The penthouse condominium where Cathy DePalma, her husband, Rich, and daughter, Katie, live in Palos Hills has a long list of amenities including six skylights, a master suite with an adjoining sun room, a spacious master bathroom with a whirlpool tub, a loft family room with a wet bar, and a 2 1/2-car garage.
It also has a staircase that must be climbed to reach the second-floor unit. That’s why the DePalmas are considering moving from the condominium they have owned for three years to a ground-level town home in the same community.
“My mother is going to move in with us. She can’t take the steps,” explained Cathy DePalma to real estate agents Beverly Steele and Louie Georgacopoulos, who visited her recently at the request of Selling Points.
Steele and Georgacopoulos are with Century 21/Alpha Omega Realtors in Palos Hills. They had several tips for how the DePalmas can enhance their three-bedroom condominium and avoid problems that might hinder a sale.
For example, DePalma already knows that she wants to take a waterfall-like, glass chandelier in the dining room, a ceiling fan from the loft family room and stereo speakers with her when she moves.
Pointing to the glass chandelier, Georgacopoulos said, “If you’re going to replace it, I’d do it now. They (potential buyers) could fall in love with it and you don’t want to be haggling over a light (if it comes down to a possible sale).”
The same goes for the speakers, which are part of an already wired, built-in stereo system in the living room.
“People will ask for those speakers,” cautioned Georgacopoulos. Although sellers often state beforehand which amenities are to remain in a house when it is sold, Georgacopoulos said buyers nonetheless often perceive these items as negotiable.
The speakers, he said, could be removed without defacing the look of the room’s neutral, cream-colored walls. The holes where the speakers are attached are already capped by a plate that matches the walls.
Both Realtors praised DePalma’s decor, which is neutral. Although DePalma recently added a wallpaper border of pale gray and beige to the entry hallway, Steele said it adds, rather than detracts from the look of the unit.
“The border is still subtle,” she said. “It’s important that you stay on the neutral side. People don’t want to move in and think they have to do it (the decor) over.”
On the same floor, but down another hall, the agents came upon one of the bedrooms which is occupied by 14-year-old Katie. Although not messy, it felt cluttered. Stuffed animals were piled on the bed while the dresser was topped by bottles of nail polish and knickknacks.
Steele and Georgacopoulos suggested reducing the stuffed animal population and the number of other knickknacks.
“Pack away stuff that isn’t used. It (extra stuff) makes a room look smaller,” Georgacopoulos explained.
That same less-is-more philosophy can also be applied to closets, which should be stripped of excess clothing before a home is shown, the agents said.
On the unit’s second floor, the agents praised the way the DePalmas have decorated the loft family room with comfortable chairs and a bookcase. Lots of natural light shines into this area from one of the unit’s six skylights, which are highly attractive features of this condominium.
“Some people might see this (loft) as dead space, but the fact that she’s got a couple of chairs and a bookcase shows people how it can be used,” Georgacopoulos added.
Nearby is the master bedroom suite, where the Realtors suggested reducing the clothing in the walk-in closet to make it seem more spacious.
The adjoining sun room is a lovely addition to this large bedroom. The DePalmas use this window-lined room as an exercise area. A treadmill and glider obstruct the area in front of the windows.
Cathy DePalma laughingly admitted that she would hardly miss the exercise equipment if it were to be stored elsewhere during times when the home is being shown.
“If you had one less piece (of exercise equipment), people could have access to look out the windows,” Georgacopoulos said.
