Does staging really help your home sell for more money?

Does staging really help your home sell for more money?
By +Sarah Marrinan - Keller Williams Premier Realty 

Heck yes!

Staging isn't just moving a little furniture around, it's helping a buyer picture themselves living there. This means taking YOUR personal touches out and creating a neutral, welcoming atmosphere that highlights the best features of the home.
Buying is triggered by the emotions of the buyer.  You might be attached to the photos of your dog and your favorite arm chair but the buyer can't see past it to imagine their cat and precious antiques there. The faster you can get a buyer "attached" to your house, the faster it will sell and the more money you will get for your house. So again, YES, staging will get you more money for your home!

Check out THESE before and after pics or THESE.

 It works, right? :)

Everyone wants to get the best price for their home. Let me help!

Since it is your stuff and your house, it's often hard to stage it yourself. Call me and I will help you get started.

Here are more TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOUSE.

What to do with that mess of chargers?

Let's face it. That pile of chargers on your [desk, night stand, counter, etc] is ugly. 

So how are you going to fix it?

Here are some ideas! 

  

 If you scrolled down this far, here's your chance for a FREE solution!

Here is a video of thingCHARGER: http://youtu.be/Ih2EBFpKqM8

P.S. I have ZERO affiliation with any of these companies. I take credit for none of these photos or ideas.

P.P.S. Always take your electronics and other valuables with you when you have showings scheduled at you home! (Or put them in a safe...)

What color should I paint my ___________ ?

Whether you are getting ready to sell your house, just bought a new home or you just need a change in scenery, painting is a great way to freshen up a room or create a new feel in a room.  But how do you choose the right color?  A good place to start is knowing what "impression" each color makes. 



Keep in mind, darker colors, for example, will make a room look smaller, but they also make a statement, are more dramatic, and can be a great option for a room that doesn’t need to feel roomy. Lighter colors are just the opposite.

Happy painting!

 



Living in a staged home

Living in a staged home

Staging a home to sellStaging a home to sell while living in it can feel exhausting; you want it to look nice for buyers that might pop by at any time, but you also don’t want to feel like you live in a museum where you can’t touch anything!

Declutter. Follow the rule of organization:  If you haven't used it this year, GET RID OR IT. This also includes dated or damaged furniture you don't want in your new home.  Be aware that prospective buyers will look everywhere, including in any built-in custom carpentry cupboards and shelves, pantries, and other areas you might think are off-limits. When it comes to personal spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms, think about the items you would take on a two week vacation and get rid of everything else. (Keep only daily toiletries, 2 weeks worth of clothes, etc.)

With more space cleared in your home, you can start thinking about how to stage it. Potential buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, so you want to keep the décor neutral, without a lot of personal touches. At the same time, you don’t want it so sterile that you feel uncomfortable, or that they have trouble imagining anything at all in the space. The first step is to make sure your home feels light and open, because buyers put a premium on natural light.

Remove blinds and heavy curtains and consider investing in sheers and other lightweight window treatments, or leave windows uncovered if doing so won’t compromise privacy.

Make sure you have a few neutral items of furniture in your home; this is a good time to put dramatic statement pieces away unless they make fantastic accents in a room. Float furnishings away from the wall to create more dynamic space, rather than shoving them against the walls, which can actually make rooms feel more crowded.

When it comes to accent decor, consider emptying open bookshelves and cupboards and placing only a few appropriate pieces in each; a small stack of china in a cupboard or 4 books and a bookend on the bookshelf. Choose a few neutral, but interesting, pieces of art to hang, and offset them at different heights to draw attention to all the display possibilities. Also add mirrors; they add light, make rooms feel larger, and keep the space more interesting.

