New Hampshire Home Stager reveals secrets to selling.
The visual appearance of a home prompts potential buyers more than any other factor. Once they step inside, buyers decide within the first ten seconds whether they want to buy your home. They should be greeted with a spotless, move-in ready home, which gives the appearance of being well maintained and cared for.
Clean or freshly painted walls, spotless or new carpeting are a must. Hardwood floors must be in excellent condition. Floor tile should be a light neutral color, with clean grout lines.
If you currently have your house on the market or are planning on selling your house in the near future, then this seven-part series was written for you.
Previous Tips:
Tip #1 Update Lighting Fixtures
Tip #2 Identify Red Flags
Tip #3 Pre-Pack Your Stuff
Tip #4 Define Space & Function
Tip #5 Maintenance Means Money
Your house is only worth what buyers are willing to pay for it. The more a buyer believes the house has been well maintained, the more valuable they perceive it to be. If you want buyers to believe the house has been well maintained, then you have to go above and beyond basic cleaning. You have to create the impression that the most meticulous of clean freaks is living in the house. Clean areas most sellers don't clean, like the inside of the refrigerator and oven. Organize all the cabinets, closets, and vanities and clean under the kitchen sink. Organize all the kitchen drawers. If you really want to blow them away, organize and clean the basement and garage.
Contrary to popular belief...allowances are a bad idea. Buyers don't want an allowance to have the carpet replaced or the roof fixed. They want to move in, they don't want to make improvements. A worn carpet or old roof just tells buyers that you haven't maintained the house. It makes them then wonder what else hasn't been properly cared for.
I've used this picture as an example many times before...it really speaks for itself:
This kitchen floor was in poor shape and the radiator was rusty and missing parts. Fresh paint on the walls, a new floor, and a new radiator cover made from wood transformed this kitchen from neglected to impressive and added tremendous value to the home.
Removal of the clock and shelf left large holes in this bedroom wall. The seller didn't have the matching paint to make the repairs. They did have paint that matched the hall, so we used that and created an accent wall. This saved the sellers the cost, time, and labor of having to repaint the whole room, while giving the room a fresh, clean look.
Stay tuned for Tip #6
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Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast
Portsmouth Rye Greenland Hampton North Hampton Exeter Dover Stratham
603.661.8524
Sharon, I'm reading this and thinking these are things I can do to my own house to make it look great while I'm still living here!
Sharon, love your photos and that rad cover is fabulous! Your series has a lot of punch...I bet that it improves your business 10 fold.
Sharon. I'm always amazed how many clients I have to be blunt with about a good cleaning , de-cluttering and deferred maintenance issues. These things jump out at me, therefore they will for a buyer, but if the seller see it everyday they tune these items out.
Patricia: Absolutely, why not do the work for your own comfort and enjoyment! It isn't just buyers who should benefit from a well maintained house!
Ginger: I love your enthusiasm! Thank you so much!
Steve: They do tune it out. They are lucky to have a Realtor who cares enough to be blunt with them. Some Realtors won't go there. Thanks!
Another great tip in your series, Sharon. Elbow grease is so crucial to a seller's success. Even though we all get fairly comfortable living with our own dirt, we don't want to see a speck of someone else's dirt when we are house shopping. And I think allowances are just red flags to a problem, not a selling feature.
I always look for signs of an anal-retentive homeowner when I am in the market. Our last seller had all their nuts and bolts organized and hanging in individual containers on the wall in the workshop in the basement. And every valve, knob and handle to all mechanical/electrical items were also individually labeled with laminated signs the seller had made himself. And once we made an offer the seller actually suggested we stop by so he could go over all the mechanical/routine maintenance workings of the place. You could tell he loved this home--it was his "baby." My kind of seller!
Mary: Thank you! I agree, other peoples' dirt is very different from our own dirt. Your seller sounds like a stager's dream seller! That is the kind of seller I would want to buy from, but they are hard to find. That's why creating the perception that you are that kind of seller will set you apart from the rest.
These really show how much difference it makes when things are taken care of and should really motivate a Seller to get busy. Such a huge impact and some for very little time and money.
Great photos again. I have to ask though...that first photo-whose house is that? I love the way it looks!
Lee & Carol: Hopefully I have motivated some sellers! I appreciate the comment, thanks.
Debra: It was a staging job. It was one of my favorite jobs, and a few of my best photos came from it. I am glad I found a use for this picture, because I don't have a "before" of this angle, so up until now I didn't have a use for the picture. Here is a photo showing the wallpaper that was around the door and column.
Sharon, you are SO GOOD at what you do! I'm so glad you had the picture of the post and the wallpaper because the transformation is almost unbelievable! I agree wholeheartedly about the "allowance;" buyers are already overwhelmed with the idea of moving and to them, it's just one more thing to do. They need to think, "Oh, I love it...I can't wait to live here!"
Sharon, beautiful examples, and it is amazing how "we" and "sellers" don't see the not just the clutter, but the dirt.
Confession time, Sharon. Last weekend I saw the folks for whom you staged a home in MA. They fell all over me in gratitude for recommending you. And I let them!
Really, they could not sufficiently thank you for your fine work.
Leslie: "I love it, I can't wait to live here" is exactly the response you should be going for when you prepare your house for buyers. Thank you.
Janice: It is so much work to prepare a house for sale and the cleaning sometimes gets neglected due to the stress of clearing out and packing and dealing with all the "stuff" and repairs. Thanks for your comment.
Irene: Now this is my kind of confession! I'm glad they appreciated you and it's nice to hear they were happy with my work. It's a beautiful home, I hope it finds new owners really soon!
Sharon-wow what a difference! Much much better!
Sometimes the simplest things cast the biggest impression. I'm with Ginger on the radiator cover. With a new floor and fresh paint, now we have somethign almost sleek.
So true about the well-maintained thing. Buyers think they can sense that kind of thing, and when they do, the seller saves enormously both on the initial bidding AND inspections!
Excellent series. Cheers!!
Debra: Thanks!
Juliet: "Sleek" is a great word to use! I like it! Thank you!
Sharon-painting the accent wall was a good way of demonstrating that making a change doesn't have to be a great expense. I'm always surprised when I see homes that are on the market and the seller hasn't bothered to repair or clean from top to bottom.
Kathy: I usually warn sellers that too much stuff on the walls will translate into holes to repair for the buyers. Removing the stuff and patching the walls creates more of a "move-in ready" feel for buyers. Thanks for commenting!