Special offer

What Does a Cantaloupe Have To Do With Selling Real Estate?

By
Home Stager with Home Star Staging

What does a cantaloupe have to do with selling real estate?

A lot if you ask me.  Cantaloupe

One of my favorite tips to share with my clients when giving them information during a home staging consultation and explaining what to pack when preparing their home for sale is to

Pack up anything smaller than a cantaloupe. 

This reference for scale also helps eliminate any awkward or involved conversations that may ensue about said items smaller than this lovely fruit. It has nothing to do with me not "liking" the item(s) but

it has everything to do with taking better MLS photos and removing the visual clutter

which very well may be covering up or overshadowing the parts of the home you are actually SELLING!

The cantaloupe is an easy to remember for scale visual that helps clients understand what needs to be packed without repeating in every room "pack the" (you fill in the blank & this includes small framed art or photos, examples below);

  • Spoon collection
  • Hummel, Precious Moments or other like collectibles
  • Paper weights
  • Turtle, pig, cow or other small fake animals that may roam the house collection (in my house it's the pigs)
  • The list could go on and on

Now some collections and items are contained in large curio cabinets or wall shelving units that may work for the collection. It is still a common recommendation to pack up

Fox 4 Good Day Dallas Studios

those types of items (including the curio cabinet) however if a client refuses, it's best to suggest that the entire collection be contained in one location as a group and to pack up any access outliers if there are a random smattering around. (You can't win all battles). 

I even shared this tip on FOX 4 Good Day Dallas! when I was asked to come in to do a segment on home staging. It's that good! (can you find it?)

So if you need an easy way to help a home seller remember a visual to help them pack before photos and showings, feel free to blame use the sweet cantaloupe as a point of reference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Cantaloupe image from Brazilian Melon.com)

 

 *****************************************************

Home Star Staging is the best home staging company located in Plano, TX and has been serving the North Texas Real Estate Market since 2006.

  • Pre-list home staging property consultations
  • Post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
  • Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
  • Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
  • Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!
  • Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com Interested in starting your own Home Staging Business in Texas, OK or North West LA? I can help! Click the link below in the Staging & Redesign Box!

SAR Click Here Info RESA Pro logo 

 

Posted by

Home Staging Dallas - Karen Otto

Comments (45)

Cooper Jacobs
Looking For A Seattle Realtor? COOPERJACOBS.COM - Seattle, WA
Real Estate Brokers - Seattle

Very funny Karen and thank you for sharing the topic. The only thing possibly funnier would be if you can somehow put on that melon in your BLOG "NOT ACTUAL SIZE". It might give folks some hope that they can leave some things out and about in the home.

Thanks again.

Jul 14, 2013 02:39 PM
Michele Peterson
Sellstate Realty First - Roseville, CA
Sellstate Realty First

Great post...Looking at my 7 year olds play room, bedroom and the rest of our house that she has taken over.

We may need a U-Haul and we aren't even moving!!

Several of my clients are quite the collectors and have lived in their homes for 30-40 years.  To them.....I might say... Everything smaller than a couch needs to be packed up.

* The bear room

* The ballerian room

* The tea cup room

* The craft room

* The train rooms - yes..they built a door to take over Bedroom #2 and #3 with the waist high room filling train set!

 

Jul 14, 2013 03:15 PM
Loreena and Michael Yeo
3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX
Real Estate Agents

I didnt know you were on Fox4. What a great experience. Your table setting clearly explains the canteloupe.

Jul 14, 2013 07:53 PM
Kathy Nielsen
http://atlantahomestaging.net - Marietta, GA
Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Awesome post, my staging sista! Congrats on your appearance on TV!

Kathy

Jul 14, 2013 09:02 PM
Edward Gilmartin
CRE - Boston, MA

Good idea to remove anything that distracts a customer from the home.

Jul 14, 2013 09:13 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

now that's the kind of title that gets a post read!!

Jul 14, 2013 09:35 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Your title certainly got my attention!!! What a fabulous analogy and I'm stealing it from you! Thanks.

Jul 14, 2013 10:14 PM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

Here I was waiting for some reference to not touching the possessions improperly, so as to not allow for slippery fingers with big pockets

Jul 14, 2013 10:51 PM
John T. Dowd
United Country Dowd & Forbes Realty - Edenton, NC
Integrity - Service - Experience

Right...........easier said than done in a depressed market like we are experiencing in northeastern NC.  We have homes on the market in our historic district that have DOM of 600 days

Jul 14, 2013 11:34 PM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Karen, what a great tip. Everyone can visualize the size of a cantaloupe. Congratulations on your television appearance.

Jul 14, 2013 11:35 PM
Helen and Larry Prier- Re-Max Gateway - Residential Real Estate
RE-MAX Gateway- Residential Real Estate Sales - Anacortes, WA
Anacortes & surrounding Skagit & Island Counties

Karen, Just wanted to let you know that I featured you in My Favorites for last week and that in turn has been featured today.. Here is the link. http://activerain.com/blogsview/3780237/my-favorite-blog-posts-for-this-week-july-8th-to-14th

Jul 14, 2013 11:52 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Still getting my head wrapped around the concept...maybe thinking it is a breakfast fruit. And just hungry to eat one.

Jul 15, 2013 12:04 AM
Amanda Christiansen
Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843 - Fort Wayne, IN
Christiansen Group Realty

Great post Karen!  Catchy title too.  Now I'm craving a canteloupe...                                                                                      

Jul 15, 2013 12:50 AM
Chris and Dick Dovorany
Homes for Sale in Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida - Naples, FL
Broker/Associate at Premiere Plus Realty

How terrific.  I love it!!! Pack up anything smaller than a cantaloupe.  Just plain perfect.

Jul 15, 2013 01:02 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

It's so much easier to use this strategy than to try and explain why you are suggesting each thing be removed from the room.  Great tip!!

Jul 15, 2013 10:01 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

I hope everyone who found this tip of value will start using the cantaloupe as a visual clue to help their clients pack up those small items that could impede a sale and essentially it helps them anyway get ready to move quick!

Thank you for reading!

Jul 15, 2013 11:22 PM
Marilyn Wier
RE/MAX Space Center - League City, TX
Your League City & Surrounding Areas REALTOR!

Great post Karen! What an honor to be able to share your tips on the news as well!

Jul 16, 2013 03:16 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Thanks Karen, I had not heard this tip before, but I will be using it in the future.

Jul 17, 2013 11:23 AM
Sally Weatherley
EXIT STAGE RIGHT - Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Home Staging, Home Stager Vancouver, B.C

Karen - such a simple visual to share with clients - the humble cantalope...  Those itty, bitty collectibles become busy dots in MLS Photos.  Best to pack them up.  

Jul 17, 2013 03:18 PM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Karen - This is a great tip and one sellers are sure to remember once you've left the house.

Jul 28, 2013 02:10 AM