Archive for the ‘staging your home’ Category
Tip for Home Sellers. Declutter
One of our customers ask for help in determining why their home has not sold. After doing some research, I was a bit perplexed. In going down the “must do” checklist for selling a home, it seemed that they had done everything correctly. The asking price was in the middle range for the neighborhood; They wisely used the internet to market the property. The home was featured on the MLS, InfoTube.net, Realtor.com and other major search engines for real estate; They were readily available for showings and returned emails and calls quickly. Nothing jumped out as being the reason other homes had sold, while theirs sat on the market…until I saw the pictures of the property. 
My first impression was that the seller forgot the about the Three D’s of staging a home to sell. This home had so much ”stuff” inside, that prospective buyers couldn’t see the room or picture themselves living there.
The 3 D’s: Declutter, Depersonalize and Decorate.
Declutter: This living area is a great size, but buyer’s wouldn’t know it. We recommended that the seller remove the area rug; the loveseat; all plants, stands and shelves from the bay window area; blue chair; at least one wall hutch; and the sofa table in the dining area. Rearrange the furniture that remains to maximize floor space and invite traffic flow toward the windows.
Depersonalize: Pack away all the toys, collectables and personal photographs.
Decorate: (1) Bay windows are a big selling feature, so make them stand out. Add a simple, solid color, sheer drapery treatment to draw the buyers eye; Pull the blinds all the way to the top of the window to let all the light in. (2) Beige walls, beige floor, beige ceiling, beige sofa’s…yawn… A warm neutral paint color on the walls would add interest and life to the room. Choose a thatched straw or color that is in the print hanging over the sofa. Pick up some fun throw pillows, candles, etc. to add spice and pop to the decor. (3) Consider losing the dated dining room fixture and pink table lamp. The ceiling is too low for a big hanging fixture and it breaks up the openness of the room. Try a ceiling mounted fixture or the simple, popular pendant lights
to add interest and flare to the room. (4) The dining room furniture is stylish. Remove the table cloth and place settings. Add a vase of fresh flowers or a grouping of candles instead.
Take a look at the Before and After picture below from a different home. See that by following the 3 D principle, the homeowner made a huge impact without spending a lot of money. For example, see the difference that removing the drapes and rugs made. Zero expense. Zero Effort. Big Result.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We are here to help you sell your home. If you aren’t advertising on the internet and the MLS, you are missing thousands of buyers. Call us or visit the site today to promote your property with one click of your mouse.
Virtually Stage Vacant Home to Sell
Marketing a vacant home can be difficult challenge, because empty rooms are hard to size up and they don’t stand out in a buyer’s mind. This leaves every vacant home looking like the one next door, with the only difference in a buyer’s mind being, which home has the lowest price.This problem may have been solved by Krisztina Bell, a smart Atlanta Realtor, who invented and patented a software program that will “virtually” stage any vacant property for around $250. Her company has been heralded by the Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronical and other publications as the answer to giving the effect of a professionally staged home at a fraction of the cost.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent.com, your MLS and Realtor.com listing connection for by owners, investors and builders.
Avoid Trendy Home Updates or Remodels
If you plan to update or remodel your home, and you want to get the most Bang for Your Buck, you should avoid the temptation to be real trendy or exceptionally taste specific.
Although, some of the new “I Want That’s” are very Cool, it can be difficult to predict the difference between an evolving style (recently, stainless appliances and stone counters) and short term fad’s like leasure suits, wallpapering or orange shag carpeting. In order to get the most resale value for your improvements, stick to the classics that offer universal type appeal. Chose time tested products and trusted brands. Enduring value is something that appeals to everyone.
Tip: Chosing the latest and greatest thing you saw in Architectural Digest is not only risky for resale, its more expensive, too. For the greatest return on your money, buy smartly, and spend the money you save on updating those dated porch lights.
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Please Update Your Bathroom Lighting
If The 80’s called, they want their lights back!!
If you haven’t replaced the lighting in your bathroom since the 1980’s or 1990’s, you really should. Nothing turns off buyer’s as quickly as an outdated bathroom. And, while a total remodel may not be appropriate, changing out the light fixtures is cheap and easy to do yourself.
