Splurging to Impress Buyers

And the Rahonas wanted to sell, so they updated the unit and put it on the market in early fall for $599,900, about the same as they paid in 2004. "I think that my primary goal was to sell the apartment, not make money back," Linda Rahona said. "There was no question that the sale price did not reflect what we put into it." The unit has not sold yet.

Agents say they look at a house differently than does the owner, who might be comfortable with that old kitchen floor, the basement paneling or, yes, the wallpaper -- all things that can turn off a potential buyer.

Jack Griffin, who owns the Re/Max Preferred Properties office in Vienna, tells clients with less than stellar homes, "I've seen all the competition -- inside -- and all the other houses have this, this and that, and in order for you to compete in the marketplace, you have to raise the standards in your house or lower the price."

He said, "If the seller won't put in granite countertops and the competition has them, I would lower the price by $10,000."

"The two biggest things are the kitchen and the bathroom -- mainly the master bathroom," said Cheryl Thomas of Re/Max Premier in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. "Then flooring and paint, then faucets and lighting. Dated linoleum, that has to go. In this day and age and a market like this, you can't have linoleum."

Agents get paid only when they sell a house, but they spend money upfront to market it, and some say they will turn down listings if the owners decline to renovate.

Thomas said she recently rejected the sellers of a Loudoun County house that was appraised at $2.5 million because they wouldn't get rid of some old wallpaper, among other things. The home was "very dated," with a lot of wallpaper, older tile and countertops, she said.

"I suggested it be changed," she said. "They were open to some things. They were not open to everything." The house had an indoor pool and racquetball court and a beautiful grand foyer, Thomas said, but "the wallpaper -- it was very overwhelming."

"I cannot sell a home in that price range if they do not go 'wow' when they walk in the door," she said.

In contrast, Becky and Norton Compton of Fairfax City asked Thomas for advice last year on remodeling and are following it, even though they say it is likely to be a while before they are ready to sell their place and retire.

They started with major backyard renovation. "Cheryl said something had to happen in the back yard where there was just dirt and weeds," Norton Compton said. They had the house painted blue, the lighting fixtures and door hardware replaced, and the balcony and garage door repaired. He said his wife would like to paint the kitchen and install new appliances, including a new double oven. Drywall in the kitchen needs fixing.

But the bill so far has been almost $30,000, and he said granite countertops, which Thomas also mentioned, could stretch his limits. The "seed has been planted" for a major bathroom renovation, too, he said, but he may start by just having the wallpaper removed.