home reporter

April 27, 2007

Home Staging Tips

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 7:23 am

How important is staging your home in today’smarket?

Realistically, it has become one of the most important steps in any home sale. Viewers have come to expect more in a home show due to the large number of homes that are competing for attention. Many people will suggest the use of a professional home stager, and this is always an option; but you can also achieve some pretty remarkable results yourself if you do some research into the staging game.

Home Staging is really the art of presentation. The act of taking your home and “tweaking” it so that it will show better and generate more interest then it would if left to its own devices. One of the primary steps to home staging is the removal of anything that could be considered extraneous or might get in the way of the guest’s viewing experience.

This is an excellent opportunity to begin your packing a bit early. Things that you may want to remove consist of extra furniture that is not used on a daily basis, clutter from closets and shelves and any personal photos and memorabilia. It may seem to be odd that you would want to remove family photos as these items add a warmth to the home for you, but it has quite the opposite effect on others. It is a glaring reminder of your family, and the idea of the show is to allow others to picture themselves living in the home. Having no family photos and such around makes the process that much easier.

The operative word for home staging is “clean.” During this time, your home should be cleaner than it has ever been before. Buyers are a picky lot, and rightfully so. They are looking to spend a lot of money and they want to get the best quality home for their dollar. A clean and tidy home simply puts buyers at rest as a dirty or messy home can lead them to believe that there may be other areas of the home that are in the same sort of disorder.

First impressions are hard to change if they are negative, so make sure that your home has the visual impact that it needs. It will help out the sale process more than you expect!

Richard Soto is the President of VIP Realty, the premier firm in Dallas real estate. Contact VIP Realty for more information or visit us online at http://www.viprealtyinfo.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Soto

home staging

Comments (0)

April 26, 2007

How to Stage Your Home

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 8:13 am

Staging your home for a quick sale, is as important as picking the right estate agent to represent your home. It is imperative that your home appears clean,warm, and inviting. This peaks the potential buyer’s curiosity giving them the desire to see more of the house as they move from room to room. Proper home staging and tasteful decor is what could make or break a sale.

Depending on the condition of your home, you may or may not have your work cut out for you. If your home is an older home, or has been neglected, it is important to make major repairs, especially to any holes in the walls, water stains on ceilings, etc. Everything that is visibly broken or extremely worn should be fixed or replaced.

Once all of the obvious problems have been remedied, take a look at your walls. Do they have hand prints, food splatter, and dirt all over them? Try wiping the walls gently with baby wipes or a warm soapy cloth . Remember to clean the doors, light switches, and trim as well. If the job is too big, or wiping doesn’t work, consider a new coat of paint in a neutral color.

Nothing freshens up a house more than a new coat of paint. By choosing neutral colors, the potential buyer will feel like they have options when it comes to decorating their new home in their own style and taste, without an added expense.

Once the house has been repaired, and the walls are bright and clean, its time to declutter. People tend to feel claustrophobic or tense when a house is dirty and messy. You will want to give the appearance of spacious counters and shelves, so leave the bare minimum on dressers, desks, counters, and shelving. Dress up long tables and dressers with runners. Fresh flowers, bowls filled with fruit, river rocks, lemons and or limes are always a nice earthy touch. Be creative, anything goes, as long as it looks good.

Ample closet space is always very desirable. All closets should be neat and fresh smellling. Now is the time to get ride of anything you do not want or need. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven’t touched it in a year, you won’t miss it when it’s gone. Organize shoes by type in an organizer or on the floor. Hang all slacks together, short sleeve shirts together, etc. This will help the closet look roomy and tidy. Be sure all beds are made. Throw pillows on the bed give the room a luxurious look and feel.

Night stands should have only necessities such as a clock, phone and lamp on it. A stack of two or three hard covered books are a nice touch. If the lamp is not too tall, you can set the lamp on top of the books. Everything should be picked up off of the floor. Remove any piles of “stuff” from the corners, this will only detract from the space and the whole appearance of what should be a relaxing sanctuary.

In the kitchen make sure counters are wiped clean and not cluttered with appliances, baskets, toys, etc. Again, you want to convey a spacious work environment. Appliances should be wiped clean inside and out. One never knows who will be opening them up for a little look inside.

The bathrooms should be clean, have matching towels, and clutter free counters. The commode and shower should be wiped down, especially the floor around it. Set up some candles and you will be all done in there.

