Welcome to the fourth installment in the series addressing common questions this New Jersey Home Stager is frequently asked by my homeowner clients.  In this installment, I’ll be addressing the question:  “Should we clean out our garage and/or basement when selling our home?”

In the first installment, I discussed the question, “Do we need to pack away our family photos, memorabilia and collections?” In the second, I covered the question, “Should we paint inside and out?”

The third installment dealt with the question, “Can we keep the wallpaper in our (insert a room)?

No matter what the room in your home, you must always present a neat and orderly home for buyers to see.  If you must store furniture and other belongings in either the garage or basement, make sure you group the items neatly in one area of the space so that the remainder of the room is clearly visible to buyers. Try to avoid lining walls with items as it prevents buyers from seeing what they’re buying:  Your Real Estate!! Use this opportunity to eliminate the “stuff” you’ve gathered over the years by having a yard sale, donating items to charity, giving away to friends, or even throwing tired things away.  Since you’re going to be moving soon, you need to address the clutter NOW, not later — it will be to your benefit as your home will be clutter-free when it is being shown to potential buyers.

The Garage:

It’s really important that buyers can walk into and around your garage.  If the garage is chock full of stuff, you really must eliminate items and neaten this important space before the house is listed.  Ideally, you will want to show your house with your car(s) in the garage — this demonstrates to buyers that their car(s) will also fit comfortably in the garage.  Keep the clutter to an absolute minimum.  Consider painting the walls and floor before listing the house.  This conveys to buyers the sense that the home has been very well-cared for over its lifetime.  This is a huge plus in a buyer’s mind!

The Basement:

If your home has an unfinished basement, it’s important to make this space as neat and tidy as possible.  Eliminate clutter wherever possible. Neaten any and all work areas — whether it’s a work bench or the laundry room.  Clean cobwebs from walls, ceilings and corners. If the basement smells musty, set up a dehumidifier and leave it running continuously.  You may want to consider painting the floor of your basement — this gives it a finished and cared-for appearance.  Again, any items that you must store in the basement should be grouped in one area wherever possible, leaving the majority of the wall space open for buyers to see.

If you happen to have a finished basement, it’s in your best interest to take time to create specific living areas — this is a sure-fire way to appeal to a broad array of buyers.  In the following photos you’ll see how we were able to take areas of this finished basement and re-purpose them so that buyers would understand that these were great, usable areas of the home.  Don’t leave this to the imagination of buyers — make it easy for them to imagine living, entertaining and enjoying life in your home!!

Finished Basement Gym Before

Finished Basement Gym After

Finished Basement TV Area Before

Finished Basement TV Area After

Finished Basement Office Before

Finished Basement Office After

Welcome to the third installment in the series addressing common questions this New Jersey Home Stager is frequently asked by my homeowner clients.

In the first installment, I discussed the question, “Do we need to pack away our family photos, memorabilia and collections?” In the second, I covered the question, “Should we paint inside and out?”

The third installment deals with the question, “Can we keep the wallpaper in our (insert a room)?

In short, the answer is usually, “No, remove the wallpaper and paint your walls a nice warm neutral color.”  Typically, this advice usually evokes an unhappy reaction from my clients.  After all, removing wallpaper ranks right up there for most people with having a root canal. I will then explain that when prospective buyers see wallpaper they will immediately picture themselves removing it, or worse, the dollars flying out of their wallets to pay someone else to do it for them. Chances are good that this daunting prospect will be just enough to make the buyer move on to the next house on their list; after all, in this market, we know that there are plenty of homes competing with yours.

As shown in these two photos above, wallpaper, even more than paint, is very taste-specific.  Furthermore, it usually dates a home quite dramatically, which is very unappealing to the typical buyer today who wants to buy a move-in ready home.

