Susan Peters's Blog

How to Get More Rent From Your Rental in Seattle

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:08:50 -0700

Although the general real estate market is still a little sluggish in Seattle, the rental market is a totally different story. Last month, my clients had to re-rent their house on Queen Anne. They posted an ad with only one exterior picture on Craig's list and got over one hundred responses. After setting up an open house and interviewing the best candidates in advance, I was able to negotiate $100 more in rent for them. Since they did not have any decent interior pictures, I suggested the following:

1) Make a deal with the tenants allowing them to move their furniture in a few days early with the stipulation that I could re-arrange their stuff. This saved the cost of moving new furniture in just for pictures.

2) Install inexpensive window treatments - less than $200

3) Add some accessories and artwork - I provided this

4) Hire a professional photographer to shoot 6 pictures - this cost all of $75

For under $300, they now have gorgeous pictures to post the next time they need to re-rent. And I bet you they will have their next tenant set up to move in the day after the old tenant moves out. They should also be able to increase their rent by at least $300 a month.

If you would like to find out how to get more rent and better tenents for your rental, call me at 206-781-1724 or e-mail me at Susan@SusanPeters.com.

The Better it Looks...The Better it Sells It also rents a lot better too.....

Transfrom a 50's Pink Bath for 60 Bucks!

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 02:32:50 -0800

How many time have you been stopped in your tracks by the pink elephant! Especially when your clients don't have the money or the will to replace the offending fixtures.

Well here's a fast and inexpensive fix to taming the beast. I had my clients paint the cabinetry and the walls with Cappacino by Restroration Hardware and then I whipped up a shower curtain and matching window treatment from 2 panels I picked up on sale at JC Penneys. The plaid contained a small amount of pink with brown and gold. It all worked to actually tone dowm the pink sink and tub.

If you're having problems taming your 50's bath give me a call at 206-781-1724, because:

The Better it Looks... the Better it Sells!

The Sectional That Ate Seattle!

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:50:13 -0800

Sectional couches are wonderful. They are big enough for your whole family, including the 4 footed members, and after Thanksgiving dinner, three or four people can pass out at the same time. But when it comes to selling your house, sometimes a sectional can just be too much of a good thing.

That was the case with this house. The sectional ate up almost the entire living room and took the focus off the beautiful fireplace.

What's the solution?

First, I got rid of the corner piece & set up the remaining one armed couches facing each other.
I put a little side table at each armless end and nobody seemed to notice.
It created a much more intimate space, almost like an inglenook.
This allowed the fireplace to take center stage.

The house sold in 5 days, so all's well that ends well!

Before: After:

If you need to save the sale of your house from a ravenous sectional, give me a call!

Susan Peters

206.781.1724

Susan@SusanPeters.com

The Better it Looks...The Better it Sells!

How to Sell Your Parents Home in 7 Days!

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:03:37 -0800

My clients were recently faced with the challenge of placing their parents in an assisted living facility and selling their home. This is how we did it, step by step, in seven days. (From the time we listed it!)

1. This is the most important part. They moved their folks into the assisted living facility before they even talked about selling the house. Having your house on the market is stressful for anyone, but there is nothing more distressing for elderly sellers than having strangers tromp through their house day in and day out.

2. We set a budget of $15,000 for improvements that would give the best return. This included: paint, refinishing hardwood floors, new sink and counter tops in the kitchen, some new lighting fixtures, a ton of yard work and a new (tear off) roof.

3. After the work was done, I brought in furniture, artwork,and accessories and then staged the living daylights out of it!

4. Instead of using my traditional real estate sign, I had a custom sign made that mimicked my flyer. On Sunday afternoon, I had over 200 people come through my open house. By Sunday night, we had a full price offer and we closed in 30 days.

Before After

The funky Euro style laminate cabinetry which had been sponge painted was transformed by painting out the entire cabinet with Latte by Restoration Hardware.

The biggest improvement here was painting out the fireplace. Lightening up the drab green wall color paint helped to wake up the entire room.

Again, paint was the hero for this little bathroom.

If you'd like to sell your parent's home in seven days, give me a call!

The Better it Looks...The Better it Sells!