If you want to display some sculptures, keepsakes, and other objects, be aware that odd numbers on display tend to look best, and they shouldn't be rigidly grouped. Rather than a row of uniformly sized candles, for example, consider a cluster of five pillars of different heights. Pull accent items together with a common thread: an orange vase could go with a orange leather-bound book and bowl of fresh oranges, for example.  This usable arrangement, vase of flowers, oranges you can eat and refill and a book you enjoy feels "real" to a buyer but is still neutral and sophisticated.

Many homes have underutilized areas like stair nooks, junk rooms, and basements. Consider staging these to add value; since you’re not using them anyway, it won’t be an inconvenience to keep them looking dressed up, and by occupying them, you’ll reduce the chance that they attract clutter. Add an armchair, a table, and a soft lamp to make a reading corner, or a yoga mat and some pillows to create an instant yoga studio. These little spots in your home can become hidden gems to entrance buyers, rather than awkward spaces.

Open the windows at least ten minutes a day for ventilation to keep the house smelling fresh, and make sure to keep fresh vases of flowers around because they can make your house much more inviting. If you have animals, clean up after them regularly.

Once you have done these things, consider asking critical friends for their opinion. Have them walk through and tell you what catches their eye, good or bad; they may spot issues like peeling paint that you don’t notice anymore, for example, or could have suggestions for re-positioning items to make rooms feel more open and friendly. When you feel like your home is close to ready, a REALTOR can walk through with you to provide additional suggestions.

5 Steps to getting your house ready to sell

The costs of expensive upgrades are rarely recouped at the time of sale and studies show that smaller, simpler actions can yield a bigger return on your investment of time and money.

Here are five inexpensive, yet highly effective, ways to prepare your home for sale.

1) Create curb appeal
The outside of your home is the first thing buyers see. Trim hedges, maintain the lawn, power wash the siding and deck (and clean stains from the shingles if possible) and try to inject some color with potted flowers and plants (you can take them with you!). Make a great first impression on buyers!

2) Just store it (or sell it or throw it...)
Less is more when it comes to showing your home so put your knick-knacks, clear the paperwork off the counters, remove stacks of books and clear your fridge-covering artwork. Be sure to avoid stashing personal items in your closets because empty, clutter free closets are more appealing to buyers.


3) Lighten and brighten
Extra sunlight lends an airy feeling to your home, and interior lights provide warm glow. Wash your windows, keep curtains and blinds open, replace burnt-out bulbs, and add outdoor lighting to your landscaping, if possible. Also, keep your lights on in the evenings in the event that potential buyers drive by after-hours. With the lights on, your home will look inviting instead of dark and gloomy.  You always leave a light on for guests, right?


4) Paint an appealing atmosphere
A new coat of paint will freshen up any "lived-in" room but stick to neutrals such as light grays and tans. Also, consider repainting rooms that are currently bright, fun colors or busy designs - this can divert a buyer’s attention away from the home and toward money-costing “projects” that would come with buying the home.  I am sure you know, the wall paper must go.  A buyer sees pain and expense when they see wall paper - even if it is just a border.

5) Clean floors
New carpet or flooring can be expensive.  But you should spot clean stains and have carpets cleaned to freshen up the appearance (and smell). Using a wood floor or laminate floor cleaner can restore life to tired floors.  Be careful to use the right product for your floor so it doesn't become a slipping hazard!

With the help of your REALTOR® and a little hard work, these tips should help you increase your home’s appeal to more buyers without breaking the bank and even help you sell your home more quickly if you are priced right.

cleaning, creating curb appeal, curb appeal, spring cleaning, spruce up your home, staging, tips for selling your house

The entryway battle...

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression — and your entryway, be it a grand foyer or a humble alcove, is the first impression buyers will get of your home. It's also the first place you'll land when coming home after a day at work or a long weekend away, and a sort of waystation for all the random accumulated stuff of life. So get inspired to get organized, declutter and welcome people in!

Hooks, rugs and more.... First, ditch the "and more"! If you don't have a closet, well you'll need a few hooks. But these hooks aren't for your jacket (well at least not when expecting guests). And it's always nice to have a place to wipe your feet but keep your rug just for that... Again, the rug is not a place to store YOUR shoes when guests are expected.

