Today's Top Staging Tips: Does Your Home Have a "Hook?"

Some Top Staging Tips for Today

#1: Just like a popular song that you recognize and remember easily, your home needs a “hook” - something that makes your home different, in a positive way, from the other houses in your area or price range. What’s your home’s “hook,” the emotional tug that will have a buyer remembering your home fondly? In this beautiful beach house bunk bed below - this is a memorable feature that buyers and renters would recall easily...just like a memorable song!

Image Source

#2: Are you on a busy street or near the railroad – any area that would create excess noise in your home? There are noise reducing windows available that will help cut down on the noise. Another less expensive idea would be to put bookcases on the walls nearest the noisy area and fill it with books. The books will act as insulation and will reduce some of the noise. And lastly, our studio can apply noise reducing specialty plasters to the walls (we do this mostly in media rooms) and this is a very decorative way to cut down on the offending noise.

Image SourceAn armoire or bookcase filled with books can soften buyer-killer noise in a beautiful way! Hope you enjoyed these quick tips. 

If you would love to have your home beautifully staged so that you can sell quickly and for more money, please contact me at 631 793-1315.  Or Email me

 

Getting Your House Ready for the Spring Selling Season

Getting Ready for the Spring Selling Season. When ever we get close to the spring season, my mind starts to race with spring colors, floral motifs and flower pillows and artwork. I can’t get enough of floral designs on tile, carpets – slipcovers – anything that will help to usher in the coming (and much needed) springtime vibe into the home.

Varying Shades of Green. Using green when getting your home ready to sell, can help bring you some green! It's a great neutral color that goes with just about anything. There are so many shades of green, from Aganthus Green which is a useful, neutral color, to mossy shades and vibrant citrons.  The color green can feel like a cool walk in a shady forest to eye popping lime and yellow-green pizzaz. The calmer shades of green can give your home a fresh, spring look, while being neutral at the same time.

A calming Benjamin Moore Wales Green on ceiling, tropical motifs and spring colored patterns; House Beautiful

A neutral Benjamin Moore Aganthus Green, design by Phoebe Howard

We did a custom colored sage metallic plaster in this powder room that helped brighten this dark, windowless space.  The home sold in 3 weeks, after a year of sitting on the market

Springtime Accessories. Bringing in spring-themed pillows and accessories can help brighten any sofa or bed.  Your eye always goes to color – and having these colorful accessories will help a buyer remember your home.  A bright, cheery welcome mat will greet a buyer at the door – it says “This is a happy home.”

Springtime pillows from Anthropologie

Or this flower pillow I just purchased from Thai Silk when I went to the New York Gift Show

Bird-themed pillows from Pottery Barn can help brighten up your bedding

Try a special centerpiece for your kitchen or dining room table. From Midwest Living

Garden stools used indoors look fabulous when selling your home.  I purchased several white ones from Overstock, but these from the Big O are more springtime themed

Or ...Bring in some natural elements like coral. From ZGallerie

So dust off the cobwebs and put away the drab colors of winter – and think spring as you prepare your house for the coming selling season.  It will not only make your house look good, but you’ll also start to feel good in the process. Happy Spring Staging!

Why You Should Stage a Vacant Home: It Works!

Here's a link to a short video presentation I did highlighting the success we had with staging a vacant home.  After 9 months of the home sitting on the market, the home sold 3 weeks after we staged it.  Staging vacant homes works! See the video - don't you wish your home or listing looked like this?


http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5459314d4455774d7a513d0d0a&sb=1
 

What Antiques Roadshow Can Teach You About Home Staging

Chips and other wear on this vase caused the ownerto lose over $45,000

Antiques Roadshow & It's Relationship to Home Staging. I was watching a re-run of Antiques Roadshow last week and it got me thinking about home staging. Of course, I think about home staging a lot because I live and breathe it every day - but several of the items that were being appraised could have netted the owners much more money had a certain amount of care been evident in the items. In an old painting, there was some loss in one small area that needed restoration. The painting was worth $25,000 in its current condition - and possibly $40,000 if $3,000 worth of restoration was done. An increase of possibly $15,000 for an investment of $3000!

