Here are some common mistakes to avoid when taking on the challenge of a rehab.
10. When hiring a drywall installer and painter, be sure to hire someone you are familiar with the quality of the work they do or someone you trust who knows the quality of the work they do. Most of the time you get what you pay for and paying to have it done twice is no fun. It costs unnecessary time and money spent on the project. Hanging, taping and floating sheetrock takes skill and not everyone who tells you they can do it can actually do it, and mistakes are very clear and often difficult to hide, even for a stage actor. The same goes for a painter. Get to know your painter and drywall installer or get a recommendation from someone you trust. This is crucial.
9. Speaking of paint…unless you’re renting the house, never use high-gloss or semi-gloss paint on the walls. You want to use eggshell or satin paint. High gloss or semi gloss will show all the imperfections in a wall, create an unpleasant glare, and simply not look attractive. As a general rule of thumb, flat paint goes on the ceiling, semi-gloss on the doors and trim, and eggshell or satin on the walls, except in the bathroom, which is where you want semi-gloss paint. Just as a side note, more often than not in builder’s model homes, they will stage the home with matte paint. While this looks very attractive, it is not very familiar and potential buyers will appreciate eggshell paint much more. Again, a good quality painter knows the right type of paint to use and should make the right decisions for you if you are an ethical painter.
8. To my surprise, another common mistake is installing cabinets before painting, especially with a sprayer. Obviously, there is a proper order in which each trade should be brought to the rehab, and getting out of order can wreak havoc on your turn. Rest assured, no matter how hard your well-meaning painter tries not to splatter paint from his paint sprayer all over your new cabinets, flooring, carpet, tile, etc., he’ll still smear paint everywhere. Unfortunately, most will leave it there to harden and dry out for you to clean up. Did I mention hiring a good quality painter?
7. Yet another problem with paint… It never looks appealing to paint baseboards and crown molding the same color as the wall. It may save a few bucks, but it’s very unsightly for the buyer. By the way, neutral wall color does not always mean white or off-white. A set designer can suggest a great paint color. When you’re covering bold colors, use a kilz primer and mix in a neutral color to save an extra step in the painting process.
6. Ok, I think I’m done with painting mistakes for now and moving on to lighting. Lighting is very important when placing a home on the market. It affects the colors, ambiance, mood, and overall appearance of a home. Whenever the budget allows, upgrade the lighting. Dull, dim, outdated lighting can be a real deal breaker because no one wants a dark home and darkness is depressing.
5. Another electrical problem is leaving outdated or multicolored outlets and switches. When potential buyers see this sort of thing, they’ll shudder just before they wonder how much it will cost to replace (which, by the way, I know, since my husband is a master electrician, that it’s a low-cost, high-performance cosmetic). fix that is well worth the investment). If it’s not in the budget to upgrade all the sockets and switches, at the very least, swap out the cover plates to match. Cosmetically, it makes a big difference for little money.
4. Although it has no appraised value, replacing outdated hardware on all cabinets is a cheap and inexpensive cosmetic solution. Often times, a fresh coat of paint and new hardware will do wonders for your kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity and you don’t even need to install new cabinets. However, I don’t recommend trying this without a color consultation from someone who knows color. Wrong cabinet colors in relation to the backsplash, countertops, and flooring is a costly mistake to make once it’s done.
3. Another very common error is one that I refer to as “non-equivalent updates”. For example, spending a lot of money on new cabinets and granite countertops, but being cheap with a sink set above it, 0.69 cent tile on the floor, and outdated lighting on top of it all. If you’re going to invest that kind of money in cabinets and countertops, spend a few extra bucks and go all out with the undermount sink and some higher quality tile. It makes a big difference and the ROI will be there. Of course, take care that the upgrades are also equivalent with the market area. It is not okay to put high dollar upgrades in a neighborhood that is not high dollar and vice versa. Product picks are another area where an organizer can make valuable recommendations to save you a ton of money if you find yourself in the front end of a somersault.
2. Going back to the 2 biggest mistakes, at #2, you’re allocating more of your budget to make cosmetic updates in other areas before the kitchen and bathroom/master bedroom. These are the two most important areas in a house. Everyone else runs second in line for these two areas. Kitchens and baths sell homes, especially master baths. (If there’s ever the possibility of expanding a closet by knocking down a wall, large master closets also sell homes. Trust me, the majority of the female population wouldn’t consider a home without ample closet space.)
1. Ok, number one biggest mistake and biggest pet peeve: a woman will always know (and most men will too), when you’re painting on wallpaper. In my opinion, it’s never right and it’s a big mistake. Take the time to remove it. Even the best painters can’t hide the mess and domino effect that often occurs when painting on wallpaper. Oh my gosh, it’s a huge mistake and it never looks good. Unless someone is really into DIY projects, they will see this as a good reason not to buy the house due to the amount of hassle it takes to fix it and the fact that they don’t want to keep it that way. It’s downright ugly and right now, the market is full of options with houses that don’t have this problem. It’s frustrating to see ambitious real estate investors run into these unnecessary “hiccups” that could have been avoided if only… Learning from the experiences of others can be a very powerful tool if you are open to learning. I hope these staging tips help you. Happy homecoming!