REAL ESTATE 2020 | Home Prep for the Spring Market by Penny O'Brien, Realtor

6 SPRING PREPARATION TIPS BY PENNY O'BRIEN, 2020 LOCAL INDUSTRY EXPERT

The 2020 spring market is around the corner. It's time to prep the home for the Millennial buyers who currently comprise 37% of home buyers according to NAR 2019. They’re looking for a move-in ready home! Here’s a list of inexpensive home improvements that will give you the most bang for your buck:

1. Paint, Paint, Paint. Paint is money in a can. Freshly painted walls in today's light shades of grays, blues or beiges give the home an updated look & the buyer a clean slate. Old paint colors (reds, greens, mustards & browns) date a home.

2. More Paint! WHITE! If you have a home with stained trim, consider painting the trim, doors and windows with fresh white paint.

3. Update Light Fixtures! If you have original light fixtures, it's time to change them. "Industrial" is the most popular decor style in Chicagoland. Consider Orbs, drums & farmhouse. Add curb appeal by updating outdoor lighting. Often the most overlooked!

4. Get Rid of Brass! It’s very inexpensive to switch out brass door knobs, hinges & light fixtures for brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze.

5. New Carpet! Do you have original carpet? No one wants carpet with 20 years of living woven in. Work with a carpet professional on current carpets used to list homes. This is an instant refreshed update!

6. Absolutely Free. Declutter & depersonalize! Put away personal pictures. As you declutter, ask yourself if you’re taking it with you to your next home. If not, donate or pitch!

ABOUT PENNY O'BRIEN

BAIRD & WARNER – One word that consistently comes to clients’ minds when they think of Penny O’Brien is “hustle.” As a Seller Representative Specialist, she loves meeting with sellers to discuss pre-market home improvements and guide them to make their home “showtime ready” when it hits the market. She strongly believes in professional staging and offers it as a complimentary service. With a reputation for “good-looking listings,” she helps clients realize a higher return and quicker sale. Penny says “Staging transforms a home from average to amazing”. Penny O'Brien Broker, Relocation Specialist and

Negotiation Expert • (630) 207-7001 • penny.obrien@bairdwarner.com