I love tackling homes that have been on the market for awhile. As a seller or listing agent, it can be frustrating because it is hard to identify what is keeping a property on the market. As a stager, I recommend getting a critical pair of eyes in the home. There may be quick fixes that will give the home a newer, more polished feel without having to spend a lot of money. Here are a few problem areas I often see:
1. A bland front porch/entrance. There has to be something eye-catching or minutely remarkable about the front area. Otherwise the home a potential buyer is walking up to is, in their mind, like every other house on the block. Who wants to buy that? They want to buy the "cute" home that they are proud of. This can be done by: re-painting the front door a fresh, colorful shade (I LOVE a deep red color), planting flowers, or simply placing a small terra cotta pot with colorful flowers near the front door. And a new, clean welcome mat. Do not use the sellers old frayed mat, please.
2. Weird after market things the seller did. OK, I should take back the word weird. It's things we all do - add plastic 3M hooks to the bathroom and kitchen, put a cheap full length mirror up in a random spot that we use to get ready, put up a shelf in the laundry room to hold detergent, etc. I have done all those things in my own home. However, when it comes time to sell, a buyer does not want to see these remnants of how we lived our lives in the home. As I always say - think "MODEL HOME". The imaginary families in the model home don't need a under-the-cabinet plastic paper towel dispenser. Their under the cabinets are pristine. They don't need a double stick hook for their plastic bags, they only need a mirror in the bathroom, not behind the bedroom door. So try to get the home to its pristine, imaginary family state. It will give your buyers something to ooh and ahh at.
3. A dirty or not professionally cleaned home. Yes a home on the market is usually clean. But is it impeccably clean and spotless? I highly recommend hiring a professional cleaning service. Tell them the house will be going on sale and the cleaner it is, the better the response will be. They will understand. I often see these areas missed in cleanings: electrical faceplates (both for outlets and for on/off switches), baseboards, small marks on walls, railings, tub grout, tiles, kitchen countertops, etc. These are all areas where a little bit of elbow grease and the right cleaning products (magic eraser, etc) can make a HUGE difference. You'd be surprised at the types of marks I've been able to remove with just soap and warm water and some muscle (much to the amazement of my clients!). We all want to move into that beautifully clean home, so do your buyers.
Sejal Parekh
Founder and Professional Home Stager
Innovae Designs Home Staging
San Francisco Bay Area
www.innovaedesigns.com
www.facebook.com/innovaedesigns
Tel 650.450.3648
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