EVERETT — Craft supplies and wrapping paper are typical December flotsam in the Rockafellow home on Glenwood Avenue, but not this year: not when the house is awaiting a buyer.
The family members are hoping to move closer their church in north Everett, and they have made lifestyle adjustments and committed sweat equity to make the move happen. The four-bedroom rambler initially entered the local market in late August at $205,000. After a price reduction and a good deal of marketing by Preview Properties broker Brenda Haug, it still had attracted little serious interest by early November.
"It’s been so slow. It’s kind of discouraging," Lisa Rockafellow said. "I know houses tend to show better in the summer. The weather makes all the houses look so dingy."
Traffic in the malls may be frenzied during the holiday season, but it’s traditionally sluggish in the home sales market.
Carol Nelson of Lake Stevens said that’s certainly been her experience. Nelson has had her three-bedroom, split-level house on the market in Marysville for nearly two months at $184,900.
"I would have liked to have sold it already," Nelson said. "I’ve had a couple of open houses and reduced the price twice, but I just haven’t had many showings."
Poor weather can make a house a difficult sell in the fall and winter, and holiday distractions and expenses can put off potential buyers said Barbara Miller, a real estate broker with Everett’s ERA Dan Williams Realty.
"Usually during this time of year, people have other things to do and you see home sales slow down," she said, adding that the change of seasons mattered less during the real estate boom of the late 1990s. Miller said slower winter sales returned last year, which she attributed to a tougher economy and uncertainty about Iraq. "However, I wouldn’t say the market is depressed," she quickly added. "Interest rates are still very, very good, and that’s helping."
Haug agreed that sellers may need patience this time of year, but said they shouldn’t despair. For one thing, there are fewer homes on the market to compete with. Also, she noted, "buyers who are looking now are extremely serious." Whether it’s the hope of having a new place to hang their mistletoe, a job relocation or a need to buy before the new tax year starts, that urgency works in a seller’s favor, Haug said.
First, however, sellers have to generate enough interest to get would-be buyers inside. That means battling wind, rain, snow and winter’s dark skies to create curb appeal, or a good first impression from through the window of a car.
"Curb appeal is crucial," Miller said. "So, get rid of fallen leaves and the dead things in your garden, and trim hanging branches that could fall in a storm."
Regularly clearing yard debris and putting away playthings can make the difference between a house that appears to be weathering winter well and one that looks unkempt. Additionally, real estate professionals agree, homeowners should make sure gutters, downspouts and yard grading are working to drain rainwater away from the house and prevent pooling. Keeping sidewalks, driveways and front walks completely clear of snow and ice also is important.
Haug said exterior paint is one of the single most significant factors in how a house looks from the street, no matter what time of year it’s on the market. At her suggestion, the Rockafellows took their home off the market in November to repaint and make other improvements.
"It used to be bright blue, and now it’s kind of a taupe," Lisa Rockafellow said. "It looks so much bigger from the outside now and nicer."
In three weeks, the Rockafellows repainted inside and outside, recarpeted, refinished their hardwood floors, replaced two kitchen appliances and repainted a third to match, replaced a sliding glass door and regraded part of their back yard. Thanks to free paint from the Snohomish County Hazardous Waste Recycling Center in Everett, and Lisa’s bargain hunting skills, the repairs cost less than $2,000.
"It’s kind of a Cinderella story," Haug said. "They didn’t think could afford to make improvements, but we found a lot of help. They put in quite a bit of work, and it’s made a big difference in how the house looks."
Rockafellow said she and her husband were intimidated by the cost and effort of making the changes initially, but that looking for another home for themselves changed their perspective.
"When my husband and I started fixing it up, we thought, ‘What would we want people to do to a house we were buying?’ " she said. "We want whoever buys this house to feel excited about moving in."
In addition to making major improvements, the Rockafellows did what national real estate professionals advise for any home sellers: They packed away many of their knickknacks, rearranged furniture to make rooms appear larger and committed to keeping the house sparkling clean.
"I tell people to minimize clutter and put away as much as they can into boxes, which is extra hard this time of year," Haug said. "I suggest people do all their holiday wrapping and projects in one room and keep the rest clean. But buyers need to be aware that this is a stressful time for sellers."
Although Lisa Rockafellow typically makes crafts to give as presents and engages her two young grandchildren in holiday baking or projects, she’s buying more store-bought presents and encouraging less-messy visits from the grandchildren this year.
"I feel like I’ve put my whole life on hold, and people still aren’t coming to look," Rockafellow said. "You need to be really dedicated to sell at this time of year."
She added that her family remains committed to selling and relocating.
And they’ve reduced their price to prove it — to $194,950. Now the Rockafellows are hoping to find a buyer in time to make an offer on a house they’ve spotted nearby their church.
Kristin Fetters-Walp is a Lake Stevens freelance writer.
MEGGAN BOOKER
/ The Herald
Some improvements are more noticeable than others. The Rockafellows replaced a dingy old sliding glass door with a new one.
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