So, my recommendation to home sellers is, don’t risk losing a buyer because of what’s on your walls! By removing the wallpaper before the home is listed, you will only increase your chances of selling quickly and for top price.   The chances of a buyer loving your wallpaper as much as you do are miniscule, unless you happen to have a décor-tastic wall covering like the type shown in the photo below – in which case, I urge you to keep it!

Welcome to the second installment in the series addressing common questions this New Jersey Home Stager is frequently asked by my homeowner clients as they prepare their homes for sale.  In the first installment, I discussed the question – “Do we need to pack away our family photos, memorabilia and collections?”

In this installment I will cover the question, “Should we paint inside and out?”

Without a doubt, the best investment you can make is new paint. Painting can make a room or an exterior façade look brand-new, and totally transform the look and feel of a room or the entire residence.

There is another benefit to painting as well:  The process of preparing the interior or exterior surfaces of a home for painting automatically forces one to go over the entire area to be painted carefully, and this can often expose items or areas requiring repair. It seems one always discovers where the caulking has let go, where the rotten shingle is, or where the gutter leaks when you are getting ready to paint. Keep in mind that as unexciting as such maintenance repairs are, it is always preferable to discover and deal with these items yourself, before your real estate agent (or worse, the prospective buyer) points them out to you!

Let’s begin with the exterior of your home.  We’ve all heard the term “curb appeal”.  Curb appeal refers not only to the landscaping around your home, but also the house itself…Is the paint chipping or peeling? Are the shutters faded and dull?  Is the trim in need of refreshing?  These are all areas a home owner should be looking at with a critical eye as they anticipate selling their home.

If your home doesn’t need to be completely repainted, perhaps it just needs a pick-me-up by way of addressing the following areas:

• Paint Your Front Door – The front entrance of your home is one of the first impressions buyers will form.  Having a freshly painted front door makes a great and welcoming statement!
• Paint The Trim – Very often, trim can look worn before the siding does.  It will be worth the time and money to touch up the trim around windows and doors, as well as to paint the shutters.
• Paint/Stain The Mailbox – Don’t overlook this very important part of your real estate! Make sure that it looks neat and well-cared for – after all, it’s one of the first thing buyers’ see!
• Paint/Stain The Deck – Again, another very important part of your home.  Make sure that you power wash and, if necessary, repaint or restain your deck before you list your home.

Curb appeal sets up a buyer’s expectations for the interior of the house. If the exterior is immaculate, it stands to reason that the interior will be too.

Turning to the interior of your home, remember that painting is the cheapest way to make significant, positive changes to your home as you prepare it for sale.

It is always wise to be somewhat restrained when choosing colors for a home that is going on the market.  Avoid colors that are too individual or flashy and favor neutral colors and schemes. This does not mean painting everything white, however. There are a plethora of great neutral hues I use which provide a lovely backdrop against which buyers can imagine their furnishings in a given space.

The goal is to neutralize the interior spaces of your home, so that the colors you choose will appeal to the broadest range of buyers.  For example, if you have a red family room, you should seriously consider painting the room a more neutral color, as red is quite taste-specific and won’t be universally loved by buyers.

Use subtle color schemes to accentuate your home’s strengths and minimize weaknesses. Dark colors, for example, tend to make a room feel smaller, while lighter colors and pastels can make a room feel bigger.

Remember, when painting the interior, focus in on the trim – baseboards, crown moldings, windows, chair rails, etc.  These should all be freshly and neatly painted.

Ultimately, you want buyers to believe that they can move their furnishings and accessories into your home seamlessly, without any additional work required on their part.

This blog is the first in a series addressing common questions this New Jersey Home Stager is frequently asked by my homeowner clients.

When I first meet with homeowners contemplating selling their homes, I know that I will be asked any or all of the following questions:

1. Do we need to pack away our family photos, memorabilia and collections?
2. Should we paint inside and out?
3. Can we keep the wallpaper in our ______________?
4. Should we clean out our garage/basement?
5. Do you recommend we replace our kitchen/bathroom cabinets/countertops/flooring?
6. Should we do any landscaping?