Yes, that closet is called the coat closet but not for ALL your coats (and shoes and gloves and hats and...). Think seasonally. If its not in season, it's in storage (again this is the coat closet not the storage closet). Wouldn't it be nice to open the door and only see items appropriate for the weather? Buyers think so too! But maybe you are a collector of sorts and you have a winter coat for every possible event. If you are selling your house, now is the to "make do with two" and store the rest.

If your entry is grand, you have the space for a bit of tasteful decor. A table with a vase of flowers or sculpture; maybe a painting; or a bench to sit.

Do you have a great entryway?  Please share with us!







getting the best price for a home, Organizing your home, remodeling your house, sell my house, Staging

Can you keep the family photos up or must they come down?

I’m in a lot of homes every week as I consult with buyers and sellers and I do see many beautiful and stylish photo displays on the wall. Wall Words are very popular right now as well as frames with meaningful sayings that celebrate the family displayed and what is important to them. I see gorgeous photography of families, children and pets. And let’s not forget those baby shots that just melt your heart!

When you are SELLING…as stunning as these pictures and wall displays are, they are DISTRACTING to your potential buyers.

So…now the BIG question….What do we do with these beautiful photo displays on the walls?

Do we take them all down, patch the wall/re-paint and stare at a blank boring wall?
Do we add a piece of artwork instead?
What if we have A LOT of walls with photos?

Don’t despair! There is a STAGING TECHNIQUE that works quite well.

One of the easiest and inexpensive ways to NEUTRALIZE those family and pet photos is to just replace the photos inside.

Here’s how in 3 Easy Steps:

Take inventory of all the personal photos you need to cover; note orientation and frame sizes.

Seek out your vacation photos of landscape or visit a photo sharing site and do a search for black and white nature/trees/flowers/landscapes... or even architectural photos. Whatever you prefer or will work for the room and style of house. (It can be in color if that works best in that particular space.)
Once you find the ones your looking for, print them off in the appropriate size either at home if you have a photo printer or online to pick up at the local box store. This works best for 4×6, 5×7 and 8x 10. (Any bigger than that, it gets a little more difficult.)
Put it over the existing photo in the frame and TA DAH!…..you have a nice, neutral photo to display temporarily.

Remember that there is also a balance that needs to be achieved throughout the house when it comes to all those personal photos. To achieve balance, follow these guidelines:

There may be some walls that everything will just need to come down and you’ll patch and repaint.

There may be a wall that will need a piece of artwork in place of the photos.
Be sure that all the frames in your display are the same. This creates a nice, clean simplistic presentation that does not distract from the selling features of the room. If you have a display of photos with all different types of frames, they definitely need to come down. Please do not attempt to replace the photos with the neutral photos suggested above using all those different frames. It just won’t work.

What about those collage frames that hold 4-10 pictures? Gone. Again, please do not attempt to replace the photos with the neutral photos suggested above using all those different frames. It just won’t work.

Yes, there can be people in your staging photos BUT they should be silhouettes or distance shots.

Are you feeling sentimental about taking down the photos of your loved ones? I promise you'll appreciate them more after they've been gone for just a bit.

So, are you going to swap out those pictures so people look at the house or are you going to keep your personal life on display?

Call me if you need help!

Get detached! Take a vacation!

ATTENTION SELLERS!

Repeat after me: It's not my home
When you list your house for sale, it goes from being your home to being a product. What would you do if trying to sell your car? Get your stuff out, clean it up, fix the major issues and show it to everyone able to buy it. Same goes for your house!