Before showing your home consider have the carpets cleaned. Although it’s an easy fix, dirty carpets are a BIG turn off to potential buyers. Vacuum rugs, mop the floors, and dust the furniture as often as possible or as needed to ensure that the house comes across as being cared for. Lighting candles and spraying rugs with foam carpet spray gives the house a fresh smell prior to a buyer’s arrival.

Don’t forget about the outside. The front of your home gives off the very first impression. It’s the cover to your book. The walkway and driveway should be free of bicycles, skates, gardening tools, etc. Plant flowers to add color and curb appeal. If you can not afford to add flowers, a potted plant or two along with a nice welcome mat will do the trick. Mow the lawn, and edge as needed. Keep trees, plants, and bushes pruned. Keep the flower beds free of weeds. The same applies to the backyard.

With some time, effort, and creativity, you can make your home a show place you will be proud of.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nelsy_Caliendo

home staging

Comments (0)

April 24, 2007

Techniques to Sell Your House Fast

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 8:43 pm

We all have reasons why we want to sell our houses fast. Whatever it is, we just need several hints to accomplish this very thing. Here are the following techniques to help you sell your house fast:

1. Seek for the assistance of a high-caliber real estate agent

There are lots of real estate brokers and independent agents that could help sell your house fast. However too few truly can sell it in a winning pace that would satisfy both your needs. Your first stop to finding one is to seek for the more credible agencies that specialize in your neighborhood. From your choices, trim down the actual agency that would work for you, remember that both of you are transparent in the agreements and everything in between.

An agent or a broker is a must when selling your properties unless you are skilled in this particular field or you are an agent yourself. There are lots of complex regulations and schemes in this industry that you cannot let just another person to handle your business. Ensure yourself of a good service and quality transactions. It is not enough that someone is there to work for you. What you should be looking after for is that someone’s there to sell the house for you.

2. Make the price right.

Sellers often have the tendency to overrate and underrate their properties. Both ways, you will lose much.

When you quote the property too high, the initial effect is to discourage buyers from entertaining your offers. On the other hand, when the price is too low, you are likely to face a lose-lose situation where you earned nothing in return but you still have to cover the expenses for taxes, unforeseen fees, and others.

In this regard, you have to hire an agent that could easily provide the reasonable price for your property. Most real estate agents have the full knowledge of the pricing in a neighborhood. Be sure to get in contact with only the best since they are the most reliable people in the industry.

3. Make your home inviting to new owners

A common mistake among homeowners is to package the house including the clutter. Well, in most cases this is inevitable.

People typically become too much attached with their homes that they fail to see that there are things that must be taken away from the house during sale. For example, the sentimental value that a family picture may have could repel buyers from becoming interested in your house.

The principle in selling a house is to make it amiable with the new owners. Remember that it is no longer your house, it will soon become another person’s home. Thus, your mementos, awards, picture and everything that reminds you as the past homeowner must be taken away and packed somewhere away from your house.

Remember the basics of home staging - declutter, clean and depersonalise

4. If nothing works, then rent it.

Unless your house is ideally matched with somebody else’s picture, price and all other criteria of a house, it cannot be sold so easily. In this case, it’s best that you have your house rented for a while. This would help cover all costs while you are waiting for a buyer to come by. However, you must make a clear arrangement with your renters regarding the availability of showing the house to prospect buyers.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on selling houses fast checkout his home selling tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mario_G._Churchill

Comments (0)

April 19, 2007

How to Stage an Empty House for sale

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 6:06 pm

Home staging is an important marketing technique for selling homes, whether they are furnished or empty. As I have been receiving many questions lately regarding empty houses and how to sell them faster and for more money, this article will discuss the specifics of staging empty properties.

Important points to remember about empty properties are:

• People buy «Homes» and not «Houses»: it’s therefore essential to give them the feeling of a «Home» and you certainly won’t be able to achieve that with an empty space!
• A vast majority of people (over 90%) can’t imagine what a house could look like with furniture in it and they have nothing to compare their own furnishings to in an empty space. Did you know that a room actually looks smaller empty than properly furnished?
• With nothing to focus on except the bare space, the negatives will become more apparent to prospective buyers.
• An empty house gives an impression of a desperate situation and you can expect to get lower offers than otherwise.
So, to sell your property fast and for most money, what do you need to do?