Turn off the power before you take the old fixture down. The job shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes and your bathroom will make a much better impression on buyers.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Homebuyers are out looking in mass, these days. They have only 90 days left before the $8000 Buyer Credit Expires. Make sure your home is on the MLS or Realtor.com and it shows well. Your chances of getting an offer now, are better than they have been in years.
Cosmetic versus Structural Home Repairs
If you are considering an investment in real estate, now is a perfect time. Warren Buffett predicts a rampant rise in inflation, which means higher rents and higher home prices over the next 5 years. Throw in historic price declines, fixed rate mortgages at 4.5 percent and an $8000 tax credit and the timing has never been better for investors.
If your long term investment plans include snapping up some deals, you need to know the difference in properties that that structural problems versus those that need cosmetic repairs.
Structural damage refers to problems with foundation cracks, fire damage, mold, dry rot, water penetration and sagging floors. Homes with this type of damage are risky investments because the costs to repair will be hard to predict until tear down is done and work begins. Repairing structural issues also mean that city inspector’s will be involved with the rehab, which can add lenghty delays and costs to the project.
Why6 Advice: With all the inventory on the market, investors should avoid homes with structural problems. In addition to the unknown costs and timeframes that are involved, homes with past structural problems will always be more difficult to resell.
Cosmetic Repairs include minor things like updating. Typical cosmetic repairs cover things like door knobs, putting in new windows or shutters, landscaping, repainting. This type of rehab updates or alters the look of the home in an attempt to broaden the appeal. Cosmetic changes are not required and the do not involve city authorities.
Why6 Advice: Investor’s should search for outdated or neglected property that can be improved with low cost, do it yourself type repairs that don’t require specialized workers. These are the types of properties that investors will not get stuck with as they wait for inflation to take rents and prices higher.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We have an MLS and Realtor.com program for ‘by owners’, investors and home builders that exposes your property to millions of homebuyers and thousands of Realtors each month. Call 1-800-381-9496 or visit our website for details.
Pre-Inspection is a Great Idea for Home Sellers
We have all heard the horror stories about money pits, “as is” home sales nightmares, and the like. InfoTube posted a blog today that offers a great offensive strategy for home sellers, home buyers and real estate agents about using an Inspection Report as a Tool to Sell a Home.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent, the company that has saved home seller’s, builders and investor’s thousands of dollars in selling commissions and fee’s. Our MLS package reaches millions of home shoppers and real estate agents each month for only $399. Who is Helping You?? Call 1-800-381-9496 today and get ready to Move!!
Stage Your Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is one of the biggest selling features of any home. It doesn’t have to be large or fancy to show well, but it does need to convey the feeling of a special place for the owner.
Stand back few feet, look through the doorway and take in the buyer’s first view of your master bedroom. What do you see? Whatever you see is what the buyer will see. Is it pretty? Restful? Sexy? Spacious?? First impressions are important and can never be redone. Make sure your master suite gives the impression of an owner’s retreat.
Tips for Staging the Master Bedroom
- Unless you have no other options, you want to see the foot of the bed when you walk into the room. If the bed crosses the doorway it blocks the flow into the room and makes it appear smaller.
- Use soft, neutral colors for bedding. Warm neutrals are calm, inviting and appeal to all types of buyer’s.
- Lighting sets the Mood. Turn bedside lamps on. Light candles. If you have blinds, open them or turn the slats upward instead of down to cast light around the room.
- Use Throw Pillows. Pillows are inexpensive and they add color and luxury to any room.
- Remove all clutter from nightstands and dressers. Close closet doors. Picture how a nice hotel room looks when you arrive. Strive for that feeling.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We have helped thousands of owners, builders and investors get noticed and sell their homes. Our MLS and Realtor.com package reaches over 10 Million home shoppers each month. Call us Today. Buyer’s are Waiting.
Good Ways to Declutter and Get Rid of Unused Items
Depersonalizing, organizing and decluttering are key to making sure that your home makes a good first impression on a prospective home buyer. But, what do you do with all your unwanted stuff? Don’t stack it in the garage or basement. The goal is to get rid of it, not move it. But, you can get rid of it and do a good thing, too.
Find out what organizations in your area pick up unused or unwanted items. These type of organizations often include Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Veterans Associations, Churches, Hospice Groups and other local non-profit organizations.