Repeat after me: I am living in a hotel on a wanna-be vacation
Think of all this de-cluttering  and cleaning as the start of an extended wanna-be vacation. Most vacations are not spent at the hotel so if you have your house stripped to the bare essentials like a hotel, it will be easier to keep in check and available for short-notice showings.
Use this as an opportunity to spend time away from home. Check out the area you are moving to. Visit the library, drive the neighborhood, check out the park and get acquainted with your NEW home and neighborhood.
If your new place is too far away, use this time to visit local friends, visit the zoo, eat at your favorite restaurants and other activities you may not have available at the new house... Anything that will keep you (and your kids) occupied away from the house.

Just think, if you do this upfront and your home sells fast, it's a very small sacrifice to make for a short period of time. :)



getting the best price for a home, home organizing tips, Showings, Staging, Tips to sell my house

It's just the laundry room! (Or is it?)

I must admit…I’ve got a thing about nice laundry rooms. 

 The kitchen may be the heart of the home but many hours are spent each week in the laundry room. And THAT makes this room a very important space to feature when selling your home.

Many times when I am consulting with sellers and we get to the laundry area, they’ll ask if I want to see it because after all, it’s only the laundry room. In their minds, it’s that space that’s a catch-all for dirty clothes, cases of water bottles, dog food, cat litter, the vacuum and old paint cans... But I ABSOLUTELY want to see what’s behind that door.

The Laundry Room needs some attention and staging too. This is one space you don’t want to overlook when selling. The biggest issue is getting rid of everything that is not needed so the room can breath and look spacious. Yes, that means you have to bring all that "stuff" you were storing there to the thrift store or storage and the 40lb. dog food bag has to go and you’re going to have to store all that water neatly in the garage.


Here’s a few Staging Tips that can help you transform your laundry room into a fabulous space that buyer’s will love:

DE-CLUTTER: Get everything out that you don’t need (as mentioned above). The only thing that should be in there is the stuff you need to do laundry (detergent, softener, etc.). Now is not the time to buy the HUGE bulk size bottles of detergent.

CLEAN LIKE CRAZY: Wipe down that washer and dryer from top to bottom. Push it back against the wall if needed. I’ve seen a lot of washer and dryers pushed out with all those hoses showing. Tuck the hoses in while you’re at it. Wash out the laundry tub and put away the scrub brushes. Think ORGANIZED.

PAINT: Most laundry rooms need a fresh coat of paint and a different color. For some reason, I see a lot of sponge painting in these spaces. Probably because it was a safe room to try your hand at the technique years ago. I’m speaking from personal experience here -I picked good colors but it still looked just dreadful because it was way too busy for that small room. Trust me, a fresh coat of neutral paint goes a long way.

STAGE: Matching bins and Baskets make a HUGE DIFFERENCE visually when used to store all those detergents on the shelves above the washer and dryer. Buyers do not want to see all those bottles that look like clutter and they don't need to focus on the brand you use. It looks so much more organized and fresh staged with these pretty bins and baskets. This is why you don’t want to hit Cosco for the jumbo size detergents....easier to hide!

KEEP UP THE LAUNDRY: Not letting the laundry get out of hand during selling can be a challenge. We lead busy lives. Doing a load a day keeps you on top of the process. Buyers should NEVER see dirty clothes in piles, in a basket, anywhere. EVER. The same goes for clean laundry. It should not be sitting out on the counter or top of the dryer waiting to be put away or hanging around. Buyers want to see the space. Show them an organized room they can emotionally connect to….NOT how much work laundry can be. If you have a last minute showing or you are just behind, make sure you get it out of sight and HIDE those baskets. Is it just one load? Put it in the washer but do NOT start the washer! Many loads behind? Maybe this is your opportunity to throw them in your car and take them to the laundry mat and get caught up during the showing. :)

HANGERS, DRYING RACKS AND CLOTHES BASKETS: Yes…we need them to do the laundry but during showings, they should not be anywhere in sight. Storing all those extra hangers on the clothes rack/shelving is not an option either. Throw them in one of the bins or baskets or if you are lucky to have a closet in your laundry room, store them there.

Does your laundry room need a facelift?  Get inspired HERE.