Let’s start with the outside: don’t forget to take care of the lawn and the landscaping – keep cutting the grass, trim the hedge and bushes, and plants/flowers are a nice touch in the summer. Rake the leaves in the fall, continue removing the snow in the winter and make sure that there is a clear path to and around the house. Clean and paint the front door and the trim, if needed. On the inside, the house has to be spotlessly clean – ceilings, walls, windows, floors and carpets. If needed, the house should be repainted in neutral, pleasant colors. You don’t need to stage the full house but it’s essential to focus on a few key rooms – entrance, living room, dining room and a master bedroom. Just a few pieces of furniture, art and accessories can suffice but they have to be well chosen and well positioned to make vignettes.

So, how do you stage an empty house?

First, can you leave any of your own furniture behind for a while? If you can’t leave anything, can you borrow from friends/family any quality items? Another great alternative is renting furniture on a short-term basis. There are places which provide brand new, beautiful furniture and accessories specifically for selling an empty house.

The home stager will set it up in the most advantageous way, add some accessories and a few pieces of art and voila! Some home stagers have their own inventories as well and will rent you the items required. Some creativity and some simple but efficient home staging techniques will turn your empty house into a «home».

And remember, first impressions can make or break a sale, so a bit of effort, time and money will go a long way to sell your house fast and for most money!

Sveta Melchuk is the founder of Decora Solutions, a Montreal area firm specializing in Home Staging and interior redesign. Since 2005, Sveta and her team have been helping realtors and home-sellers to stage their properties for sale. Her website, http://www.home-staging-montreal.com/, is dedicated to providing top quality information, tips, advice and resources for anyone interested in home staging services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sveta_Melchuk

home staging

Comments (0)

April 17, 2007

Staging Your Home for Sale

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 6:04 pm

I was hanging out with a few people at a wedding recently and the conversation turned to today’s real estate market.

One of my friends, John, from a town near San Jose, CA told a fascinating, yet familiar, story. I thought I would share it with all of you.

John and his wife, Liz, decided to sell their home. They bought the house in 2004, saw it increase in value, and this summer decided to sell it. They interviewed four different agents to sell their home and finally decided on the one who agreed to sell their home for what they wanted to sell it for.

They believed the home was worth $625,000. The first three agents who came in to interview for the listing told them the house would never sell at that price and that they should consider listing it below $600,000. They all felt $589,000-$599,000 was the “magic” number.

John is a commercial real estate broker. He knew that his asking price was high but he was in no hurry to sell. He also didn’t like the fact these three agents weren’t offering any “solutions” they were only discussing the “problems” he would face at the higher price.

These agents told John and Liz about the current market conditions for their area. If their home sold, it would likely take up to 120 days. There was a 55% chance that the home wouldn’t sell at all during these four months. Based on what they wanted for their home, they needed to be prepared for this. The agents told them they needed to consider lowering the price.

John and Liz talked very seriously about lowering their price. Then they met a fourth agent named Lynette.

Lynette came in and presented her case. It really wasn’t much different than the rest. She also told them about days on the market and the chances of selling their home. She also suggested they may be priced a bit high but then she offered an option.

“Let’s stage your home using a professional home staging company,” Lynette suggested. “This is going to cost you about $4000. We will list the home at the $625,000 you want but to offset some of this expense, when I sell your home, I will split this expense with you.”

Whereas real estate professionals, like Lynette, are highly skilled in marketing, selling and closing your home, home stagers are designers. They are artists who prepare your home for resale.

Home stagers work with the “flow” of your home. They will remove and re-arrange furniture. They will eliminate clutter. They may even add pictures, bedspreads, paint, art, rugs and other items to make it more appealing. They may even assist in enhancing curb-appeal.

Their goal is to make an incredible first impression on potential homebuyers the moment they pull in front of your home.

Lynette explained that although the décor of the house was very nice and contemporary, the home was cluttered because of their three young boys and busy lifestyle. The home didn’t feel as large as it was because it was packed with too many items to display it properly. The home was “too personal,” she told them. They had picture of the boys all over the house from birth to last year’s soccer playoffs.

She told them that they needed to compete with new home builders who are offering buyers the most incredible purchase incentives. She said that when you walk into the model homes of the builder you are “blown away.”

