The two cars that Robert and Jacqueline Wittle drive can be seen more frequently these days on the road than in the garage of their tri-level, brown brick home in Lansing.
The Wittles, who built the three-bedroom home in 1984, frequently drive to and from Tinley Park three days a week to babysit their young grandchildren.
Although some retirees are lured by the sun and warmth of Florida and Arizona, the Wittles are planning to move to Tinley Park.
They want to be closer to their grandchildren and, ideally, they will have settled into a new townhouse in Tinley Park before snow and ice begin to play a role in their travels.
“Recent (road) construction problems between Lansing and Tinley Park, plus the on-coming winter driving condition have made the decision to sell our home easier to make,” wrote Robert Wittle in a letter to Selling Points.
For advice on what they need to do to get their current home ready for the market, Selling Points contacted Jim Fritza a Realtor for Coldwell Banker in Lansing.
The Wittles’ home, Fritza said, is in wonderful condition and offers many attractions including a hot tub on a deck overlooking the backyard, an automatic sprinkler system and a new roof and gutters that were added just a few years ago.
Standing in front of the house, Fritza noticed a trickle of water coming from one of the gutters. He recommended that the Wittles be sure to clean the gutters thoroughly of the autumn leaves that recently have fallen.
Such a small rivulet of water does not indicate a problem with the condition of the home, but may raise an unwarranted red flag in the minds of buyers, Fritza said.
“This means absolutely nothing–it’s a perception thing. When people see water they say (to themselves) `Oh, what’s wrong with the (rest of the) house?”‘ he explained.
Looking at the rest of the home’s exterior, Fritza praised the pots of gold mums that the Wittles have placed on the steps outside of the front door.
A bit of floral color—chosen, in this case, to highlight the autumn season adds to a home’s curb appeal. A seller does not have to buy out the local landscaping store, however, to make a good impression, he said.
“You don’t want to overpower people (with flowers) either,” he said. “Just make sure there are a couple and that the (fallen) leaves are cleaned (off the driveway and sidewalks.)”
A door from the neatly-kept attached garage leads into the home’s basement. Here, Robert explained that he has always cleaned the 15-year-old furnace himself.
Although Robert explained that he had spent his professional career working in a related area and has expertise in maintaining these systems, Fritza said having a professional clean the furnace would leave buyers with the perception that the home has been well-maintained.
Buyers, he noted, often look on the furnace for a notation of when the last time it was cleaned and to be sure that it has been maintained well.
“No offense to you,” Fritza said. “But, if you have a (professional ) come out and do it, I think it would make a better impression.”
A furnace cleaning, he estimated, would cost about $60.
Moving upstairs to the living room, Fritza found the decor to be pleasant and cheery.
The living room, for example, is decorated in pale greens and has some touches of a model home, such as a bouquet of lilies placed on a lovely wooden secretary.
Pointing to the lilies, he said, “This is a nice type of thing. I like to see the ambience.”
In the family room, Fritza found a closet packed with quilts, blankets and clothing. He suggested removing some of those items so the closet has a more spacious look when buyers open the door.
In one of the bedrooms, Fritza opened a closet and discovered an organizer had been installed.
“That’s a nice touch. It shows a good use of space and you can see that everything fits,” he said.
Fritza’s final bit of advice was that the Wittles remove any extraneous items when they are showing the house, such as a couple of medicine bottles from the top of a bureau and cosmetics from a vanity. The aim, he said, is to have an uncluttered look.
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If you would like to participate in our Selling Points feature, send us a letter telling where you live, what kind of house or condominium you live in and why you are thinking of moving. (Please include your phone number.) We will select some entries for evaluation by an area real estate agent and we’ll run articles describing what the agent suggests. You will have no obligation to the agent. If you are interested, write to Selling Points, Your Place section, 4th Floor, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60611. No telephone calls will be accepted; we will contact you if your home is selected.
