Your Home - Through Your Camera's Eye

If you're in the Washington DC area, you're probably at home enjoying a snow day as schools, government offices and some stores are closed. So, while the weather outside is frightful (some consider it delightful!), you may be perfecting your to-do list to sell your home this Spring. If that's the case, add this item to that to-do list: Take photos of ALL your rooms from the doorways.

Cell phones or handheld digitals are totally fine for this exercise. This gives you a REAL feel of what buyer prospects will see when they walk into each room. In your daily travels through your space, you may not notice shoes and magazines on stairway, burned out light bulbs or all that stuff underneath the bed - but buyers will. Upload those pix and take a "through the buyer's eye" tour of your own home. Seriously, you will be surprised and what the camera sees (as shown in this kitchen photo which was a "before Staging" pic).

In the world of home selling, remember: "the way you live in your home and the way we market and sell your house are 2 different things"!

Now, go and enjoy your snow day, like this 'lil guy! Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Need some help with preparing and selling your home? Let's chat about it.

Smell vs. Sell

Ahhh, Spring! A time for getting a fresh clean start! Emphasis on CLEAN if you're planning on selling your home! Barb Schwarz, the creator of the Staging Industry says "if you can smell it, you can't sell it".

If you are planning to list your home, it NEEDS a deep cleaning, yes it's gotta be "Q-Tip Clean"! You say that kind of work just ain't your thing? - then hire someone to do the heavy duty cleaning. It's a good investment, really. Then, it will be easy for you to keep it that way.

Carpets and draperies and even throw pillows and upholstery can really hold onto pet / food odors. Have your carpets professionally cleaning, freshen draperies and upholstery - even if it's with "Febreze".

Choose your menu wisely while your home is on the market. Strong food odors can linger for days. Please don't go the route of using plug-in air fresheners in every room. Your buyer prospects will wonder what you're covering up. When I am touring a seller's home or doing a Staging consultation, I often have to tell the homeowner the air fresheners are too much. That's fine if you enjoy them for regular living - BUT when you're selling your home, mass appeal is key. A lot of folks also have allergies and are bothered by strong scents.

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Don't forget that offending trash can. Keep it out of sight if possible and please empty it often. People tend to become "used to" the smells in their own home, so it's necessary to remind your self about those critical buyers that will be coming through!

I hope you'll be smelling a great offer on your home soon!

Need some help pulling your home together / thinking about selling? Let's chat about it!

The Psychology of Home Selling

Area homeowners have come to realize that homes that are Staged, or prepared for sale look better than other homes on the market by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to prospective buyers.

And, although some popular TV shows have put Staging® in the spotlight, DIY’rs need to be aware of ALL that’s involved. A plan that includes some psychology is what’s vital to create the “Model-home concept”.

Builders are the masters of this concept. They study their target audience to determine what type of décor to use. These days, the audience is very sophisticated and has high expectations. Builders use surveys and focus groups to create the profile for their potential buyers. The builders hand their research to designers who choose furnishings that will appeal to a type of buyer. The home has to be something the buyer will identify with.

If you have very affluent interiors, you will most likely turn off a young first time buyer as they will feel it’s beyond their reach.

Builders also go thru great lengths to provide a local feel. In Annapolis, Nautical art may be used in the home, in Leesburg, the home office may have an equestrian theme.

As both a Realtor® and Stager®, I work to identify who the target audience is for a particular property. A condo at Reston Town Center should offer very different décor than a 4 bedroom family friendly Colonial!

Know who a likely buyer would be! Will they have small children, pets?

Visit area model homes so that you really understand the WOW factor you need to relay to potential buyers.

Staging® is NOT about the seller – it’s about appealing to a buyer pool for that particular property! This is where strategy and added value really stand out!

Need some help with YOUR home? Let's chat about it!