Another item - a beautiful antique vase from China had some chipping and some other forms of wear. The appraisal in current condition was $5,000 - $8,000. Had it not had the wear and tear - $50,000-80,000. That's a huge difference in price!

So - what parts of your home (or the listing that you're marketing) need some restoration? What can you do to give your home greater value - so that you don't miss out on additional profits?  What small investment could you make so that you can preserve equity? 


It's food for thought.

What Really Prevents a Home From Being Sold: Some Excuses I've Heard

Many people will blame the current market condition as the reason they had trouble selling their home. Part of that may be true - these times are tough, no doubt. But, after seeing so many homes that have been on the market for a year or two or more, I have kept a list of the most common excuses sellers have given me for not being more proactive about getting their homes ready for sale. So - I'd like to add that a large part of the blame should be placed on a seller's "Ego," with a capital E.

Here are some of the excuses I've heard...

- I can sell my house by myself - I don't need a realtor

- Why should I repaint the house? It's been fine for us all these years. Why repaint in neutral colors - the purple (or orange, lime green or other loud color)is great - all buyers will love it!

- Why replace the worn carpet - buyers will be able to look past that.

- Yes, I may have some clutter in the home. But I work from home and my kids need all their toys and things. There's nothing I can do about this.

- Why take up the carpet that is covering a beautiful wood floor? The wood is there - and buyers can see that, so why should I bother doing this?

- Why should I reduce the price of the house? The neighbors down the street got that same price 5 years ago. My house is worth every penny and more. This is the price - and that's final.

- Why have a stager come look at the home for a consultation. Our home is fine as it is - we don't need a stager to tell us what to do.

- What wrong with all the wallpaper - we paid good money to have all that done 20 years ago.

- Why put furniture in our vacant home? That's a waste of good money. Buyers should be able to imagine what their furniture will look like in it.

I've been hearing these excuses for a long time now. It's very sad - because these homeowners could have been successful if they could have just put their egos aside temporarily.

If you are about to sell your home or if you are in the process of selling - just take a minute to check if you have said any of the above excuses. Changing your attitude will help you tremendously.

Remember - your home becomes a "product" when you put it on the market. Don't let highly personal colors or furnishings (or clutter) keep you from selling your home. Remove...then rejoice once your home is sold!

And lastly, an investment in staging is always significantly less than your first price reduction.

If You Can Smell It...You Can't Sell It!

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

I recently toured a home that is up for sale by a house flipper. He had been having trouble selling it. He told me on the phone some of the reasons he believed it wasn't selling: the home's location (across from a fairly busy LIRR train station) might be the problem - or the fact that the home has no furniture and lacks some warmth.

When I arrived to do a walk-through staging consultation, I first noticed that the home's exterior could use some sprucing. Not a big deal - easy to do. But - then I walked into the home. I had just put my foot into the entry and I was overwhelmed by a mildew/moldy smell. It was really pungent...and very obvious. But - apparently not to the flipper. Very proudly (and rightly so), he took me on a tour of how he renovated the kitchen and all the bathrooms. He and his team did a magnificent job. The paint job on the home was well done - nice neutral colors that will go with anyone's furniture and decor. The closet were poorly done - but this was a minor issue.

When we went down into the basement, I felt like we were in a different house. It was unfinished, dank and this is where the smell was coming from. This basement should have been the first thing that the flipper should have attended to. I told him that the first thing he needed to do was to contact a company like Healthy Basements - and have the mold/mildew removed. Then the entire place would need a great paint job - at minimum. Adding a new washer/dryer would be a plus...and something that all homebuyers would want to see. The basement was plumbed but there was a faulty-looking electrical hookup - and I couldn't see where there would be a vent for a dryer. Taking care of this toxic mold, painting and add a washer/dryer would have been the first things I would have done.

The flipper originally wanted me to give him an idea of the costs of staging the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, dining room, the master bedroom and an office. I told him that the basement had to be attended to first before I could ever put furniture in the home.I will know this week whether or not he has accomplished what I suggested he do.