Certainly there are some absolutes when marketing your home.

For example, packing away family photos makes sense because you want to eliminate as many distractions as possible while your house is being shown.  You don’t want a prospective buyer remembering your home for the lovely painted family portrait above the fireplace; rather, you want them to remember the beautiful fireplace in your family room.  It is the fireplace they’re buying, not the portrait!!

Memorabilia, namely trophies, plaques, and autographed sports paraphernalia must be packed away.  Again, yet another tempting distraction for buyers to focus on rather than the real estate you want them to buy.

Many clients have expressed the belief that their collections of owls, lladro figurines, dolls, teacups, etc. add something to the décor when the house is on the market.  On the contrary, they only serve to distract buyers from the important business at hand:  selling your home, not the “things” inside it!!

Think of it this way…you’ll have to pack them up anyway when you move.  By taking them out of the equation now, you’ll increase the chances of a quick sale, as well as saving time as you get ready to move on to your new home!!

After a number of months sitting on the market with very little activity, Whitehall Interiors & Home Staging was contacted by the homeowner of this home in northern New Jersey to assist in making the home more appealing to buyers.  After extensive decluttering, reorganizing of various rooms, replacing a variety of lighting fixtures, and painting, the house was ready to be staged.  Here are a number of before & after photos of the property.  They illustrate just what a difference home staging makes!

DEN BEFORE

DEN AFTER

BEDROOM BEFORE

BEDROOM AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

]]> http://newjerseyhomestager.com/2010/08/07/does-home-staging-make-a-difference-you-bet-it-does/feed/ 0 http://newjerseyhomestager.com/2010/07/17/the-art-of-curb-appeal/ http://newjerseyhomestager.com/2010/07/17/the-art-of-curb-appeal/#comments Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:01:32 +0000 Nancy Maurer http://newjerseyhomestager.com/?p=612

The goal here is to inspire the feeling of love at first sight with a charming looking home on the outside so that potential buyers and passers-by are drawn to the property before they even walk in the door. Think of the exterior of a restaurant… you won’t want to go inside and experience the cuisine if the exterior is unappealing or gives an image of being unkempt. The natural train of thought would be “Well if the exterior looks like that, then I certainly don’t want to experience the cuisine!”

TIP: Studies have shown that one place buyers stand the longest is the front entrance (waiting for the realtor to open the lock box and the door). Don’t pass up this opportunity to really impress them by making sure everything is perfect.

• Power wash, power wash, power wash: fences, driveway & walkways, decks, porches and the exterior of the home.
• Have the window professionally cleaned and remove screens
• Create visual “pop” with lots of color in the landscaping. In this case, more is better!
• Remove excessive plant pots and be sure the ones you leave out are filled with beautiful flowers.
• Weed, trim, hedge and add fresh mulch to all beds. Remove all dead limbs and brush.
• Add fresh mulch to all the beds.

When a home seller contemplates what seems to be the endless array of details involved in making their home market-ready, it can be overwhelming and intimidating.  To ease the stress involved in the home selling process, homeowners should take the following two steps before doing anything else.

#1: Contact a Realtor

Find a Realtor who is experienced and tech savvy.  It is important that you identify a Realtor who understands the importance of taking excellent photographs of both the exterior and interior of your home, to be posted on the Internet.  Today, over 90% of buyers start their search for a new home on the Internet.  It is imperative that your photos reflect a home that is inviting and impeccably maintained.  In addition, make sure that your Realtor of choice uses social media platforms to aid in their marketing efforts

#2:  Contact a Professional Home Stager

Before the photos of your home are taken, invite a professional Home Stager to tour your home to provide advice on how to effectively present your home to prospective buyers.  Home Stagers are trained to see a home “through a buyer’s eyes”. A Stager will make recommendations that, starting at your mailbox, will address a range of issues including curb appeal, exterior and interior paint colors, furniture placement, traffic flow in the various rooms of the house, and kitchen and bathroom presentation, among many others.