FREE Shopping Spree

Feel like your living room needs a bit of a face-lift ~ but you don't have the time or budget for a total re-do? How about going on a FREE shopping spree. You can "shop" your own house. I do this with every staging and listing client. We tour the home and find accessories or even furniture pieces that could add just the right amount of freshness in a different room. Just swapping out the pillows, throw and lamps that are currently in your living room can give that space a new feel.

For an upcoming listing, we moved a shabby chic bench from the foyer to the mud room and moved the console table that was behind the couch to the foyer. A lamp from her guest room and an interesting basket topped the newly placed console table. This gave the entrance to her home a whole new look. It cost nothing and we got a bit of weight lifting in!

Give it a try this weekend! Go on a FREE shopping spree! Let me know what changes you made.

Photos courtesy of Southern Living Magazine.

Need some help putting your look together? Thinking about selling your home? Let's chat about it!

Staging for the "Ritz Carlton" Effect

WHAT is the "Ritz Carlton" effect?

Well...It's best described as the feeling you want your buyer to have when he / she walks into your home.

When you walk into a nice hotel room, you don't want to see any evidence of past inhabitants. You expect it to be squeaky clean and fresh - just for YOU. That experience is the same one you need to offer to your buyer when your home is on the market!

That's why small details like clean windows, plush bath towels, nicely made beds do indeed matter!

They need to experience the home, picturing their belongings.

Make that effort to WOW your buyer so YOUR home is memorable to them - memorable enough to write that offer!

Need some help pulling your space together? Let's chat about it!

Tips for "Stylish" Shelves

Somewhere in your home, you probably have at least 1 bookcase. Perhaps it looks like one of the Restoration Hardware ones above or maybe it's a thrift store find or a relic from your old college days. No matter the shape, size, with glass fronts or without, there are simple ways to spruce up that space.

Let's start with a glass front cabinet. I tell all my staging, home sellers and decor clients that glass front cabinets are for DISPLAY, not storage. Choose pieces that are similar in color. Alternate the sizes of the pieces to look more interesting. Don't mix up several patterns or competing colors. We're not going for that Yard Sale look. Really, less is MORE in a glass front cabinet.

Here's an example of displaying a "collection" in a glass front cabinet.

Let's move on to bookshelves. Not just for books, oh no! Here's is your chance to lose that library look and mix your fave objects d' art amongst your beloved books. Combine a framed print, or an interesting vase on the shelf along with some books. Leave some open space on each shelf for a more organized, less cluttered look.

Does your home have a large built-in that's a bit overwhelming? Young House Love, a fave blog, added some great color to their back of their super large built-in's. Their collections in the same color family keep the space looking clean and attractive.

Hope you're inspired to do some stylin' at your place!

Need some help pulling your look together? Let's talk about it!

Spring Market Starts NOW!

The busiest time of year in real estate is upon us and home sellers should be getting their properties into market-ready showing condition NOW!

Breathe new life into the property by taking care of repairs and doing upgrades to meet and slightly exceed buyer expectations (keeping in mind with what fits the style and price range of the neighborhood).

Area homeowners have come to realize that homes that are Staged®, or prepared for sale look better than other homes on the market by being clean, clutter-free, and ready to show to prospective buyers. And, although some popular TV shows have put Staging® in the spotlight, DIY’rs need to be aware of ALL that’s involved. Staging® is not adding a new throw pillow or hanging some art. It involves psychology – it is part of my marketing plan and is very strategic.

If you are considering selling, do you know who your buyer is?

As both a Realtor® and Stager®, I work to identify who the target audience is for a particular property. A condo at Reston Town Center should offer very different décor than a 4 bedroom family friendly Colonial or even a townhome! Will your buyer be a professional single or perhaps have small children, pets?

Staging® is NOT about the seller – it’s about appealing to a buyer pool for that particular property! This is where strategy and added value really stand out!

Let’s talk about YOUR home and how Staging® will work for you!

Need more tips on getting ready? Check out this article on Real Estate MSN.com.