“THAT is your competition,” Lynette said. “You need to blow away the people who walk into your home too.” She also explained that the last few clients who hired her home staging company sold their home in less than 60 days and didn’t discount their asking price.

John and Liz were not crazy about spending $4000, and certainly not thrilled about taking down pictures of their beloved family, but they were encouraged by Lynette’s creative idea. At the end of the day, what they really cared about was selling this home, so they did it.

John said the home staging company came in and made the house seem like a “hotel.” “They took out way more things than they put in, but it did look better, like a nice bed and breakfast hotel,” he said. “It almost made me want to stay there,” he joked. It worked. Their house sold in three weeks….at the $625,000 list price. Lynette did an amazing job from start to finish!!

Just this month, I sold my very own investment house that was staged in 11 days. There were three like models listed in the subdivision at the same time. Mine was the highest priced. My incredibly talented real estate agent did an amazing job too but I truly believe staging was a real key as well. I did take a small loss on this home. However a sale in 11 days is no small accomplishment in today’s market.

Experts say that if you are hiring a professional staging company, plan on spending between $2000-$5000 based on the size and condition of the home. If you just want consultation, plan on $100 or so per hour.

Experts, like StagedHomes.com, say that a staged home sells in half the time as a similar home that is not staged and that a staged home sells for 7-10% higher.

Coldwell Banker tracked nearly 3,000 properties, ranging in price from $229,000 to $4.8 million, in eight major U.S. cities.

During this time, they determined the average home was on the market for nearly 31 days, the typical staged home sold in less than 14 days.

The average home sold for 1.6% over the seller’s asking price. The staged homes, in the Coldwell Banker study, over the same time, went for a 6.3% more.

This means, if the average home price is $300,000, you can expect the average staged home to sell for $318,000-$330,000. Obviously, this makes the $2000-$5000 investment a no-brainer.

Inventory is at an all-time high in many areas. The National Association of Realtors recently reported the biggest drop in home prices since the trade group began compiling price data in 1968. Many experts are now saying housing prices will continue to decline though 2007.

So do you take your home off the market until 2008, and hope it gets better, with the possibility it gets even worse, or do you separate yourself from the competition and do what it takes to give your home the very best chance it has to sell today?

We are in a slower real estate market, however the people who are most committed to selling their home will likely still be successful. When you are selling real estate it’s no different than selling any other product. You have to market to find a capable buyer and then you have to impress him.

Your real estate professional will market the property to bring the buyers but the product and how it’s displayed will determine if it sells and at what price. This is where the professional home stager comes in.

OK, so you want to give Home Staging a try? Here’s how.

There are many websites out there. Just type “professional home staging” into your favorite search engine like Google, Yahoo!, or MSN and you can start looking for the one that best fits you.

If you want to try doing it yourself, take these tips from professional home stagers like StagedHomes.com and others:

HOW TO “STAGE” YOUR HOME YOURSELF

MAKE AN AWESOME FIRST IMPRESSION Look at your house like you will look at the homes you want to buy next. Prospective buyers make up their minds about your house even before they get out of the car.

This is your chance to WOW them. Clean up the yard; rake the leaves and sweep driveways and porches.

Get out the rags and cleanser and spend 30 minutes scouring your front door, porch, railings and steps.

Make sure all of all your trash cans, recycling cans, other bins, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., are in the garage.

Check gutters for roof moss and dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned. Look at all plants. Prune your bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows.

Weed and then mulch all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized.

Remove dead plants or shrubs.

Clear patios or decks of all small items such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, and toys. Box them away and store them.

Check the paint condition of the house, especially the front door and trim.

UNCLUTTER YOUR HOUSE Empty your closets to a minimum, clear out the cupboards, and get rid of the small appliances. Take books off the shelves, get rid of all of the magazines, the CDs, video games, and DVDs, and lose the kid’s toys. Minimize it all.

Rent a storage unit or box what you want to keep and toss the rest.

Now is the time to say goodbye to your house and your stuff and transition. Your life may be a bit uncomfortable during this time but you are now in the business of selling your home.

GET RID OF THAT FURNITURE An easy way to “unclutter” and create a much greater sense of space is to get rid of some furniture.

Consider moving your sofa, extra chairs, and end tables into storage so you can make the home feel like it is larger and has much more space.

If your furniture is old, you may want to pack it away and rent a few more contemporary pieces.

