Make your home stand out, sparkle and sell

KUSA - Gone are the days when a house was sold in a day and at or above the asking price. Today, competition is stiff. Simply sticking a "for sale" sign in your yard isn't enough when you put your house on the market.

"Presentation is everything. As an artist, presentation is everything and I understand that," said homeowner Dave Ryan, who recently put his Castle Rock house on the market.

Before it was for sale, Ryan spent six weeks transforming his house back into a marketable commodity.

"It felt like a nightclub in South Beach," said Ryan.

He had originally turned his home into an art studio and installed black vinyl flooring in the middle of the living room for a stain proof surface. His creativity didn't stop there.

"I had black walls and crazy colors all over the place," added Ryan. "But that was for me and I knew that eventually when I sold, I'd have to turn that around."

Experts say sellers must aggressively plan and prep their homes because there's a lot more competition. According to the latest numbers from Metrolist, more than 20,000 houses are for sale today compared to about 7,000 in 2000.

Houses are taking a lot longer to sell. Eight years ago, a house sat on the market for about a month. Today, it's taking nearly four months.

In addition, sellers may have to lower the asking price. In the Denver Metro Area, the average sales price for a single family home peaked last August at $316,000. Ever since then, prices have been steadily dropping. The average sales price was down to $267,259 in April.

"You want to be the house that people want to go back to and remember when they're seeing many houses at a time," said Dan O'Meara, a realtor with Assist2Sell.

Dave Ryan's house is on the market for $422,000. There are five other homes for sale on his block alone. Hoping his property will standout, he spruced up both the outside and inside.

"My desire is for them to come in and it feels like a show home," said Ryan.

He began by repainting the walls a neutral color. He replaced the bright red couch in the living room with lighter furniture from his basement. He also changed out that black vinyl floor with new carpet. He also cleaned and declutttered each room.

"I'm showing off this as though I would a piece of art. The house is your art," said the artist.

A few other tips to prepare your house for sale: *Rent a storage unit. Most homes show better with less furniture. *Remember that your home must be ready to show at all times, so continue with ongoing daily cleanings.