NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK: Spruce up, stay at home

While much of the local real estate industry remains active, many buyers and sellers have decided to pause their efforts until the easing of federal and state stay-at-home recommendations.

For those planning to sell their properties in the near future, this unexpected downtime could be an opportunity to do some things that can maximize the value of your home. Some simple work can eventually result in your home selling more quickly and at a better price. Given local inventory and demand, it’s still going to be a rosy seller’s market once the Inland Northwest succeeds in flattening the COVID-19 curve.

Safety first

You don’t need to be taking multiple trips to the hardware store. Stay at home! Think about the things you can do around the house with the supplies you have already. There will be plenty of opportunities to wander around Lowe’s or Home Depot in a few weeks. If you’re truly itching to do a project that requires materials you don’t have, look into what you can find online or get delivered to your door. You don’t need to be installing a deck or remodeling a kitchen right now.

Declutter and

prep for staging

Staging your home for in-person (and digital!) viewings is perhaps the most important “inexpensive” thing you can do to maximize your sale price. You don’t necessarily need fancy furniture or HGTV-level decor. Really, it comes down to eliminating the clutter.

The vast majority of buyers make their vital first impressions on a property by viewing its online listing. Professional-level photos that demonstrate the utility and flexibility of the rooms in your home will attract buyers when the time comes to hit the active market.

Depersonalize living spaces and keep the decor simple, but don’t empty the spaces completely. Demonstrate the functionality of a room with thoughtfully-placed furniture and welcoming ornamentation.

Need inspiration? The internet is overloaded with both professional content and ideas from other do-it-yourselfers (Browsing Pinterest can eat away hours and hours of quarantine).

A little outside time

The weather needs to cooperate, but you can do a number of things with outside spaces around the home (so long as you’re staying at least 6 feet away from your neighbors).

Many of the things you need to start/restart a garden can be obtained when you do your grocery shopping. Soil, seeds and other lawn necessities/tools are available from many of the grocery and big box stores that provide pick-up and delivery options. Don’t make unnecessary extra trips, and plan ahead for your needs and limit your time if you do go into the store.

Aspirational thinking

This whole pandemic is pretty lousy deal. In between checking on all the bad/depressing news out there, be sure to make time for focusing on big, positive ideas. Scroll the online listings for your dream home, Pinterest all the amazing projects you want to do around the house if money was no object, and look forward to the time in the near future when you can send the kids to Grandma’s house for the weekend so you can have some (expletive deleted) peace and quiet in your own home again.

This won’t last forever, and though it may take some time to go back to total normal, every new, returning normal thing will feel all that much sweeter.

• • •

We want to hear from readers and real estate professionals about what you’d like to see from Neighborhood of the Week during this unprecedented time. Contact twilson@cdapress.com to suggest story ideas and updates you’d like to see in this space in the coming weeks.