Get Your Home Ready for Its Close-Up Part 2: The Details
- At October 18, 2017
- By catherineschager
- In Tips and Advice
0
So much to do to stage a home for sale! Last week we shared tips on The Big Stuff which covered topics such as curb appeal, cleaning, decluttering and depersonalizing. Now let’s dig into the details.
After you’ve finished cleaning and storing, Theresa “Terry” Anderson of KoenigRubloff offers this advice: “There are some easy tricks to refresh a house, such as putting in new light fixtures, new faucets, paint a few rooms, and take down all wallpaper. I suggest a very minimal amount of furnishings and décor.” (You can email Terry at [email protected] or find her on Facebook by clicking here.)
Remember to check the latest Zillow report for paint colors that are currently selling for significantly higher (or lower) than average in each room and see our pinterest board for examples. Discuss the report with your realtor to determine what is best in your particular area.
Here are some other room-by-room expert tips we’ve collected for you:
Bedrooms
The key in the master bedroom is to stay gender neutral. You want the decor to appeal to everyone. Keep décor minimal but try to create a relaxing atmosphere where people can imagine unwinding. Create a bed people would want to crawl into, all soft and comfortable looking, and a small sitting area for reading or watching TV.
Catherine Schager Designs, Lake Forest Master Bedroom
Bathrooms
Try to restore bathrooms to an unused look. (Nothing says “yuck” like a strangers mystery bathroom mess.) Fix all leaky toilets and dripping faucets. Replace old toilet seats with new ones. Do your best to remove hard water stains that will make potential buyers think of leaks. (Try vinegar.) Deodorize the drains too. Keep counters clear except for a pretty soap dispenser and neutral colored shower curtain and bath mat.
Catherine Schager Designs, Glenview Renovations (left) and Northbrook Master Bath (right)
“Master” Touches
Remember those closets we discussed in Part 1? Storage space sells, especially in the master bedroom. One trick is to clear the master closet out completely, then hang a set of classy wooden hangers. Entice potential buyers to love the master bath by arranging a set of new fluffy white towels in ready-to-use fashion and topped with something pretty. Set the “spa” stage to help them imagine luxuriating in a hot bath or shower.
Family Living Areas
Keep only beautiful furniture on display and keep it neutral. You want potential buyers to imagine their own furniture in the room, not get stuck on your style. You don’t want them feeling like an intruder in YOUR space. Let them imagine it as THEIR space.
Create symmetrical but inviting arrangements that suggest conversations and family time. Arrange a board game or a tea service on the coffee table. Place a book or magazine next to a comfortable chair with a soft throw. Once again, keep it gender neutral and tailored, but oh-so-comfy looking. You don’t want the realtor to have to say “Imagine this…” while describing a scene. Instead, set the room to create those visions wordlessly.
Catherine Schager Designs, Glenview Renovations (left) and Winnetka Lower Level (right)
Kitchen and Dining
You won’t want to invest in major upgrades, but it’s worth it to fix leaky faucets, replace dated ones, and remove hard water stains. Consider painting dated cabinets and updating the hardware. Brighten up a poorly lit kitchen with new light fixtures. Choose the highest wattage bulbs for the fixtures and open up all the curtains and blinds. A light, bright kitchen sells better than a dark, dreary one. Lighter colors on the walls can help reflect the light. Keep countertops clear except two or three carefully chosen decorative items. Keep lots of empty space in the cabinets and drawers, and keep them well organized. Kitchen organization is big lately. Consider a few specialty foods in pretty packaging arranged just so in the pantry. Set the dining room table with carefully chosen, lovely yet neutral items (like a pretty tea set). Leave out a delicious looking and smelling pastry or cake on a pretty tray in the kitchen and have the realtor suggest they sit and have a treat in the space.
Catherine Schager Designs, Northbrook Kitchen
Catherine Schager Designs, Glenview Renovations
Defined Purpose
Make sure you don’t have any confusing “extra” rooms and absolutely no junk rooms. If you have an undefined space, give it a purpose. An office is usually a good bet but keep it neutral and classy. Bookshelves should be mostly empty with only a few neutral items on display. Storage space should invite them peek inside and see it empty, evoking thoughts of their own things they could store in that spot. A private, cozy reading spot nook near a set of beautiful bookshelves is always inviting.