The goal is to sell your home, not display your old furniture.

MAKE YOUR HOME “THEIR” HOME The goal here is to get the potential buyer to imagine that he is living in your house. If he feels like an intruder during his tour, your chances of selling the house are less. That means put away anything connected to your family or personal interests. Like trophies, family vacation photos, and personal mementos. Box it all away!

Clear refrigerator fronts of all messages, magnets, pictures, reminders, etc.

Stagers say the bathroom is a crucial place to pay close attention too. Shampoo bottles in the shower and toothbrushes near the sink make it very hard for the buyer to picture himself there. Box it away during the day and bring it out at night for your use.

Keep the towels to minimum as well. Think “neat hotel bathroom” on the day you checked in.

MAKE THAT HOUSE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE If your house is clean, the buyer tends to believe everything else is great with the house as well. This means clean everything! The mirrors, walls, floors, carpets, drapes, bathrooms, kitchen, and even door handles, light fixtures and pantry cupboards.

If you hate cleaning, bring in a professional maid service regularly while your home is listed and get someone in to do the windows, driveway and walkways. Remember, it costs money to make money.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL HANDYMAN As I mentioned, I recently sold an investment property of mine that was staged in 11 days. I staged it myself by following all of the items listed here.

The day before my agent officially placed my home in MLS and started contacting all of his previous clients, I called a handyman to come out and fix a few things. I had a missing face plate for a light switch. I had some mold around one of the toilets. One of the sinks had a broken drain valve. The door leading out to the garage was dinged up a bit and needed a coat of paint. This was less than $100 worth of work. Many sellers would simply have ignored these items, offered the buyer a blanket repair credit, and said “get it fixed yourself when you move in.”

Because of my research on this topic, I knew better and made an appointment to get the handyman out to fix it. He was busy so he committed to come in a week. However, my home went on the market the next day.

Two days later, five days before the handyman came; the eventual buyer of my home toured my house. He came back a week later, after the handyman had been there, and bought it. When I finally met the buyer at the final walk-through, I asked him whey he didn’t make the offer the first time through.

He told me the missing face plate on the light switch and the dinged up garage door really bugged him. When he came back and it was fixed, he was impressed and knew I cared about the home.

A $3 item from Home Depot and a simple coat of cheap grade white paint almost cost me the sale of my home.

Don’t wait! Fix those minor problems today!

COLOR UP THAT HOUSE WITH PAINT AND CARE A fresh coat of paint in key areas of your home really makes a big difference. If your home feels “special” like you care, that will translate to buyers. Experts say flowers in the entry or near the front door make your home feel more special, warm and inviting.

FACE IT, YOUR HOUSE STINKS…MAKE IT SMELL BETTER Stagers say that people don’t realize it but many of their homes simply stink. They stink from pets or just everyday family use. The easiest way to overcome this is to keep your windows open for 10 minutes a day.

This strategy works better than deodorizers, says Barb Schwarz, president of StagedHomes.com, since a lot of people have allergies to artificial room fresheners. The oldest trick of all? Leave chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. The smell helps buyers bond with your home.

MAKE YOUR HOME BRIGHTER AND MORE ALIVE When things are lighter they feel more vibrant and alive. Dark is depressing. You don’t want the buyer feeling depressed walking through your home.

Staging experts say clean windows let in as much as 30% more light than dirty ones. Get them cleaned.

Clean the shades on your light fixtures and add floor lamps if an area seems dim. Get rid of those energy-saving 60-watt bulbs and go with higher wattage lights for maximum illumination.

When it comes time to show your home, make sure all the lights are on.

GET HOMEY AND CREATIVE Flowers, plants, candles, expressive art are all items that are not overly personal that give a good vibe to the buyer walking through your home. Show these off or go buy some to add that touch.

You want your home to feel like a model home you see at a new house tract or, better yet, a comfortable hotel lobby.

For real estate agents, in my opinion, this is a great tool to separate yourself from your competition in trying to get a listing and sell the home. I think it’s a good idea to take a few home staging classes or have a professional home stager as part of your team as an option to present sellers.

StagedHomes.com offers two-day home staging workshops for real estate agents.

For homeowners with a lot of equity, I think hiring a professional stager is a tremendous idea as well.

If you don’t have as much room financially and the costs of hiring a professional stager seem preventative, you may want to try the “do-it-yourself” ideas listed above first.