As a Home Stager in northern New Jersey, Whitehall Interiors & Home Staging frequently consults with homeowners as they embark on making their homes market-ready.  The primary goal we have for our clients is to create a home that has broad appeal, which will appeal to a diverse group of prospective buyers.

There’s a lot of competition in today’s market, and we strive to make our clients’ listings stand out from the rest.  Take a look at a variety of our residential transformations!

Whether you’re planning to sell soon, or you plan on staying in your current home for the time being, the following home improvements outlined below deliver the best return on your investment (ROI).

When selling a home, a sure-fire way to increase buyer interest, as well as guaranteeing return on investment, is to make improvements to outdated bathrooms.  Buyers will view a home more favorably if the bathrooms have up-to-date sinks, toilets, vanities, tile, and light fixtures.  And the good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to achieve substantial improvements as well as a great look for this very important room.

The photo below on the left shows a powder room in a 20-year-old home that had been on the market for close to one year.  Most buyers would look at this room and imagine all of the work they would have to do to bring the bathroom into the 21st century.  This alone may be enough to make a buyer want to move on to the next house!

Northern New Jersey’s Whitehall Interiors & Home Staging recommended that the vanity, sink and fixtures be replaced, we removed the wall paper, painted the room, replaced the towel bars, the light fixture, mirror, toilet and floor tile.  The cost to the seller was under $2,500.  Best of all, the home sold in one month, above the asking price!

Our company approached the very important master bathroom of the same home pictured below somewhat differently.  We recommended to the sellers that we replace the sinks, faucets, vanity top (it was a tile top originally) and light fixture above the mirror.  The vanity itself was in good condition so we reconstituted the wood and replaced the hardware.  Silestone was installed on the vanity top, giving it a rich look. The walls were painted and the room was completely rejuvenated.  The cost for these improvements came in under $2,000.

As you contemplate selling your home, look at your outdated bathrooms with a critical eye and consider making at least some of the improvements described here.  Better yet, call in a professional home stager who can advise you how to best update this very important room in your home.

When preparing a home for sale don’t make the common mistake of focusing strictly on the interior of your home.  After all, the exterior of the home is the basis on which buyers form their critical first impression.  To make the most effective presentation possible, you will want to insure that the house itself, the yard, driveway and walkways are pristine and inviting.  It’s important that you do a thorough, unbiased analysis of the condition of the front, sides and back of your home.

How would buyers react when their Realtor drives them up to the home on the left?  Chances are they will be so focused on the overgrowth dominating the facade of the home that they wouldn’t see much else.  In addition, they will be left with the uneasy feeling that the interior is equally as uncared for as the exterior.  This is most definitely NOT the way you want a showing to begin!

Now, look at the photo on the right.  After the overgrowth was eliminated and some planting was done, the home conveys to buyers the impression of a neat, manicured and well-cared-for residence.  Buyers will enter this home with a positive mind set, which is exactly how you want a showing to begin.

CURB APPEAL CHECK LIST

1.  Clean up clutter!  Remove lawn ornaments, throw out broken patio furniture, store kids’ toys, straighten up wood piles and clear away all items/debris from the home’s foundation.

2.  Repair cracked and/or crumbling driveways and walkways.

3.  Power wash the facade of the house as well as all walkways.

4.  If needed, paint the house or at least the trim.

5.  Prune, weed and add mulch to all garden areas.

6.  Add flowers along walkways and in various garden areas.

7.  Place urns or clay pots with flowers at the garage, on the front porch and patio/deck.

8.  Replace mailbox, house numbers, front door hardware if they are rusty, pitted or worn.

9.  Paint the front door to add a fresh, crisp look to the entryway.

10.  Replace torn screens and repair broken windows.

Follow this check list and you can be assured that your home will draw buyers in!

]]> http://newjerseyhomestager.com/2010/04/16/the-power-of-curb-appeal-in-selling-homes/feed/ 0