The Moral of the Story

Most homeowners are unaware of smells in their homes. When we live in our homes we become accustomed to the ways things look and the way our home smells. But these very "homey" things/smells can be off-putting to a potential homebuyer.

The adage "If you can smell it - you can't sell it" is so true when it comes to successfully selling your home. Please be aware of some of the chief offenders such as...pets/pet urine, cigarettes/cigars, cooking smells, air condition filters that needs to be changed, heavy perfumes, oil-based paints/stains...and mold/mildew smells. Having a fresh and natural smelling home will be very welcoming to a potential buyer. It's advisable to have an independent person to assess your home for any potential offensive odors. Professional home stagers have access to various professional ways to rid your home of smells - so always ask their advice. If you have mold and mildew problems in your home - this is not only offensive but it's toxic and hazardous to your health. Removing it as quickly as possible will not only keep you healthy...but it will sell your house quickly too.

The 9 Biggest Mistakes Home Sellers Make When Preparing and Staging Their Homes for Sale

Home sellers who make the following mistakes when preparing their homes for sale, will have their homes on the market for a lot longer than they want...and they will probably have to reduce their asking price.

1) Not Updating the Kitchen or Bathrooms. These are the two most important rooms in the house...the ones that make or break the ability to get an offer. And you don't even have to completely gut the kitchen or bath. See some of my earlier posts on how we updated several kitchens beautifully...and inexpensively. Even simple updates like painting your cabinets will create a new look that will be very appealing to a buyer. Buyers want a home that is move-in ready - but you don't have to replace everything in a kitchen or bath to achieve that. New faucets, clean and sparkling sinks, uncluttered countertops and new hardware can really spruce up these rooms. If the budget permits - do updated appliances, better countertops and new flooring.

Before: These kitchen cabinets were originally a mid tone taupe color

After: We painted the cabinets, added decorative onlays and we also created a beautiful faux marble look for the island countertop. You can make your kitchen beautiful...

without expensive replacement costs.
2) Not Caring About Curb Appeal. A buyer prejudges a home in 12 seconds from the outside of a home. That's why curb appeal is so very important if you want to attract a buyer to "come in." It's like the cover of a book - if the cover doesn't look interesting...chances are the book will be passed over.

3) Not De-Cluttering, Cleaning and Deodorizing. If you take the time to remove clutter, edit the amount of furniture you have in your rooms and clean your home to shine like a diamond - your space will look larger, more pristine and well-cared for. Endless knickknacks and collectibles in cabinets, magnets on the fridge and family photos all over the place deter potential buyers from envisioning themselves living in the home. It's best to pack up the treasures and make all surfaces shine. Making your house smell sunshine clean is also very important. You want to remove as many negatives as possible when your home is up for sale.

This bathroom would have looked great if the homeowner had removed the dated mirror, old towels and toiletries and added nice, fluffy white towels, a new faucet, shower curtain...and a neutral colored paint on the vanity and walls. Our company could have also created a limestone look on the countertop - a durable and beautiful finish that is less costly than buying and installing a new one.

4) Keeping Taste-Specific Furniture, Carpeting, Colors and Accessories as Part of the Decor. If you bought your home in the 70s or 80s and if the decor still reflects those eras, your home won't be on a potential buyers "make an offer" list. Odd colored carpets (teal is a big no-no), draperies, wall colors etc will not be appealing to a broad range of buyer. Why? Number one, not everyone has furniture that would go with specific colors - that's why neutral colors are the best to use when getting your home ready for sale. Another reason why taste-specific decor doesn't work is because more and more prospective buyers are young, first time homebuyers (ages 25-35). They weren't even born when Avocado and Harvest Gold were the "in" kitchen colors! The younger, first time buyer wants neutral colors, clean lines and uncluttered spaces. Tip: A buyer should not be able to tell if the seller is 90 or 30 years old and whether the seller is male or female.

 5)Trying to Sell A Home When It's Vacant. A home with no furniture is soulless and very unappealing. A vacant home can also translate into "desperate seller" in buyer-speak. The buyer gets the idea that a seller really needs to sell the home and so they assume the seller will take a lower offer. A vacant home never gets a full asking price offer - always lower. It's much more prudent to have a competent home stager bring in furniture and accessories - and make the home warm and livable. In addition, a vacant room actually looks smaller than it is. Plus - a buyer will only focus on the negatives of a space because there is nothing else to focus on.