Susan@SusanPeters.com

206.781.1724

www.SellingYourParentsHome.com

www.SusanPeters.com

Is There a Bomb in Your Client's Home?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:01:15 -0800

I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast a couple of weeks ago when I smelled something electrical burning. I quickly followed the smell down to my basement and, much to my shock, I found my old electric water heater had flames coming out of the bottom of it! It was surrounded by all sorts of stored flammable items -boxes, a bedspread and wrapping paper, which I frantically pulled several feet away from the fire.

Thank goodness I had a fire extinguisher, but, of course, it was upstairs in the kitchen. After all, that's the first place I thought a fire would start. That's what I was told. No one ever mentioned the hot water heater. I was able to put the fire out without any damage, but I was pretty shaken up for the rest of the day. What if I hadn't been home or even on the second floor of my home? I wouldn't have smelled the fire until it was out of control or my house had blown up. I'm not exaggerating. Check out the link below and watch just how serious this is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJoyuUJj2Q

Height of blast: 45 feet. Width of blast: 25 feet. The tank flew 500 feet! Apparently, this can happen with either a gas or an electric water heater.

If you are working with a client who has either an older home or an old water heater, I recommend they do the following: Have them replace the water heater when if needs it - don't have them try to squeeze more time out of it. You may all just have a flattened house for a listing! Have them put a smoke alarm wherever the hot water tank is located and keep a fire extinguisher close enough to reach it quickly.

Are You Faking it in the Bedroom?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:56:16 -0800

No it's not what you think.

It's just another way to make a bed without dragging out a ton of linens.

First of all you don't need a full set of sheets. A flat twin will do if you put it on sideways and short sheet the bed. Needless to say, don't try this in an occupied home.
You can use a king size coverlet with the top and bottom turned around (sideways). That way you don't have to mess with a bedspread and a dust ruffle.
In this small bedroom I used plant stands for side tables and cleared everything else out except 1 dresser..

This is defiantly a case where less is more.

If you'd like to make the most of your home when you put it on the market, call me first.

The Better it Looks...the Better it Sells!

Susan Peters 206-781-1724

Real Estate Sales/Staging/Redesign

Are You Seeing Red? Part I

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:34:40 -0800

Although red rooms may still be popular, a little bit goes a long way when you are trying to sell your home. When you have a red accent wall you will have to take into consideration every other room you can see from that vantage point. As with most bungalows, you could see right into the persimmon colored kitchen. Persimmon Orange and Claret Red are arch enemies. In this case it made more sense to neutralize the accent wall and pull in some pops of orange to tie everything together.

This Ballard bungalow sold for full price in 4 days. If you'd like to see a sold sign in your future, give me a call at 206-781-1724.

The Better it Looks...The Better it Sells!

Are You Seeing Red? Part II

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:38:27 -0800

Sometimes a seller just runs out of steam. Although I wanted this red bedroom neutralized with a couple of coats of "Latte" by Restoration Hardware, she ran out of time, money and energy. The solution? A Ralph "Laurenish" look.

First of all I had her store her gorgeous but oversized antique bed and I replaced it with a scaled down version.
The next step was to bring some toile drapes and matching plates to balance the red.
Adding some sheers, as well, softened the harsh view of the house next door.
This red room ended up working out just fine, as we got a full price offer in 4 days.

If you are thinking of selling your home and you want to see a sold sign in your front yard, give me a call at 206-781-1724

The Better it Looks...The Better it Sells!

How do You Treat the Little Guy?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:03:41 -0800

Most agents will pull out all the stops for their high-end listings.

Staging
Professional Photography
Glossy, full color flyers...the works

But if you really want to know how they're going to treat your house, take a look at how they market their most affordable listings. Too often, you will see:

Dark, amateur photography
No staging efforts
The MLS reports printed out in black and white for flyers

Well, not me.

I believe every listing deserves my best. This little condo I listed in Magnolia was sited on a lush ravine and had been totally remodeled by the owner. It just needed the finishing touches. With some classic staging and gorgeous photography to capture the setting, it sold in thirty days.

The other unit in the same complex is still sitting there six months later...

These photos really captured the setting and the fact that this was an end unit wrapped in windows. You can see the difference staging and professional photography makes. This level of service is included in my commission at no additional cost to the seller.

