Design Intervention

Not Appealing to the Masses
Sheralyn and Paul Bucknell love their large home but not all the work that comes with it. They have decided to downsize to a smaller house, and have enlisted the Designed to Sell team to help get their home in better selling order. They have a $2,000 budget and seven days to get it done.

Real estate expert Shannon Freeman provides the initial assessment of this house, starting with the exterior. She immediately notices dead palm fronds, which do not make a good impression on her. The landscaping should be alive and healthy. She also doesn't like the trampoline in the front yard or the toys strewn about. When selling your house, you need to ensure that it appeals to the masses, she says. Potential buyers may not have children, so those kinds of things should not be visible when the house is on the market.