Catherine Schager Designs, Northbrook Office
Good luck! Overall, remember to keep it gender neutral, style neutral, as empty as possible, spotlessly clean, and create carefully chosen scenes to evoke images in each space.
Get Your Home Ready for Its Close-Up Part I: The Big Stuff
- At October 09, 2017
- By catherineschager
- In Tips and Advice
- 0
If you have a home to sell, you’re likely anxious to get a good offer in a quick timeframe. We’ve collected some expert staging tips to help present a home that buyers will fall in love with at first sight.
Scott Rose of Baird & Warner, tells sellers to shine the apple! Scott says, “We are in a price war and a beauty contest. Declutter and make it look like a model. Remember that in most cases a home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it and what a bank is willing to loan (unless it’s all cash!).” (You can email Scott at [email protected], visit his website at ScottRoseHomes.com, or @ScottRoseHomes on Facebook.)
The beauty contest starts with curb appeal. First impressions are CRUCIAL. Many buyers will opt out of doing a walk-through on a house based simply on a poor outside presentation, so start your staging process at the curb. Replace your old mailbox with a pretty new one. Cut the grass, trim the bushes, weed flower beds, and add fresh mulch. Power wash your decks, walks, and patios. Repaint your front door (according to this 2017 Zillow report, homes with navy blue, dark gray, or charcoal front doors sell for more money) and add large, attractive house numbers that can be clearly seen from the street and look welcoming. If you need to paint the siding, consider gray, brown, or greige, as suggested by Zillow. If paint isn’t necessary, wash the siding and the windows until they sparkle. Clean your front porch and add welcoming touches like seasonal flowers in planters and hanging baskets, a pretty doormat, and a new doorbell with attractive sound.
The first step to staging the interior of your home for sale is to clean, clean, clean. Spit shine every single surface, corner, wall, ceiling, and floor. Clean cabinets and drawers, inside and out. Clean the grout, the faucets, and the globes on light fixtures. Clean furniture even though it won’t stay with the home, and clean underneath it too. Consider hiring a professional cleaning service to handle this time-consuming, exhausting chore for you.
Next, de-clutter, de-personalize, and paint. Experts suggest that you rent a storage unit and pack and move a good deal of your belongings before your first showing. Now is the time to get serious about removing every trace of clutter, and absolutely DO NOT shove that clutter into cabinets and closets. Potential buyers will be looking in there! Remove ALL personal photographs, diplomas, memorabilia, and collectibles. Choose only a few, neutral decorative elements. Remember, you want potential buyers to visualize themselves in your home. If they can’t see past your style and your décor, they won’t be able to see themselves in the space. Aim for lived-in but neutral. Have your realtor help you pick a few key pieces of furniture and store the rest. Give all the walls and trim a fresh coat of paint at minimum (and perhaps cabinets too if needed). Refer to the Zillow report and our pinterest board Colors That Sell for suggestions on paint colors for specific rooms.
Next, tackle every closet, cabinet, pantry, bookcase and storage area. Any items you don’t need to store for your next home can be picked up by a junk hauling specialists. There are several. One I like and use is Junk King. Storage is a big selling point so you want to be sure you show your home’s storage to best advantage. Keep a few, carefully chosen items in each storage area in an organized, attractive arrangement. Leave lots of “white space” between items. Consider items like fancy jams and other upscale condiments in pretty packaging to display on shelves.
Even if they are tiny, your pets definitely qualify under “the big stuff” in home prep. You need to remove any hint of any animal from your home. You don’t want potential buyers thinking about all the hidden damage your adorable fur babies might have caused to your home. Remove all furniture and rugs with pet damage, and all trace of pet odors and pet fur (or feathers or scales). When you leave before a viewing, take your pets and all their gear with you. Don’t leave pet dishes, pet beds, or pet toys behind to make potential buyers think of potential problems.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2: The Details, where we will talk about what works (and doesn’t) for each room.
