Once upon a time American homebuilders were enamored with the split-entry home. You walked into the front door to see a short set of steps going up and another short set of steps going down. These homes defined decades of suburbia in many parts of the country.
These days, though, the split-entry home is considered a much less desirable home style by many, as outdated as hula hoops and mood rings. Bellevue, Wash., real estate agent David Oliver can’t count how many times prospective buyers have told him, “Anything but a split-entry.”
That means sellers of less-desirable homes, like split-entry and split-level homes, need to go the extra mile to update the property and highlight its best features, he says. In fact, you’ll probably need to do more upgrading and updating to those types of homes than just about any other, short of a fixer-upper, he says.
The desirability factor goes up exponentially if you update the homes with features like granite countertops, hardwood floors and new carpeting, says Oliver, who also appraises homes. “You want to pull it into the modern world,” he says.
Buyers who might automatically consider a split-entry home less desirable can still be enticed to take a look by the description on the listing, says the RealEstate.com agent. A listing with hot high-end amenities like granite countertops or all-new appliances will still draw buyers in, he says.
Square footage also works in the split-entry home’s favor. Most split-entry, split-foyer and split-level homes are relatively large, Oliver says. The typical split-entry home in Seattle and the communities north of the city range in size from about 1,500 square feet to 2,200 square feet, he says.
“Usually families want to move to upgrade, like from a rambler into a larger house that’s already been updated,” he says. “Whenever you place a house like that on the market, you get multiple offers.”
The various types of “split-” houses aren’t the only type of home that can be considered less desirable in today’s market. Homes on busy streets can be a challenge to sell, as can fixer-uppers. While some buyers look at fixer-uppers as either bargain investments or homes they can affordably renovate to reflect their own taste, most don’t want to be bothered.
“Let’s face it, we’re lazy,” says Oliver. “We want someone else to do the work for us.”
Given the extra challenges of marketing a less-desirable home, it becomes more important than ever to get the home into shape inside and out. The normal advice applies: Clear the clutter, take care of any deferred maintenance, update and freshen what you can before you put the home on the market.
And perhaps most importantly, set a reasonable asking price based on current comparable sales. The price your neighbor got a year ago may be out of reach in today’s market, as the number of buyers and sellers equalizes, or more likely tips in favor of buyers. Buyers can afford to be choosy.
And choosy buyers tend to choose homes that don’t still look like the Brady Bunch lives there.
Published on January 27, 2007