Secret to Selling in the Winter

Here we find yet another year passing and winter knocking at the front door. For those of us not selling our home, we can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that it doesn't really matter where we kick off our winter boots this season. For those of you that are selling your home, it can be a little extra work to stay organized through the winter. With that said, I have some great winter staging tips to share and it's no secret, they work!! So get moving!!

There are 2 key points to remember when you are selling. 

Your placement of "stuff" demonstrates how you use the space.

What does that mean?

As we live in our homes, with kids and dogs and jobs and stuff, we tend to use our spaces in whatever way works best for us. This use of space is great when we are just living. I love this photo below via The Marion House Blog because in the article, this mudroom is the family's favorite room in the house. 

I see 100 rooms just like this every year. This room is full of life and totally works for the family.

When you're selling, these favorite rooms can tell a little too much about how what's working and not working as far as the functionality in our home. Think of it this way;

The potential buyer has this same room in their current house. They are looking for a new house that eliminates the disfunction and makes life easier, more organized and functional for a busy lifestyle. 

They are looking at Houzz and Pinterest and Restoration Hardware catalogs and here is what they see...

Get a similar look:

This is what they want.

You want to demonstrate how your potential buyer wants to live!

And sometimes, the story you are telling may not be accurate.

Piles of boots/shoes by the back door can tell the buyer there is a lack of storage 

when actually, you may have lots of storage.

Get it together

Whether it's the mudroom, the office or the kitchen, start with getting a designated place for every day items. If you do not use them everyday, the items should go stored in a closet elsewhere. 

Or, start packing it up for that matter! Buyers like to see a motivated seller.

Ikea, Target and any big box store has a storage system that can work.

I love adding a fun wallpaper in storage areas.

Black and white stripes or maps!

WHAT IS THE POINT??

Selling a home is inconvenient. Stage it to sell fast.

The good news is that staging your home will help your home sell faster. That means less time on the market and less inconvenience for you. The more you fight it and make excuses like 

"Buyers need to understand we are living here..."

...the longer the pain.

So, start boxing up those summer shoes and bathing suits!

Get organized and get moving! 

(and don't even think about dragging out that holiday decor ;)

Perking up the old shed.

Selling your home can be a tedious process with a list of action items that seems never ending. Somewhere at the bottom of the "to-do" list, between cleaning the garage and listing items on Craig's List, you might just find your lonely little garden shed waiting for a perk me up.

Here are some inspirational photos for adding quick charm to your shed. Give yourself a Saturday, a can of paint, and a few creative tactics and voila! You can perk up your whole back yard.

Outdoor plantings can make a big impact!

Organize the interior.

Paint the door a bright color

Bring in a little home

 A little drama. 

Boxwoods go a LONG way! 

When in doubt, plant a boxwood in a great container.

Stage Your Success: Coffee Table Styling

Every time I do a staging consultation for a homeowner selling their home, the family room tends to draw out the most questions:

"What should I put on the wall?" Where should the t.v. really go?"

"How should the furniture be arranged?" "What about the fireplace?"

It's true that the family room is a major player in the house and it needs to demonstrate how the new buyer will function in and use the space. The details of t.v. placement and furniture is important because we all have those pieces in common. But after the arrangements have been made and the players are in position, it's time to style the space. The coffee table can be a great way to polish your room and although we are not selling the "things" in the house, a well styled table can pack an emotional punch that says:

"Oh I love that!"

 

A pile of remotes, old magazines and a dusty bottom shelf are not going to cut it in the selling arena. Here are some tips for making the coffee table, the center of everyone's attention. 

Use a tall object such as a vase or hurricane candle. Orchids work great because they are inexpensive and look super chic.

Invest in a few good coffee table books. They look fabulous and the best part is that many of them go out of print and are worth big bucks! 
(Save the original box!! I learned that one the hard way.)  

Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is a hugely popular book in the design world. Originally sold for $125 and now worth over $700 !!

 $1,000 new in box! So get to it- it's an investment. 

Use some fresh greenery. Live flowers, plants or topiary type greens bring life to the room. Faux flowers can look dated and dusty very easily so if the budget doesn't allow for fresh flowers, go for an inexpensive plant in a pretty little pot.

 

Use a tray to group items and show some empty space on the table. 

Display a glass or shiny, reflective object.

Add some color!  

A colorful book or vase goes a long way against a neutral backdrop.

 You don't have to have expensive tables to make a big statement. These Ikea tables cost around $12 each but look like a million bucks with some good styling.

Remember, it's not about selling the "things" but, there are dollars in the details. Compliment your house with styled hot spots and keep your potential buyer in their happy place with lots of "Oohs and Ahhs."

(all photos via Pinterest except my Natural Curiosities book photo)

Stage Your Success: Open the Door!

We've all seen the horrible photographs of bad MLS listings from funny websites like

Lovely Listings but the fact is, photographs are a huge factor in driving traffic to your house for sale. Furthermore, we believe it is a major responsibility of the listing agent to market the home to the best of their ability and taking good photos is key in good marketing. Look at the success of Pinterest! 

Pinterest is actually getting close to Google in our "entry sources" bringing people to our website!

That is incredible.

Simply standing in the doorway and snapping a photo of each room "as is" without making any attempt to style the photo is really doing your selling attempt (and the client for that matter) an injustice.

Photo styling is all about positioning the "product" in its best visual setting. Since our product is a HOUSE, it can be challenging to bring focus to the features of the house instead of the things inside the house. If a professional photographer is not part of the marketing plan, there are certainly some VERY BASIC tactics that can easily be implemented to ensure that the house photos are the best they be. 

(Did I mention VERY BASIC? And typically free?)

HOUSE STYLING TIP:  Open the Doors

If you really want to take your photos to a higher level, open the doors and let that natural light shine in. Once you get the hang of it, you will notice right away what a crazy difference it makes.

Check it out:....OPEN DOOR

  

Closed door....

 

 Open door.....

 

 Closed door...

And the interesting thing about this one is that it is such a great room but imagine 

the visual impact of having that door open on a sunny day!

Same thing here. Imagine if that door were open, and the wreath were on 

the other side reflecting in the mirror. It would make the space seem so much larger. Ugh! 

And this is a magazine shot! duh

Love this open door from the outside

Even if the weather is snowy outside, it can work! Just need some sun.

White space needs an open door to bring in life and energy.

I want this door to be open so badly.

Inside the house is a great opportunity to shoot with different door angles.

Bad bathroom photos drive me BONKERS!

If you have a toilet shot in any of your photos, I urge you to re-think your options.

Keeping in mind that we are selling the lifestyle, I love how this photo demonstrates the 

functional, organized, awesomeness of the closet! Instead of shooting the closed door and toilet.

Do our closets look like this?

Of course not, but for your listing photo, it would take 20 minutes to style this look.

Perhaps from the outside in?

Or the inside out?

 

Next time you are photographing your rooms, play with the doors and see what you get. 

And remember, what looks good through your eyes may not translate as well through the camera frame, so move things around and show the features of the room instead of the things in the room.

Even a little peek will make a buyer want to see more!