Trading Up

Olivia and Serg Piatich left their native Romania 20 years ago to start a new life in the United States. Now they and their two children are ready to write the next chapter to their American dream by moving to a larger home. The challenge for the Designed to Sell team is to accentuate their current home's unique features and make it shine for the open house.

Real estate expert Bethany Souza begins the inspection, starting with the exterior. Since every house on this street looks similar, she notes that the seller of this home needs to do something to set it apart and entice potential buyers inside. Right now it appears a bit dated and plain, and there's a broken segment of walkway. Inside, she is pleasantly surprised, using words like contemporary, clean and fresh as descriptors.

Designer Monica Pedersen agrees with Souza's assessment and lays out a three-step plan to get this house in top selling shape in short order. She'll be focusing on the curb appeal, upstairs kitchen and master bedroom.

Step 1: Make 'em dig it. Use the power of curb appeal to set this house apart from others on the street.

Step 2: Turn that frown upside down. Make the most of the home's unique qualities in order to get the most bang for the buck.

Step 3: Make up for lost time. Take care of outdated elements so buyers will make new and improved offers.

Carpenters Robert North and Jeff Alba are ready to help open the door to profits.