When Catherine Reed put her three-bedroom, split-level house on the market last year, it was the first time she had ever attempted to sell a house in her life. Reed and her late

Catherine Reed’s split-level house had hardwood floors—one of the most sought-after features among home buyers—beneath carpeting. Reed’s personal moving consultant helped her play up these kinds of assets, resulting in a January sale. (Photo by Gerry Fey)

husband raised their family in the Deerfield, Ill., house and lived there for 40 years.

But she knew she was ready to make a change. “It was getting to the point where I didn’t want to take care of snow or landscaping anymore,” she says, “and I didn’t need that much room.”

So she made the decision to put her house on the market. But unlike many first-time sellers, she didn’t have to go it alone. Since Reed had decided to move to an Erickson community, she had the help of a personal moving consultant along the way. Reed credits Sedgebrook’s Personal Moving Consultant Debby Warnick with a number of suggestions that helped make the Deerfield house stand out from other properties on the market. For example, Reed’s house had wall-to-wall carpeting, and Warnick recommended pulling up the rugs instead of installing new carpeting.

“I was kind of surprised by that,” Reed says.

The carpeting was removed to reveal hardwood floors in good condition—one of the most sought-after features among younger home buyers. The result was a low-cost upgrade that helped Reed make a sale while other houses lingered on the market.

In addition to high-impact changes, Warnick also worked with Reed and her real estate agent to make minor decorative adjustments, like rearranging furniture. Often, seemingly small changes can make a big difference in buyers’ eyes.

In January, Reed sold her house and moved to Sedgebrook. Her two-bedroom apartment home is a better fit for her, she says, and she is close enough to continue to visit with her friends in Deerfield on a regular basis.

While Reed was able to sell her house during the winter, Warnick says spring sellers typically have even better luck. Buyers are motivated by warmer temperatures that make moving easier, and parents want to move before school starts in the fall.

This spring is expected to be a particularly robust season for home sales. “The government is offering $8,000 for first-time home buyers and $6,500 for current owners of homes,” Warnick says. “People should take advantage of this time of year and this refund program.”