When Delbert Benton and his wife, Gevvy, built their white brick home on a corner lot in Calumet Park in 1951, they made an unusual request to have two pictures windows in the living room.
One window faces the front yard and street; the other looks out on the side street. These expansive vistas made it possible for the couple to keep a close eye on the brood of six children that they raised in this comfortable, four-bedroom home.
“You could see the school bus coming down the street while you had the baby in your lap (in the living room),” explained Gevvy.
The couples’ children are grown and the Bentons are now the proud grandparents of 18. Although they want to stay close to their family in the Chicago area, they are looking to sell their home and relocate to a low-maintenance town home. For advice on showing their home to its best advantage, we turned to David Johnson, a Realtor with Century 21 Dabbs South in Calumet Park.
`Move-in condition’
A tour of the home showed that it is neat and well-maintained. Johnson termed the home, which has two full bathrooms and a two-car garage, to be “in move-in condition.”
However, he suggested that the Bentons replace the storm windows throughout the house. The windows are original to the home and a bit rusted.
Johnson said the Bentons could get storm windows with a white, instead of an unfinished aluminum, frame that would better match the white exterior of the home.
“When you’re showing the home you can also explain how (the new windows) are efficient for conserving heat and air (conditioning),” Johnson said.
Another sign of wear and tear is seen in one of the full bathrooms. Although just a few tiles in the multi-colored floor are chipped, the entire floor should be replaced, Johnson said, suggesting neutral color, ceramic block tiles in place of the existing floor.
In one of the bedrooms, the Realtor took note of cardboard boxes stacked neatly in a corner. The Bentons, who are retired, keep the boxes for packaging homemade fudge candy that they make and sell as a part-time business.
Those boxes would fit in a portion of one of two closets in the home’s basement, which is partially finished and which stretches the entire length and width of the home.
Although bulky, the boxes would not prevent a buyer from seeing how deep and large the closets in this home are, Johnson noted: “You want to use the closet for what it is (storage). And buyers want to see how many clothes they can put in there.”
Also in the basement, the Bentons pointed out a furnace that was installed four years ago. The home had a new roof put on just weeks ago, they added.
Johnson noticed some electrical wires in the basement. While they are not a safety hazard, he suggested covering them with a metal plate to allay any concerns on the part of potential buyers. He also said the wrapping on a cold water pipe should be replaced.
Although these are minor items, Johnson said completing these tasks will help smooth the process of selling the home.
Village inspection
One of the requirements for selling a home in Calumet Park, and in many other communities, is a village inspection. Johnson recommended that the Bentons seek this inspection as soon as possible–before inviting potential buyers to view the home.
“You have to deal with it and (when it’s completed), it will expedite the sale,” he said. “If there are any problems, you can correct them (before putting the house up for sale).”
The final feature of the home to be viewed was its lovely, fenced backyard with flowers and a bird bath, which Johnson called a plus.
“It’s especially nice for a corner house where you have traffic going by,” he said.
