A recent house I staged is a perfect example of how all homes can benefit from strategic planning before being listed. After a few months on the market I was brought in to consult. We were already against the clock so the improvements and suggestions we made required maximum results for a minimum investment. On paper this listing is perfect! A beautiful home in a great location with 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and almost 2500 square feet. The home offers ample living and entertaining space for any family. So why were the showings so minimal and the feedback negative? After a detailed walk through and evaluation we set our plan into motion. In general, a home owner will never be disappointed with painting the interior before it goes on the market. It never ceases to amaze me how far a new coat of paint will go. Not only does it freshen up the space, but if you use a color or pallet that is on trend, buyers with automatically see your home as updated and current. If the decor appears current buyers have not reason not to assume the general workings of your home are also updated. First let's take a look at the Family room as it was before.
This is a beautiful room that overlooks the well manicured lawn. With tons of natural light from 3 walls of windows, sliding door and skylights. The furniture and rug are a perfect scale from the room. So why wasn't this enticing buyers? I suggested to paint the room, top to bottom and omit some personal items. We hired painters to sand and paint all the natural 1980's wood molding as well as paint over the yellow color on the walls, which was a bit dated for todays current trends. Also, putting a fresh coat of white paint on any ceiling will always freshen up a space. Bring in a professional photographer and the results speak for themselves!
Next we focused on the kitchen.
Kitchens can be difficult for professional stagers. Kitchens can be the biggest deal breakers for buyers. They know if it is outdated or in poor condition than it is a large price tag to bring it up to date. In this case the kitchen has a lot of positive aspects. It is very spacious, has a huge island/kitchen table and has 5 different points of entry from different parts of the house. However the cabinets, table and island were outdated and showed their wear and tear. It also had the 80's wood molding around the windows and above and below cabinets. I had suggested we work with what we have, especially because we were on a time constraint. So I suggested we commit to a look and paint all the natural wood black, in addition to a fresh coat of paint on all walls. It would be too much to tackle a kitchen renovation and that is not my expertise. The decision paid off! After swapping out a more modern light fixture we upgraded the kitchen right away. The kitchen went from a warn out space to a clean and fresh. Now the main focus is how spacious and functional and stylish it is.
As soon as we completed tackling almost the entire house the showings went from once and awhile to daily and the feedback has all been positive!!
