An Easy Step to Make Your Home More Valuable, Paint!

Hi… here I am again with my second blog attempt. As you may remember, home staging is my passion! As a realtor, on a daily basis I see the value it has in helping homes stand out in the market, sell quicker, and for more money.

Last week we talked about organization and simplifying your environment. Today I want to talk about the second most important step you can take to make your home more marketable… paint!

We often tell clients buying a home, “paint is cheap”, but many times it becomes a stumbling block. They cannot see the value of the home because they just can’t get past the color. “It won’t match my upholstery”, “I don’t want to move in and then move the furniture out again to paint”, “Painting is expensive and messy” are all lines we frequently hear.

Here are a few simple rules to remember.
1) If it doesn’t look fresh and clean… paint it!
2) If the color in a room is anything but neutral… paint it! (However, avoid white. It tends to be cold. Unless in a contemporary setting, it is not warm and inviting.)
3) If your house looks like a circus with different colors at every turn… paint it! The house will appear bigger and more cohesive.
4) Start at the curb of your house and do a walk-thru as if you were a potential buyer seeing it for the first time. A fresh coat of paint on the shutters and especially the front door and door surround will make a great first impression.
5) Wallpaper is out of style! Take it down or paint over it. We have lost sales on many homes due to the fear of wallpaper removal.
6) If ceilings are stained or have any faint marks from a corrected leak or other damage… paint it! This is a red flag for many buyers.

A few dollars and a little effort can bring many dollars in increased value. Buyers today want “move-in ready” and as little time and expense after the sale as possible. Remember… don’t decorate for you, decorate for the buyer.

Thanks for stopping by.

Staging Your Home Begins With Decluttering!

Hi, I’m Steve Brooks, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. Along with my partner Marty Dukes, we are the “Homebodies Team”. I have never written a blog before and hope those of you reading this, find it informative and helpful.

We are the only Real Estate Team I know that offers staging services as a part of the listing agreement. Our experiences have really opened our eyes to the benefits of home staging. A home that shows to “its best advantage” will sell quicker and for a higher price than a home that leaves too much to the prospective buyers’ imagination.

Staging a home does not begin with adding things, it usually begins with taking things away. DECLUTTER! Nowhere is the term “less is more” more appropriate than in home staging. Remember, you are trying to sell your home not the stuff in it. Remove any items that distract from the strong features of the home or stand in the way of traffic flow. Remove items that make a room seem smaller than it actually is; such as overstuffed furniture or an inappropriately scaled entertainment center. Go through the closets and view them as a potential buyer would. Pack up out-of-season clothing (you are going to have to pack them anyway), get clutter up off the floor and clean and neatly stack items on the shelving above. Spend $10 on nice hangers and hang clothes by type. For example, pants, skirts, shirts, dresses etc. Using the same hangers make the items hang at the same height and look better organized and do not distract the buyers’ eye. Clean out the pantry; stacking items in a neat and orderly fashion and remove all items from the floor. Remove and pack all items from the cupboards which are not in daily use. Pack extra place settings, seasonal items etc. and store off premises.

Try when possible to put all toys in one room where they can easily be stored in the event of a showing. Keep bathrooms clean and free of clutter. Keep kitchen countertops free of clutter and sparkling clean. Store countertop appliances in cupboards or pantry in some of the space you have created from “downsizing” these areas.

And lastly, the garage. It should be neat, organized, clean and look spacious. If you have a 2 car garage, insure that potential buyers see that two cars will fit. Make sure the lighting is adequate. A painted garage floor always gets a good response!

I could go on all day but next week I will talk more about de-cluttering as well as the use of paint and color to make your home look updated and fresh.

Thanks for reading!