Early this summer, Ann and Carl Johnson plan to move into a home they own in Naples, Fla., where they’ll take some time to decide if that’s where they want to retire.
Selling their current residence, a tri-level in Northbrook, is an immediate priority. Ann, who will be selling it herself, believes it is ready for market. Just to make sure, she asked Selling Points to check it out.
“When you live in a house you get so used to some things you don’t see them,” she said.
We invited Beth Duffy of Baird & Warner Real Estate in Glenview to tour the property and tell us what she saw that Ann might have missed.
The brick and wood-sided home was built in 1965 on a slightly elevated lot. When the Johnsons bought it 27 years ago, the street had no trees. Today the subdivision is graced by mature landscaping.
Soaring ceiling
The home features four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a combination living/dining room with cathedral ceiling, a kitchen with breakfast bay, a family room, an office and a utility room/workshop. There’s also a two-car attached garage, circular patio, fenced yard and crawl space.
Overall, the decor is neutral. The foyer sports a white ceramic floor, which extends throughout the kitchen. The carpeting and walls are primarily off-white.
“Your first impression is a nice one,” Duffy told her. “The vaulted ceilings are a big selling point.”
Ann led Duffy through the home and showed her some of the features she likes, such as the dual entry closets and the lighted crawl space. When they got to the lower-level powder room, she said, “You’ll probably say the wallpaper should go.” It’s a brown, gold and rust-colored stripe print.
“I think so,” Duffy said. “I know these colors were popular in the 1970s. Young couples want everything done for them. I don’t think they won’t buy the house because of the wallpaper but it would be better if you could take it down.”
The family room is paneled and has Berber carpeting and sliding glass doors leading to the patio. Here the broker recommended the Johnsons remove the two preserved birds and one fish that are prominently displayed on the walls.
“Some people are offended by stuffed animals,” she said. “They don’t approve of them.”
“I wouldn’t have thought of that at all,” said Ann, adding that she would ask her husband to take them down.
“Blame me,” said Duffy. “I’m the bad guy.”
Ten years ago, the Johnsons put an addition onto the back of their house, where Ann ran a business for several years. It has a bay window overlooking the back yard and sliding glass doors to the patio. This room could use some paring, said Duffy. The office furniture should stay put so buyers can see how the room can be used, she suggested, but some of the extraneous pieces should be removed to make it appear larger. The large rust-colored area rug covers too much of the planked wood floor, and it, too, should be removed, Duffy said.”Buyers love hardwood, so you want to show it.”
Although the Johnson home is far from cluttered, several of the rooms can be made more spacious by eliminating a piece of furniture or two. The master bedroom, for example, is a large room but an upholstered chair and bookcase crowd the passage to the bath. If these pieces were out of the room, the dressers could be spread further apart.
Abridge the books
One corner of the family room holds a bookcase and encyclopedia set. Perhaps this could be cleared out, said Duffy.
The living/dining room could also be pared somewhat, too. Duffy pointed out that taking out a table in the living area and tucking two arm chairs under the dining table will open up the space and enhance traffic flow.
“A lot of things you say to move I don’t even want,” said Ann.
Duffy also suggested that Ann put away a few decorative accents. Doing so will create larger spaces and protect her treasures. The figurine on top of a stereo speaker, for instance, could be accidentally knocked down and broken.
“Anything you’re not using, pack it up,” Duffy said.