Equal rights for all listings!

Who Said Seattle's Market is Dead?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:56:44 -0800

It certainly isn't dead for classic bungalows in Ballard under 500k. This is one I listed on my birthday, the 23rd of October. No I'm not going to tell you the year. It sold on the 27th for full price!

Classic houses like classic cars never go out of style. Of course staging, out of the box marketing and spot on pricing go a long way to getting any listing sold in any market.

Staging vs. Re-Design or How I saved my clients $7,000!

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:25:09 -0700

While staging and re-design have much in common; working with smaller budgets, editing, and organizing, there are a couple of major differences. Namely with a staging job your are creating a look for a stranger. The perfect stranger, a ready willing and able buyer. It also needs to be done in a very short period of time.

With re-design you have a lot more time but you are creating a more personal look, often for two people who may have very different taste. That was certainly the case with my last re-design. He wanted a clean, contemporary, cohesive, space. She on the other hand, loved anything whimsical, eclectic and was drawn to bold colors.

Like many couples they had he stuff, she stuff, their stuff (hand-me-downs) and some good stuff. They needed four rooms done and they had a budget of $20,000. This is how we (it's definitely a collaborative effort) did it for $13,000. 7k under budget! And that includes my fee.

Since she had just re-painted the house in her favorite colors and they were not planning on selling, I decided to go with it. And as you can see from the before picture on the left they had too much furniture and it was very dark and antiquish.

We took almost everything out and replaced it with light contemporary pieces. Working with neutrals; ivory, taupe, black and gold, the blue walls settled right down and actually became quite soothing.

For this room I purchased the following:1 sofa, 2 chairs, a mirror, artwork, a custom cut rug, 2 side tables, 1 sofa table, 3 lamps, a dozen pillows, accessories and a mid century coffee table. The coffee table is a nod to her whimsical side and it was actually a nice counterpoint to the contemporary upholstered pieces.

We were able to re-use the rug in the family room and I re-matted a couple of bird prints (compliments of his mom). They worked just fine with the new blue heron printed on linen.

The dining room just needed a little accessorizing. I changed the buffet mirror from a portrait to a landscape placement, re-placed the red Victorian chandelier with a silk drum shade, added candles and sconces and more candles. Throw in a runner, a few extra table linens and some wooden balls and they were good to go

For the bedroom I took artwork that had previously been languishing in the living room. It made a great statement over the bed and that little bit of orange became a jumping off point for an accent color amidst all the taupe. It was just enough to satisfy her love of bold color.

A bamboo duvet cover and 600 thread count sheets made the most of this elegant bed. As you can see from the before picture the bedside lighting was wimpy to say the least. These gorgeous glass lamps brightened everything up and gave balance to the bed.

A throw, candles, silk pillows and a handful of accessories in the orange family completed the look.

In addition to everything you see here, we were able to purchase extra linens, a sectional couch for the family room and still stay 7k under budget.

With staging, your goal is to de-personalize where with Re-design your goal is to re-personalize.

A couple of hours with your favorite stager makes a great housewarming gift for your buyers!

Re-Design Your Closet?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:58:04 -0700

I knew that I had met a kindred soul when I was introduced to Patricia Gorham, owner of Inside/Out Style. She does redesign for your closet, just like I do redesign for your home.

When she's done, you have totally coordinated wardrobe that expresses your personal style. You don't know what your style is? Don't worry, she'll find it for you. And to top it off you'll end up with more money in your pocketbook than you would have shopping on your own. She knows the difference between a real bargain and something that's just on sale. In her latest newsletter she had an excellent idea for organizing your clothes for the entire week. What a time and stress saver!

You don't have to be a movie star to have your own stylist. Click here for the whole article.

My 3 Favorite Things in West Seattle

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:49:53 -0700

1. Capers

This is one of the best little interior design shops in Seattle. They have fabulous accessories and if you are looking for smaller-scale "bungalow-sized" furniture, this is the place to go.

