By Angie Kendel
Everyone loves a beautiful space. Walking into a room or home that is well put together elicits an instant appreciation for the space. Depending on the style it can generate many different responses. As designers, we have fun with funky design, elegant design, or more traditional design. There is no wrong or right when it comes to décor for living in your own space. If you like it and it makes you feel good in your space, then do it! However, when it comes time to sell your home the rules change.
Preparing a home for sale can be very overwhelming. A professional Realtor will often provide you with a comprehensive “to do” list to get your home ready for sale. It may include anything from repairs to cleaning and decluttering. One of the most sensitive issues that Realtors address is asking clients to neutralize aspects of their home. When selling, you are trying to attract the greatest number of potential buyers in order to generate the best potential for a fast sale. It is critical to have your home appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers to attract those offers. That means we need to show each room and space to its best.
One of my biggest rules, as a Home Stager, is that how we live in a home is very different from how we show our home for sale. Once we decide to sell our home, we must emotionally distance ourselves from the home and begin to think like a buyer. How will buyers see your home? If you love a multitude of colors and all your walls are painted in the shades of the rainbow, you may want to consider repainting. Painting is one of the quickest and most cost-effective methods of freshening up a space. After all, not all buyers may be as colorfully adventurous as you are. Your home would appeal to more buyers if the colors were more neutral and you used pops of colors in tasteful artwork or décor to satisfy your love of color. Colors and how they work together, play a huge role in the first impression of a space. First impressions are lasting impressions.
Something we often see is too many pieces of furniture in a room. We all tend to accumulate extra furniture. Whether excess furniture blocks a natural walkway, closet or doorway, or the scale of furniture is wrong for the space, it can create a negative first impression. The more furniture you have in a room, the smaller the room will appear! Remember, buyers are looking at things like space when they buy. They are either upgrading because they need more space or down-sizing and need to make sure a smaller home has adequate space. If you have furniture in the way of a door opening, it tells buyers the room is too small. Removing excess furniture can leave the same room feeling spacious and inviting versus cramped and confining. How you display the furniture in your home sends an unspoken message to the buyers looking at your home. If you are unsure how to showcase your home, talk to your Realtor, or ask a Professional Home Stager for help.
Some statistics show that as much as 80% of the factors that influence buyers are directly within the sellers control. I often work with clients who have been preparing their home for sale for months, or even a few years, slowly addressing important maintenance or upgrades to increase the value of their homes. Important updates and renovations can easily be the turning point when buyers are deciding between your home and another home a street over. Statistics also tell us that buyers are willing to pay more for a home in move-in condition versus a home that requires work. Take the time necessary to prepare your home for sale properly. Ensure you follow your Realtor’s and Home Stager’s advice to address the issues that will make your home the one that receives those top dollar offers!
On a personal note:
I look forward to sharing more than 20+ years of tips and experience with you on getting homes ready for sale. I am the owner of Maximum Impact Plus and part owner of KAT Renovations. We specialize in home staging/ home design and home renovations. I have been a real estate investor and flipper for more than 20 years, and a professional home stager and designer for 12 years. We focus on improving the value of the homes we work on, so you can sell for top dollar! www.maximumimpactplus.com www.katreno.com