Every hairline crack, every speck of dust...any minute "less then perfect" aspect of a house

is magnified when it's vacant.

6) Not Letting in as Much Light in to the House. Dark, heavy draperies, closed vertical blinds...any window covering that blocks light from coming in to a house - will not make the buyer feel that the home is bright and airy. You have to find ways to "steal the sunlight," as real estate guru Barbara Corcoran says. Add more light fixtures, uplights and take dark shades off your table lamps - replace with more translucent covers that will emit more light.

7) Refusing to Put Any Money into Necessary Repairs, Improving the House or Staging Before Selling. For every deferred repair, the homeowner will receive less money offered for the house. Avoid possible buyer objections by fixing the things that are wrong with the home. A wife may fall in love with a kitchen - but her husband will be looking at very crack, every bulge in the wall that spells water trouble and every electrical no-no in the house. Fix things before you have a buyer offer you less than you want. The money you spend on repairs will net you a bigger profit on your home. Also, consider hiring a home stager - even just for a consultation. Staging is an investment - not a cost. Plus, it's tax deductible. For every dollar you spend on staging, you get $3 in return.

8) Keeping Fido and Kitty at the Home When it's Being Shown. Many times I have been to Open Houses where I have been greeted by the family cat or dog. I have also attended Open Houses where there are 4 or 5 dogs in a crate - and they are all yapping and barking so much that I can hardly hear what the realtor is saying to me! I've also seen wee wee pads here and there at Open Houses. I am an animal lover - so these things never bother me. But, what about any prospective buyer who might be allergic to cats or dogs? It's best to keep the family pet away for the Open House day - and any time the house is being shown. You should also remove any sign (or odor) of pet ownership.

9) Not Marketing the Home Properly with Great Online Photos. With over 80% of potential buyers searching online first before viewing a property, it's imperative that a home look beautiful online. Badly lit pictures, cluttered surfaces in the photos and even just pictures of the exterior of the home (and no interior shots) spell "not worth a visit" to a prospective buyer. Even worse is when there are no photos of the home. Take the time to do a great photo shoot. It will really pay off. Staged homes, by the way - look great online.

Welcome to My Blog and Why I Started it

Hi!

Welcome to my blog. I am new to this form of communication - but not new to helping homeowners transform their homes into beautiful spaces. What I want to share with everyone is some unique yet very simple ideas that you can use to make your home more marketable once you decide to put it up for sale.

I just heard some recent statistics for the New York/Long Island real estate market - for every day that your home remains on the market, you lose 1% of its value. That's an alarming number - and all the more reason to do everything you can to get your home in the best shape possible...so you can sell it more quickly.

Here are a few important things to consider when you are selling your home:

• Once you put your home up for sale, it is no longer your home...it's a product. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you will sell your home. Any product that appeals to the widest range of buyers has the best chance of selling. You may love your red painted walls - but not everyone loves that paint color. You may adore your teal colored carpet in your bedroom - but not everyone has furnishings that go with that color. You have to neutralize your color schemes so that they appeal to the most people.
• Make your home clutter free. The less stuff you have in a room - the more people can really "see" your home. For example - if you take the small appliances (toaster, canisters, coffee pot, dish drain etc) off your kitchen counter...potential buyers will be able to "see" that you have countertops. You want to sell your home - not your stuff.
• Improve your curb appeal: If your home doesn't look inviting on the outside - no one will want to come "inside"
• Make sure your home is Q Tip clean. From your front yard to your backyard...and from basement to the attic, make sure that every surface is spotless. Have a professional window cleaner make your windows shine.
  
• Make sure you have great photos of your home for flyers and for online marketing. Once you have de-cluttered, cleaned and painted, have your realtor take photographs (many real estate companies have photographers that they use) or, if you are selling the property yourself, have someone with a great digital camera take the photos - or consider hiring a professional. Important: 80% of today's buyers research real estate listing online first...before they even consider going to your open house. So - you must make sure that your home looks great online.