CAPERS 4521 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116-4110 (206) 932-0371

2. Fresh Bistro

Fresh Bistro is my new favorite restaurant. It was started by Seattle Catering Company Herban Feast. Not only do they have wonderfully fresh ingredients, but their recipes are truly inspired.

http://www.herbanfeast.com/freshbistro/ 4725 42nd Ave SW, Seattle, WA‎ - (206) 935-3733‎

3. Shoofly Pie Company

If you are going to have a piece of pie, Shoofly Pie is the place to have it. If you want to make your own pie but don't want to mess with the dough, buy some fresh Shoofly dough and knock yourself out!

4444 California Ave SW Seattle, WA 98116 (206) 938-0680

Are You Suffering from Refferalexia?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:58:09 -0700

I have to admit that over the years, when it comes to referring business out I've been striking out! No matter how much research I would do one of two things would happen: either the agent who looked so good on-line and sounded so good on the phone didn't live up to their first impression, or they just weren't a good fit for my clients.

I'm happy to say that those days are over! This month I found two exceptional agents for my out-of-area clients. The first was Elaine Stewart in Palm Springs, who found a fabulous home in record time and negotiated a jaw-dropping price. My client's thrilled and so am I. My second client is in Pennsylvania. She'll be calling the agent I vetted this week and I expect the same stellar results.

Where did I find these paragons of virtue? Activerain, of course. There is something about reading an agent's blog that gives you a level of insight miles above viewing a website.

Now I'm looking for an agent in Rochester Michigan.

If you're moving out of Seattle and need an excellent agent or a talented Stager call me at 206-781-1724 or email me at susan@susanpeters.com

I know where the great agents hide out!

Where can you find some of the best artwork in Seattle?

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:31:32 -0700

On Bainbridge Island, just a 35 minute ferry ride away.

When it comes to interior design my philosophy is “fast and cheap,” with one exception: artwork! Take some of the money you’ve saved on furniture and spend it on something you’ll love for the rest of your life.

Director’s Gallery on Bainbridge Island is my new favorite resource for beautiful, evocative, original paintings. Owner and director Jack Mclaughlin not only has an incredible eye (there was not one thing in the place I didn’t like), but he is so knowledgeable and so not pushy! While his taste is exquisite, his prices are very reasonable.

When you buy artwork, buy something you absolutely love!

Director’s Gallery 126 Madrone Lane Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 206.842.6000 www.TheDirectorsGallery.com

Café Nola, also on Bainbridge Island

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:29:32 -0700

After three or four hours of power shopping, you’ll probably work up an appetite. You can’t go wrong with Café Nola! Excellent service, fresh ingredients, prepared with care and imagination. Take a look! www.cafenola.com 101 Winslow Way E Bainbridge Isle, WA 98110 (206) 842-3822. Cafe Nola is closed on Wednesdays.

Mistake-Proof Color

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:27:01 -0700

Do you get overwhelmed when you go to a paint store? Then you should let a pro do the work of selecting the right color for your house. Companies like Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn have spent small fortunes putting together their definitive and elegant color schemes, so when you get ready to paint, pick up one of their palettes and use it throughout your house. Every color will work with every other color. It’s almost impossible to make a mistake!

One of my favorite combinations (particularly if you think you may be selling your house in the near future) is Latte for walls, with The Right White molding, and Silver Sage for the ceiling. I can't tell you how many houses I've sold using these colors.

In the photo I used this combination with Flax above the picture rail. Stop by the University Village store (4635 University Village Place Seattle, WA 98105 - (206) 522-2775) to pick up a samples and paint chips.

Get Gorgeous For Less

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:58:18 -0700

Get Gorgeous For Less: PHASE 3

Phase 3 in Belltown is the advanced training center for the Gary Manuel Salon. All of the stylists have competed for their coveted position and they are the cream of the crop! This salon uses Aveda products and their prices average at half of what you pay for the same service in a comparable salon anywhere in Seattle. Dawn gave me one of the best haircuts I have ever had! They consistently get rave reviews and I can see why.

2127 First Avenue  ///  Seattle, WA    ///  98121
phone:  206-728-1234  ///  fax:  206-728-0161
email:  salon@garymanuel.com

Bathroom Chat Part III: Just when you think you've seen it all...

