realtors“Through The Buyer's Eyes”
Grand Tour Magazine
January 2006
Deborah Fabricant
The competition is getting stiff. As we move into 2006 we swallow the fact that this enormous Real Estate boom might finally be slowing down. We’ve all heard about interest rates rising, people in over their heads with big mortgages and homes not selling as fast as they were even 6 months ago. Sure, there will still be the “big” sales, but what about the everyday Joe who is trying to sell his house at the highest price he can get? The average person does not have an interior decorator “do” his house to perfection. That is reserved for the wealthy homeowner. So what does this average homeowner do to increase the value of his property without having to completely re-decorate his home? He gets help from a Stager, that’s what.
Selling your home is personal, and as a Professional Stager I see homeowners who refuse to budge when it comes to enhancing their homes for re-sale. They don’t want to remove all the finger paintings their kids did in grammar school, or the ragged but treasured coverlet on the bed, or the vase with fake flowers that have seen better days, or any of the trinkets lying around that “have meaning” or are “sentimental”. Forgeddaboutit. Now is the time to look at your home with the eyes of THE BUYER! Walk around your home as though you’ve never seen it before and then begin to edit!
Like a personal trainer, I coach, insist and encourage my clients to get their homes into shape and fit to sell. This means updating, cleaning, clearing clutter. They call me The Domestic Fitness Guru tm,, and rightfully so…I don’t let up on my clients until the house is in top shape to sell and I’m brutal because I want to get the most out of the sale of a property.
Perking up your home may involve spending a little money in hopes of pocketing
more. You may have to refresh paint, floor finishes, window treatments
or new doors, but in the long run, you will reap the benefit from the sale.
This is a numbers game and by cleaning up and enhancing your home the chances
of greater rewards in the end are huge. Think of it as “designing
your home to leave”. Sure you love those bright green walls
in your bedroom, but they are not going to show a house as well as a soft,
pale taupe coupled with crisp white linens and silver framed photographs. Get
over the personal loss of packing up all those books, throwing away 20
years’ worth of National Geographics or Bon Appetit, putting
away Grandma’s china or moving out worn furniture. My job is
to help you edit and get over the scary or painful process of
facing the erosion of familiarity around you.
Here are some Tips and Pointers on getting your house ready to put
on the market:
INTERIOR:
- Clear out 80% of the decorative objects in your house.
- Clear out all objects that are not ABSOLUTELY necessary from kitchen counters, bathrooms, bedrooms, showers, work-rooms and office space. Neatly arrange make-up brushes, perfume bottles (no more than 3!) and cosmetics in small trays or holders. Use only crisp, white, new (please!) towels and fold them neatly. Put the nightgowns and robes in the closet. Oh…and clean out your closet!
- Remove all furniture that is worn, sagging, scratched or marred. Your Staging Professional can replace furniture. Edit each room and remove all un-necessary furniture and/or gym equipment. Take the TV out of the Living Room!
- Take down all artwork and rearrange with the help of a professional.
- Do a walk through and objectively decide what must be done to freshen the interior. Clean, clean, clean the bathrooms and kitchen until they sparkle.
- Paint, if necessary
- Re-finish floors
- Clean all carpets
- Have windows and screens washed. Replace any torn screens.
- Check all lighting and replace bulbs with “soft” light bulbs. Turn on all lights during open house.
- Make sure your home smells good. That means no cat liter smell, no smoking smell, no old linen smell. (Sorry, but it DOES happen!) Use a lemongrass candle in the entryway during open house.
- Put new linens on the beds.
EXTERIOR:
- Do a walk through of the perimeter of your home.
- Remove and hide garbage cans, rubbish, old pots and dead plants, toys, BBQ’s, tattered umbrellas or broken patio furniture.
- Clean gutters, repair fences, sweep grounds and hose down. Have driveways or patios pressure cleaned, if necessary.
- Check the landscaping: Prune, feed all plants. Remove any overgrowth in front of windows or that might be hiding the house. Cut the lawn and fertilize. Remove any dead shrubs or plantings and replace with flowering ones.
- If necessary, paint the trim and front door
- Clean the pool and replace any tile. Clean all patio furniture and replace cushions.
- Clean up any dog mess and children’s toys before each open house.
This I know. Once you have completed the above and used a Stager to help you stage your home, the monetary benefit will astound you. The Art of Home Staging by Deborah Fabricant can be reached at 323.651.4644.