Realtors help set just the right mood for first impression

Coldwell Banker real estate agent Donna LaRosa holds two bottles of the ‘‘house wine’’ she offered to help set the mood at a recent open house in Weymouth. LaRosa and other brokers said sellers need to make their homes distinctive. (Photos By Robert E. Klein For The Boston Globe)

SOUTH WEYMOUTH -- Donna LaRosa and Patricia Cattafe are setting a mood: drinks chilled, music soft, lighting just so.

"Sexy sells," says LaRosa.

Not exactly how you might think of a split-level ranch in South Weymouth -- which is all the more reason to make it seem so, especially in a market tilting in favor of buyers.

Brokers such as this pair are hoping the spring will bring a thaw to the chill that's hung over the Massachusetts real estate market for the past year. And business may indeed be picking up, as brokers said that long-dormant buyers appear to be out of hibernation, and hungry to buy.

LaRosa and other brokers said sellers need to make an effort to distinguish their homes from the many others out on the market.

"When people go out on a Sunday and they're looking at homes, they're involved in a process of elimination," said LaRosa, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Milton. "If they see things that need to be fixed, that's an easy elimination. People are trying to eliminate homes to get to their dream house."

First impressions are huge. That means sellers should start at the entrance and fix things such as loose flagstones in the walkway, wobbly handrails on the porch and broken doorbells, said Suzanne Cappadona of Weichert, Realtors-Hunter Properties in Plainville .

"These are obvious things, but sometimes you see something every day and after a while, you don't even see it anymore," said Cappadona, who also suggested buying a new welcome mat and putting potted flowers by the doorway.

This time of year, said Andrew Abu of Andrew Abu Realtors in Westborough, homeowners should have the bark mulch top-dressed and the lawn raked and clean.

"One of the mistakes people make, is saying 'Oh, I'm going to plant some new flowers,"' Abu said. "Forget about adding. Clean out. Delete, delete, delete."

Brokers agree that perhaps the single most important thing sellers can do is de-clutter. The tchochkes, the gewgaws, the knickknacks -- they have to go. And the toys.

"That's one of the main problems we run into," said Cappadona, "is the toys."

LaRosa said among the first thing home shoppers see when they walk into a room is a horizontal surface -- shelves, for example.

"If there are more than three things on a surface, they're going to start looking at the things and not the room," LaRosa said. "People like to come and they like to see where they're going to put their own things."

Convincing sellers to do that can sometimes be tough. Either they're emotionally attached to certain items or proud of a collection, or just happy with the way their home looks. Abu said he often meets with customers several times to get the house looking just right, including getting organized and rearranging furniture.

"You want to create a showroom effect, rather than a layered, cozy feel," Abu said. "We talk a lot about how stores look."

If you were dressing a $50,000 window at Bloomingdale's, Abu said, you wouldn't stuff as many items as you could; rather, you'd select a few with maximum impact.

Often the initial reaction of sellers to their newly staged homes is that it's too stark, Abu said. But later they tell him, "When I go into the new house, I'm not going to bring any of this junk with me."

Dale Roberts of Hammond GMAC Real Estate in Newton makes the point that -- in an age of Internet shopping -- first impressions begin long before a potential buyer ever crosses the threshold.

"The 'staging and de-clutter' process is imperative not only for a buyer's first impression when they drive by or first walk in the door of the home, but also for the professional photography that will be taken ," Roberts said.

Brokers are big on light. Turn on the lights, use high wattage bulbs, open curtains, and make sure windows sparkle -- inside and out.

Another biggie is the floors. If it's financially possible, brokers say, worn carpet should be replaced. Wood floors should be refinished if necessary, and polished. Rooms or doors that need a fresh coat of paint should get it.

And if there's money in the budget, Abu recommends upgrading outdated counters and kitchen appliances. He said sellers can make a huge difference in any house by spending about $2,500 -- and can often expect to get at least double that back in the sales price.

Customers sometimes object to this, arguing that any buyer will want to pick their own paint colors or might want white instead of stainless-steel appliances. But if the house looks tired, Abu said, "You don't even get to first base, never mind hit the home run to sell your house."