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:20:50 -0700

Think again! While showing houses yesterday, I came across this little artifact. It's a toilet seat,in case you can't tell. And if that wasn't enough, take a look at the second picture of the master bath. What were they thinking?

This certainly injected some humor into a long day of touring, but it didn't do a thing to get the house sold. The moral of this story is: De-personalize, re-personalize but get rid of the joke toilet seats!

Any Stager with a pulse would have told you to change these out.

How to Get What You Want For Free

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:09:43 -0800

Local Marketing Specialist Dominic Canterbury has just launched Dibspace.com - a new service-bartering website for business owners and everyone else.

Dibspace is a virtual currency for independent businesses. It works like a barter credit system but it's a couple billion times better than anything you've ever seen.

For a business with some open space in their schedule, this is an easy and free way to fill up your time and earn credits to spend on other fantastic services. AND even if you don't have a business, there are ways for you to earn credits, so everybody can join.

When you sign up your business you'll automatically get 100 Dibits (that's the currency of the site). And there are incentives to earn more Dibits by doing things like inviting friends and posting offers, so you can get Dibit-rich pretty easily.

Check it out at: dibspace.com

Now For The Gluten-Intolerant

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:06:39 -0800

If you are gluten-intolerant, you don't have to give up pasta all together. Trader Joe's has come to your rescue with a brand new product that is actually pretty delicious: Gluten Free Mac 'N' Cheese! It's great for kids, or a quick meal for adults too. Or, use the pasta without the cheese sauce and create your own gourmet gluten-free dish.

By the way, the new Trader Joe's in Ballard just opened today. Finally!!!!

A Little Piece of Heaven in Your Mouth...

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:05:06 -0800

That is what it tastes like when you bite into a handmade ravioli from Picolinos, a brand new restaurant in Sunset Hill. (It's on the west side of Ballard.) They serve a classic Italian menu crafted with a light but incredibly flavorful touch. Everything from pizza to pasta to salmon! The fare is not only delicous, but the setting is delightful.

They're open 7 days a week, and are located slightly off the beaten track in a neighborhood setting where you don't have to hunt or pay for parking! Try it today, you will not be disappointed!

Is the Kitchen Dragging Your Listing Down? It Doesn't Have To...

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:50:08 -0800

Everyone knows that a kitchen can make or break a sale. With some major de-cluttering and a minor remodeling job a tired kitchen can become the queen of the prom! So to speak. The elements that went into this makeover were a new stove, sink, countertops, hardware, light fixtures, fresh paint and 19 inch vinyl floor tiles.

Everything except the countertops came from Lowes. They came from IKEA. The cost for the materials was just under $1500 and most of the labor could be tackled by a reasonably handy homeowner. It was well worth it--this was the only house that sold in Ballard in the 400-450k price range in the month of December.

The furniture, window treatments and accessories were all courtesy of the Stager. That would be me!

Get Your Fashion Fix & Fix a Heart

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:52:12 -0800

If you're addicted to Project Runway, you have to attend this fashion show. This event sold out last year so get your tickets today! More information can be found out at: www.projectreddress.com This is just in time for Valentine's Day! Don't miss the second annual Project Red Dress event held on February 13th at 7:30pm in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Local and national judges, including Project Runway's Nick Verreos, will judge one-of-a-kind red gowns all designed by local fashion design students. Proceeds from the event benefit the student winner of Project Red Dress with a Fashion Group International-Seattle scholarship and the American Heart Association. Last year's sold out, one-of-a-kind event made history in Seattle. Be sure to add this event to your calendar today!

Meet Aida & Zane Gray

Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells (Dove Realty Inc.) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:47:39 -0800

They are currently residing at Crown Hill Pet Supply in Ballard. They were found as feral kittens months ago, and although the staff takes excellent care of them, they are looking for a permanent home.

In addition to being quite handsome, they are sweet and very attached to one another, so they must be adopted together. They have been spayed and neutered and the adoption fee is $180 for the pair! In addition to fostering kittens, Crown Hill Pet Supply is the place to shop for natural, healthy pet products. Contact Crown Hill Pet Supply in Ballard: 9053 Holman Road NW, Seattle, WA (206) 783-9570. www.crownhillpet.com Isn't this better than boring old roses for Valentine's Day?