Designer: Christine Dovey
Buying a home is the single biggest purchase many people ever make. With competitive real estate markets across North America, builders and homeowners want to know how to make their home stand out from others in the neighborhood. Every day a home is on the market is another chance for someone to negotiate the price down.
How can you add value to a home without making a substantial time and/or money investment?
We reached out to two realtors to talk about recent experiences helping clients buy and sell their homes. Mark Gilmore is a realtor in Salt Lake City, Utah, while Bill Schiavone works in Oakville, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario.
We asked them how a home’s trim and moulding can affect how potential buyers react to the home, as well as how builders and homeowners can use interior finishings to help homes sell faster and more profitably.
First Reactions
For Gilmore, the answer is the big picture: “They want to know about the size of the living room, the floorplan. They talk about what the entrance is like and what condition the interior finishings are in.”
Schiavone sees similar reactions. While a new roof or furnace might seem like a great value-added feature to a seller, buyers are looking more surface level: “They see the kitchens and bathrooms. They look at the flooring, trim and crown moulding.”
And most of all, they want value for the money. This is true across the whole spectrum of homes. While Gilmore’s recent clients include buyers and sellers in neighborhoods known for smaller and starter homes, Schiavone’s upscale Oakville clients see average sale prices of $1 million.
Capture Attention with Designer Trim and Moulding
Regardless of the market, using quality finishings, like high-end trim and moulding is a great way to capture a buyer’s attention.
Designer: Sarah Gibson
As Gilmore explains, “If I take a client to two, virtually identical homes with similar floorplans, but one had a lot of panel moulding and crown moulding, they pay more attention to that. When you open the door, their first reaction is, ‘Oh this is nice.’ Their eyes go up to the ceiling. Without trim, homeowners get down to business—like countertops and cabinets—faster.”
Schiavone agrees. “In a high-end build, if you come out of a house where they didn’t spend money on trim and finishings, it comes back to haunt the seller every time.”
The data supports what both realtors are seeing on the ground. Updating trim and moulding has a positive return on investment. For example, updating your crown moulding has an ROI of over 170%.
“We definitely see that,” says Gilmore. “In a quiet market, having that attention [to moulding and trim] definitely makes a home stand out.” Referring back to his two, nearly identical homes, the home with crown moulding sold in only three days, while the one without took more than two weeks.
“At a certain price point,” Schiavone adds, “It becomes expected. Whether it’s solid doors or updated trim, buyers notice that. They can touch it, and they can tell when the quality is there.”
“It shows more pride of ownership when you put more time and money into craftsmanship,” says Gilmore.
Show Your Home’s Worth with High-Quality Interior Finishings
Schiavone’s clients see finishings like moulding as an indication of the overall quality of the home. “If you don’t put the money into crown and window mouldings, or other millwork like panel moulding, people wonder where else you’ve cut corners.”
So where do you start? For builders, every day a home isn’t on the market is a day they’re spending money, not making it. And for homeowners looking to sell, the list of possible enhancements can get so long it becomes overwhelming. When it comes to value for the money, both Gilmore and Schiavone have some suggestions.
Designer: Christine Dovey
“At the simplest level, make sure your trim is in good shape,” Gilmore advises. “If it’s chipped or the paint is peeling, buyers will notice. I’ve seen a lot of really nice remodels with really poor trim. [Buyers] notice when dated trim is reused.”
Schiavone says to start with the main floor. “Look for updated casings around windows, new baseboards, or add crown moulding to the living room or dining room.” And these updates don’t have to be elaborate. “We’re seeing a more modern feel. Less French Country. Mouldings are moving away from a big chunky look, going to a sleeker >transitional look and more clean lines.”
Designer: Sarah Gibson
Get Personal with Unique Trim Designs
But don’t be afraid to be unique. Gilmore says his clients often appreciate personalized features. “We’re seeing shiplap used to cover fireplaces. Or full panel moulding on the wall instead of just on the bottom half, the way it’s been traditionally done. Or low-contrast paint, where the trim is painted only slightly darker than the wall, which makes it stand out without being distracting.”
He adds, “In a neighborhood known for smaller starter homes, people don’t typically expect that kind of craftsmanship, and it’s definitely what helps sell [a home] in a slow period in our market.
Designer: Christine Dovey
Sell Faster by Conveying Confidence in Quality
From starter homes to luxury properties, focusing on updated and quality finishings will help get sellers over the finish line to a sale faster, and give buyers greater confidence that they’ve bought a quality home. For inspiration on updating a home’s trim and moulding, visit Metrie.com.
