving, albeit slowly. The strategy is all the more compelling if there are lots of rival homes up for sale there and you need a competitive edge.

"By making your home a cream puff, you place it at the top of the food chain. That means it should be among the first of all the unsold properties in the area to find a buyer," Davis says.

Here are several pointers for sellers:

Add elegance with extensive interior moldings.

There's a reason home builders make extensive use of decorative interior trim work -- such as crown moldings, chair railings and wainscoting. That's because these embellishments give a home a finished quality that usually exceeds the cost of the work, says Dorcas Helfant, former president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org).

"If you're really handy, you can install your own moldings. But most people are better off with a trim carpenter. For a few thousand dollars you can get a lot of woodwork done," Helfant says.

Further upgrade the painting of your home.

Many sellers paint a room or two before putting their place on the market. At the outset, perhaps you converted the bright purple walls in your teenager's bedroom to a pleasant tan and did the same to your mustard yellow kitchen.

Yet to put your place in superior showing condition, further painting could well be warranted. For example, Davis strongly recommends you get a first-class paint job on your front door -- the most visible surface of your property. Also, have a painter freshen any walls or rooms that need touch-ups due to wear.

"To give your place cream-puff quality means every single ding must be filled in, sanded and redone. Search all your high-traffic areas for imperfections. Remember that each time visitors come in, the little cameras in their heads record everything they see," says Davis, adding that professional painting shouldn't cost more than $200 to $600 per room.

"Remember to ask your contractors to paint your moldings in a light, contrasting tone, such as glossy white, so they'll pop out and look sensational," he says.

As a finishing touch to add luster, replace all the hardware on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets, a step that should cost no more than $50 to $100.

Make your place superclean.

Often when Davis tells clients to make their property immaculate, they respond with puzzled stares.

"Many folks think 'clean' means they've made the beds, washed the dishes and done a little dusting. But I'm talking about the kind of clean you get when you check into a top-of-the-line hotel. Absolutely nothing is missed," Davis says.

If you're unclear what it means to make your house exceptionally clean, Davis recommends you pick up a book on the topic, such as "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook."

Though books can provide guidance, the best way for most sellers to achieve a lofty level of cleanliness is to hire a professional cleaning company -- one you find through referrals from your listing agent, neighbors or colleagues at work.

"Give the company a complete checklist of everything you need done. Be sure this includes meticulous cleaning of all your chandeliers and light fixtures, as well as deep scouring of bathroom and kitchen tile to remove all the mildew. This whole job should cost around $300 or less," Davis says.

Give your home extra sparkle and light.

Chances are your cleaning crew won't tackle one piece of work crucial to the look of your home: a thorough window cleaning.

"It's amazing how well a house can look when the windows are crystal clear inside and out. People see the difference when they first drive up," Davis says.

Of course, home sellers can attempt their own window cleaning. But as Davis says, professionals have the equipment and expertise to do a better job -- especially on a house with hard-to-reach windows. The cost typically runs less than $200, though this depends on local labor costs and the size of your property.

Don't take your home off the market while upgrading it.

Davis says that owners sometimes become so discouraged that they remove their home from the market because it's gone unsold for longer than they'd like. They simply abandon their selling plans without trying a new approach.

But if your home is correctly priced, well-located and continues to be shown to prospective buyers, you still have a good shot at selling it soon, especially if you're willing to spend the money to make it a cream puff, Davis says.

"Get all the cleaning, painting and trim work done quickly. Pick the weekdays when visitors rarely come through -- Tuesday through Thursday. Then don't be surprised if you start seeing greater buyer interest by the time the weekend rolls around," he says.