*By Keith Loria
No matter what type of real estate market we’re faced with, selling a home can be a daunting process, however, with some out-of-the-box thinking, sellers can often find simple ways to sweeten the deal. If you’re in the process of packing your belongings and deciding what should stay behind, you may want to take another look at your window treatments. Odds are, the home you’re moving to won’t have the same size windows as your current place, so the curtains, shades and blinds will be useless to you. At the same time, they could be right up a potential buyer’s alley.
Some people spend a lot of money on window treatments and for many, it may feel like you’re throwing away thousands of dollars if you just leave them with the house. Plus, there’s a good chance that whoever buys your home will want to put their own decorative spin on the place and will eventually replace them anyway.
Still, the addition of window treatments can be a factor in helping to sell your house. People love getting things for free, especially if it’s something expensive that they would have to add to their budget when moving in. Plus, stylish and well-built window treatments are a great eye-catcher in a home and can boost the resale value of a home considerably.
If you decide to leave your window treatments behind, it’s important to replace any blinds or shades that are broken or have obvious tears, and always clean everything (even the drapes!) so there’s no dust or film. If you plan to take your window treatments with you, you can either show the home with everything in tact, explaining that they’re not staying, or replace them before a showing with window treatments that will remain with the home.
If you’re considering buying new window treatments to attract prospective buyers, there’s no lack of options. You don’t need to buy top-of-the-line curtains since you can create the same effect with the addition of inexpensive drapes, shades or blinds.
Natural blinds, fabric shades and light drapery can offer privacy while still letting light into the home. Wood, metal, and plastic blinds, thick draperies, and even shutters are great if you don’t want people outside seeing anything past the glass.
Window treatments that insulate will add a lot of value to your home and attract buyers who are looking for green elements, as they will help save money on energy bills. Cellular shades are ideal for this as they let light filter in without the heat from the sun.
Other window coverings providing a combination of insulation and an impediment to air flow include thick drapes, reversible shades and thick or magnetically sealing Roman blinds.
If you’re buying these just for the purpose of attracting a buyer, make sure to go with neutral colors or sheer curtains as they will work best with any decorative style a new homeowner may have.
The last thing to remember is even if you have made the decision to take your window treatments with you, if a buyer comes along and wants to buy the house—with the curtains included—be flexible. In most cases, it will be worth giving them up rather than waiting for another interested party to come along. Plus, you’ll have the fun of shopping for curtains all over again for your new home.