If those still don’t work, but you notice the feedback is more positive, you may want to then consider hiring a home staging professional.

From all indications, and I can tell you first-hand, the price of staging your home is small compared to the benefits you can realize.

Aaron Gordon is a top-producing Senior Mortgage Consultant with Realty Mortgage Corporation in Las Vegas, NV. His monthly newsletter currently goes out to over 10,000 real estate agents and other professionals in the Las Vegas area. He helps over 200 families each year with their mortgage needs in many different states. He can be reached by email at aarong@realtymortgage.info or you can see more newsletters at http://www.aarongordon.net/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_Gordon

home staging

Comments (0)

April 13, 2007

Sell your home in Spring

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 1:52 pm

Even in Manchester, spring is definitely here. Spring is traditionally a a busy time in house buying and selling. So you may be getting ready to put your house in the market.

Before you ring the estate agent and put the ‘For Sale’ board up, think about preparing your home to go up for sale.

Take a long, hard look at your house with a critical eye and ensure that any outstanding work has been completed before the house goes on the market. Ask a friend to give you an honest opinion. Better still get a home stager in!

Kerb appeal must be high on your list of priorities. Does the front garden need weeding? Is there anywhere else you could put the wheelie bin? Is the front door ready for a lick of paint? Do the windows need cleaning? You could have a little palace behind the front door, but if nobody goes through your front door, they will never know!

First impressions count!

home staging

Comments (1)

April 5, 2007

Home Staging for a Quicker Sale

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 6:01 pm

Most of us don’t actually live our lives like a page torn from a favorite home and garden magazine. What most homeowners need to understand is that the way a home should be presented for sale and the way you live in your home are two completely different things.

You’re selling your home, not its contents. It’s all about flow. If you remove area rugs, eliminate clutter and cut down on furniture and accessories, the room will appear to be more spacious and airy. Your eye will be able to move easily from room to room.

Using things like furniture placement, you want to draw attention to the best features of your home and not have them covered up or hidden amongst all your treasurers and belongings.

It can be hard, but you need to temporarily detach yourself from your possessions and look at your home like you’re seeing it for the first time. Look through the eyes of the buyer.

This means. . .

Pre-Packing and Depersonalizing

Since you have to pack anyway, why not get a head start now? Borrow a friend’s garage or rent a storage unit temporarily to store all the boxes of your pre-packed items.

Start with the things you’re not using on a daily basis, such as your DVD collection, extra kids’ toys, extra blankets, seasonal and extra clothing, off-season sporting equipment, photo albums, extra furnishings, craft supplies, holiday items, and items pulled from storage areas such as the basement and attic.

Next–and this can be difficult for some of us–depersonalize the home by carefully wrapping and packing family photos, trophies, awards, refrigerator art and religious items. A buyer needs to be able to visualize themselves living in the home, and that can be very difficult if the things that make your house your home are evident everywhere.

If you just can’t see through all your things to the core of your home, consider hiring a professional home stager. A professional stager can advise you on what needs to be pre-packed, what can stay, and what can be used to enhance the home for viewing.

In addition to advising you on what to pre-pack, a professional stager can advise you about small improvements that can add value to your home’s sale price. So often we overlook things like incomplete projects, dingy paint or worn carpeting because we’ve lived in the home for years and we get use to them that way, so much so that we don’t even notice them any longer.

One last note on pre-packing: because everyone from inspectors and handymen to groups of realtors and prospective buyers will be walking through your home, be sure to properly pre-pack your valuables, such as your jewelry, silver, crystal and special art pieces. You may want to consider placing these items in a safe deposit box or asking a relative or trusted friend to store them if you’re not comfortable putting them in with all your other pre-packed belongings in someone’s garage or a storage unit.

Organizing

After you’ve pre-packed everything that you can, you need to organize what is left. As much as you may not like it, people looking at your home will open your pantry, cupboards and closets. They will look more spacious if they’re organized and not packed to the point of overflow.

For example, if your closet is stuffed full with your entire wardrobe, that can send a message to the potential buyer that the closet must be too small and they may not be able to fit all their items in there. Every storage area in your home, including display shelves, should be organized and clutter-free.

And Cleaning Like You’ve Never Cleaned Before

I can’t stress this enough. We all think we keep a pretty clean house… but cleaning for home staging and for putting your home on the market goes way beyond your usual house cleaning routine.

