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Stage Your Kitchen: WOW Your Buyers

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX of Nanaimo

Stage Your Kitchen: WOW Your Buyers

Straightforward; Staging is conceptually really simple.

In a nutshell it's cleaning, organizing and decorating your
home  to make it look its best for potential buyers.
Because the kitchen is one of the most used rooms,                                                                                                                                              it can be a bit of a challenge to properly stage.Kitchen
You can't just set it up for showings and never use it!

Yet, an effectively staged kitchen can
help sell your home because it’s the room that buyers often
scrutinize and remember most. BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS SELL HOMES.


Here is your basic KITCHEN STAGING 101
:

• BE RELENTLESS WHEN DE-CLUTTERING YOUR KITCHEN.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Unnecessary items? Stow them, sell them or get rid of them.

• CLEAR THE COUNTERTOPS. RULE OF THUMB: Maximum of two appliances in
view. Now the buyers will see that there’s lots of surface
space available.


• SHINY SINK. Does your usual cleaner do the job? If not, there
are a variety of specialty products available for cleaning all kinds of sinks,                                          

                      including stainless steel.


• HOW ABOUT SOME UPGRADES?

Simply  replacing cabinetry hardware can make a big difference. 

 

Perhaps installing a new countertop. Upgrading decisions will depend on your kitchens'
age and condition. Talk to your REALTOR®. The return may be worth the investment.

• PAINT AND STAIN.

So easily affordable and what a huge improvement it can make.                                                                                                                                             

A new coat of stain or other finish can make older, worn cabinets look new again.


• FRESH FLOWERS in a vase brighten up any room, especially
the kitchen.


• DOUBLE DUTY. If there isn't space for a regular kitchen table and chairs,                                             

consider a small bistro table with a couple of stools if there's room.
Then your buyer will see that there’s at least the option to eat-in.

The fact is: Kitchens and bathrooms sell, so showing off your kitchen                                                                                                                                            to it's best advantage can put more money in your pocket in the end.

Stacey Brown
ILM Realty - Colchester, CT
REALTOR

We're doing the granite winter project at our house this year. And the deiling paint, and the hardwood floors, and ...

Make it nice - you need to live there. If not - you need to sell it!

Jan 24, 2011 03:33 PM
Terkel Sørensen
Real Estate Places - Temecula, CA
Realtor, 951.805.0773 , Bank owned and Short Sales

nice post, I was just in a staged house today, such a difference...

Jan 24, 2011 03:44 PM
RhondaHeaslip NanaimoRealEstate
RE/MAX of Nanaimo - Nanaimo, BC

Stacey, I agree: Make it nice, whether you sell or not. I will be renovating my kitchen, and I want to enjoy it for a while before we list our home.

Terkel, You are right...It's a huge difference and you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

Jan 24, 2011 03:59 PM
Brian Madigan
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage (Toronto) - Toronto, ON
LL.B., Broker

Rhonda,

 

That makes a lot of sense, and it's also the place where the prospective buyers are going to linger.

 

Brian

Jan 24, 2011 11:47 PM
Steven Nickens
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers - Wailea, HI
R(S)GRI ABR, Maui Real Estate Hawaii

Rhonda, You know what your talking about. If I was going to buy a house in B.C. you are the expert.

Jan 25, 2011 08:38 AM
RhondaHeaslip NanaimoRealEstate
RE/MAX of Nanaimo - Nanaimo, BC

Brian, Thanks for commenting and you're right: They do like to confer in the kitchen quite often.

Steve, Thanks! Having visited you at your open house in Wailea, I'd have to say that your sellers are definitely on board with the kitchen theory as well. That one was gorgeous.

Jan 25, 2011 08:44 AM