Donations to non-profits are tax deductible for the donor; most provide hassle-free pick up at your door; people need the items that you no longer use; recycling unused items is good for the environment. So donate that stuff you never use. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Another way to get rid of stuff you no longer need is on the internet at Freecycle. At Freecycle.org, you list items you no longer need and select someone from a list of takers to donate them to. Freecycle has local branches, so check out their site for a location near you.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com, your flat fee MLS listing source for owners, investors and builders. Call us today at 1-800-381-9496 to maximize the marketing exposure of your property.
Tips to Sell a Home Faster and for More Money #7- Look Bigger
Tip #7 for selling your home faster and for more money is… Make all the rooms in your home appear as BIG and SPACIOUS as possible. 
Buyer’s love homes that offer lightfilled, spacious rooms that they can visualize themselves enjoying. With a little planning and redecorating, you can trick the eye and visually “increase” size of any room.
Tricks and Tips for Making Rooms Appear Larger
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Windows and Doors: Rooms appear larger, if the view to the outdoors is not obstructed. See-through windows and doors create an illusion of space because they draw the eye forward, bypassing the walls. The also allow natural lighting into the room, which adds warmth and a felling of lightness to the space. Maximize the power of your windows and glass by opening up all window treatments and frame in the view. Trim away any shrubs or tree limbs that block windows, light and views.
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Dining or Eating Area: Remove extra chairs from around your table. Unless you have a huge space, more than 4 chairs around the table is too many. Also, remove extra leaves from the table to make the room immediately feel larger.
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Rugs: Home stagers always remove throw rugs from the home, unless the house has a large area of hardwood. Buyer’s want to see your carpet, hardwood, tile or linoleum, anyway, and losing the area rugs makes your floorplan open up.
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Artwork: You want the room to flow, so the eye does not bounce around the room. To accomplish this, you should avoid abrupt changes in height when hanging objects on the wall. People also often use little pieces of art on their walls. Instead, us large artwork. It makes the room look bigger and you don’t have to fret about the arrangement. If you have family photo’s hanging around, take them down, along with all other personal items and store them away.
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Countertops: Get everything off the counters. In the kitchen, remove all appliances, even the toaster. In the bath, leave only the handsoap. Place the items you use daily in a cabinet or drawer, taking them out and putting them back as they are used. Clearing off all counter surfaces insures the eye isn’t distracted and it makes any space look bigger.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. If you have a home to sell, we are here to help. Our MLS and Realtor.com marketing program attracts millions of home shoppers each month. Call us at 1-800-381-9496, it takes only minutes to enroll.
Tips to Sell Your Home Faster and for More Money #6- Storage
Tip #6: Home Buyers will Pay for Storage Space
The amount of storage space your home has, and how you use it, will impress buyer’s or immediately turn them off. While it is often impossible to create more storage by adding pantries, cabinets or closets to your existing home, it isn’t hard to create the illusion of ample storage space.
Before
After 
The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home
The first place home seller’s need to focus is on kitchen storage. If your cabinets, pantries, drawers, and even your refrigerator looked crammed, it leaves the impression that you do not have enough space. The only way to make a good impression is to empty out everything you can and organize what remains. The goal is to create as much “empty space” as you possible can.
The Bathroom
Stand in the shoes of a home buyer and look honestly at your bathroom. If you are like most people, you will find half-used bottles of lotion, shampoo and conditioner, curling irons, foam rollers, razors, hair accessories, drawers full of old makeup, medicine, bathtub toys, books, magazines and the list goes on and on. 
For most of us, the amount of “stuff” that we keep in our bathrooms is far greater than the amount of storage space we have in these typically small rooms. The goal here is the same as for the kitchen. Eliminate anything you don’t need everyday and organize the rest. Buyer’s want to see that you have plenty of storage space, not an overflow of our personal care products.
Storage Sells. Use It to Your Advantage.
When it comes to storage, more is always better. One of the first things all buyer’s do is open every drawer, closet and cabinet when they tour a home. So, make a great first impression. Throw away, pack, eliminate and rearrange your kitchens and bathrooms to show off the storage space your home has to offer. It is Free to do and can make the difference between For Sale or Sold.
Thank you for visting Why 6 Percent. Add an MLS listing to your selling strategy and reach millions of home buyers each month. Call 1-800-381-9496 for details!