Really concentrate on making everything shine. Windows inside and out, blinds, door knobs, ceiling fan blades, light switch plates, cabinetry, tile grout–basically every nook and cranny needs to be cleaned. It’s amazing what people walking through the home can spot.

Your efforts are worth it: to potential buyers, an extremely clean home reflects a well maintained home, which means fewer problems. This will set your house apart from the house down the street that is not as “move-in ready.”

On the flip side, a less-clean, dingy home draws attention to any flaws it may have. It can send the message to potential buyers that the house is not well maintained and therefore could have more problems. Again, this is where a professional home stager can come to the rescue with their trained eye for what the potential buyers walking through the home may notice.

If you’re still not convinced of investing in the concept of home staging, spend a couple of hours touring a few homes. First visit a model home. They’re typically professionally staged, the furniture is placed to enhance the floor plan and draw attention to the home’s features, the paint is fresh, appliances shiny, bathrooms spotless, mirrors sparkling, and towels are new and perfectly displayed. There aren’t toys all about the house, the refrigerator isn’t covered with children’s artwork and magnets, and nothing is cluttered (including the garage). Everything is polished, spotless and smells fresh. It looks spacious, open and airy.

Now, after viewing the model home, tour a home similar in size that is only a few years older but is occupied. What you typically will find is a home where most of the day-to-day clutter has been picked up and put away, but there are many areas of the home that create negative impressions: clutter in the garage, boxes in the spare room, toys stacked in the corner of the family room, closets filled to maximum capacity–including a stuffed messy storage unit otherwise known as the entry closet, toothpaste splattered mirrors and faucets in the bathroom, newspapers and magazines tossed under the end table in the family room, and last year’s Christmas wreath greets you at the entry (even though it’s now March).

If the homes were both in the same location, same size, same price etc… which house do you think would be more appealing to potential buyers?

Copyright © 2007, details. Author: Sandi Gregory, C.I.D., I.R.I.S. - Owner of details located in Puyallup, WA. Sandi’s a Certified Interior Decorator specializing in superior Real Estate Staging and Redesign services in the greater Pierce County area of Washington state. Please visit http://www.detailsredesignandstaging.com/ for additional information about One-Day Interior Redesign Makeovers, Home Real Estate Staging and Interior Decorating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandi_Gregory

home staging

Comments (0)

April 4, 2007

Ideas for Decorating a Boy’s Bedroom

Filed under: Home Staging, Feng Shui — khealey @ 10:05 am

When it comes to boy stuff there’s nothing like your boys bedroom and you want to be sure you can decorate in a way he will enjoy but that is also practical.

However when your space is very small, it can be difficult to get it to look comfortable. But if you consider these pointers, you will recognize that there are many methods for decorating a small boys room.

There are various design themes which you can adopt in smaller rooms, even still you should plan to be careful to deploy the ones which play up the features of small spaces. A good amount of clutter will make your boys room look tiny so steer clear of hanging a lot of accessories and be positive you have adequate storage to put stuff away.

When selecting furniture for your boys room stick to furniture and accessories which are small. In place of using twin beds, try using bunk beds which will allow for sleepovers plus make the room seem larger. All small scaled pieces can be monotonous and you will want to improve on that by decorating with interesting bigger pieces, so don’t be afraid to use the smaller beds but also match it with a striking wall poster, they will offset each other plus add interest and drama to the room.

Furniture placement is one more trade trick when decorating a small boys room. Even your boys room may add to your well being when arranged with Feng Shui in mind. Put furniture away from any doorways, since you’d be surprised how clear access to and from a room can make it appear larger. Moreover, if you do buy a larger piece of furniture, such as a big stuffed animal or artwork, for instance, it should help to divert guests attention that way thus making the room feel larger in the bargain.

Making good use of the area in your boys room is pivotal so take this into account when planning your room design. Think about decorating schemes that allow for ample shelving and baskets since these can work as additional storage. Just be sure you go with a design you love as this is where your child will be spending a lot of time.

One element to explore when trying to make your small boys room look bigger is the color palette. You don’t need to only use light paint color when making up for the size in a room. You are able to have color while still making the boys room appear more open by painting it with colors that reflect the same brightness, or using a monochromatic color scheme. You may even try a blue color scheme, or if you desire more color try green, blue and purple that all give off the same tone and intensity. To add depth and drama, think about painting an opposing wall a deep intense hue - this makes it seem further away and adds an appealing charm. For wall colors, pale tones like gray-blue will make an overall more spacious appearance since they make the walls appear to recede. But then if that sounds too drab, don’t despair cool colors like purples, blues and greens also recede so you can have your decorative colors without making the room appear small sized.

These techniques allow decorating a small boys room to be easy and effortless. Use your imagination and creativity and you will have a small boys room that is big on style in no time.

Lee Dobbins writes for Decorating 2 Day where you can get decorating and design tips as well as find out how to solve decorating challenges.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Comments (0)

April 2, 2007

Home Staging & Feng Shui

Filed under: Home Staging, Feng Shui — khealey @ 6:05 pm

Staging your home in preparation for its sale is a very important factor you have to consider. It’s an effective way of attracting more buyers and speeding up your home sale. Just like marketing any product which entails good packaging, presenting a comfortable and organized home is always a plus.

In staging your home, you may want to incorporate some feng shui practices to increase your home’s value and attractiveness to buyers. It does not matter if you believe in this ancient Chinese practice. The important thing to remember is that feng shui just might contribute in the fast sale of your home and in selling it at a higher price.

The first thing you will have to focus on is to engage the senses of your prospective buyers in as many ways you can think of. A home that has lots of horizontal space will surely engage the sense of sight.

So be sure to clear your kitchen counter tops, dressers and shelves. Keep in mind that most buyers go for a spacious home and not a crowded one.

To engage the sense of smell, cinnamon or pine scents are highly recommended over the vanilla or floral scents.

And to engage the sense of sound, a gentle or soothing music playing or the sound of a fountain during a buyer’s visit will be well appreciated.

First impression in home selling is vital for potential buyers. Make sure then that from your driveway and front yard up to the different rooms in your home, everything is pleasing to the eyes and provides a comfortable homey feeling.

Feng shui should come into play in this aspect. The front door of your home should be clean and well-lit if a buyer is visiting after dark. A nice doormat should be in place and fresh flowers or plants should be on both sides of the entrance.

As early as possible, you should get your own personal stuff out of the house. This is to bring more positive and moving energy into the house.

Take away all clutter from your front yard to the different parts of your home. Clutter is negative chi that can keep your energy down and might be passed on to your potential buyer if not thrown away. Clutter may take the form of dirt and dust as well as old and unused things like magazines, accessories and old clothes.

The kitchen should promote a friendly, healthy and prosperous atmosphere. Most buyers consider this room as the important part of the house. Better make yours sparkling clean and organized including your pantry. Be sure that your wastebaskets are out of sight, too.

As for the bathroom, always keep its door shut and the toilet lid down. Remember that potential buyers should never see a bathroom unless they actually go see it for themselves. These two powerful feng shui tips are meant to create positive energy into your home.

In home staging, presentation is key and with the application of feng shui guidelines, there’s a good chance that your home will draw buyers easily.

This article is brought to you by FengShuiDecoratingTips.com. Get free information and Feng Shui Decorating Tips. Learn how to enhance your love life, gain wealth, and happiness with Feng Shui Secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gloria_Smith

feng shui

Comments (0)

Are your Home Improvements a Waste of Time?

Filed under: Home Staging — khealey @ 5:36 pm

According to a recent study, home-sellers who intend to make improvements to their property could be “wasting time and money”.

Just over a third of home-sellers surveyed intended to do some DIY before putting their property on the market.

However, a third of home-buyers intend to decorate their new home as soon as they move in!

So, are your home improvements a waste of time?

Not if you obey the rules of home staging!

Keeping the colour schemes simple will help attract buyers as it creates a blank canvas.
Finish off any half-finished DIY projects.
Repair or replace anything broken or damaged.
Clean, clean and clean again!
De-clutter

All these things will add value to your home and ensure a quick sale.

Unless its absolutely necessary, big home improvements such as a new kitchen or a new bathroom may not be a good return on your investment (ROI) eg a new £10,000 kitchen may only add £3,000 to the sale price of your home. It may be better to reduce the price by £5,000 instead - plus its alot less hassle!

Do your research, look at the estate agents details of similar properties to yours - what’s your competition? what do buyers expect for their money in your area?

kathryn

home staging

Comments (0)

« Previous entries ·