The Perfect Summer Place

I can't speak for the rest of the world but I am enjoying the blooming hedgerow intensely, it makes me feel like a kid again, playing out in the yard with nothing to do but enjoy the sweet scent and warm breezes. It's an incredible feeling.

This is the time of the year to make your outdoor spaces live like indoor spaces, creating outdoor living rooms and kitchens. I know I keep talking about this but in staging it is particularly important to accent all your spaces. An empty deck is just an empty deck until you dress it, then buyers will be able to envision enjoying the lifestyle. Just in case you've missed that message, the lifestyle is what buyers are seeking and you are selling.


I also want to bring a little of the outside in as well. Not so much as to be "themey" but just enough to evoke that "summer feeling". It helps us and our buyers connect to the slower pace of summer and easy living. Here are some ideas from Pottery Barn that may inspire you to get in touch with summer too.

Candles and firelight

Comfortable lounging

Hanging gardens

Entertainment

Casual living is what the summer is all about, make sure your home connects with buyers on this level and lets them see that your home can be their perfect summer place. Next post we will address bring the outside in.

Newsletter Archieve

If you want to read past issues of the "Snap, Crackle, Sold" newsletter you can find a link to them on my website at http://www.roomsbylaurag.com/newsletter.html

Click on the turquoise button.

Sold First Time Shown- Yeha!

I can't help but to get excited when I see multiple homes we staged in the last month sell to the first buyers that viewed them. So don't give up, even if your home has been on the market for a year as one of these properties had been. Once they close I will post before and afters as well as speak to the whats and whys, what we choose to showcase as well as problems that needed diffusing, and why. So stay tuned...

ROI on Staging

What is the return on my investment in home staging? Another question that I hear often. Here are some stats from research done by HomeGain when they surveyed 2,000 real estate agents in each of the U.S. regions in 2007.

In this chart HomeGain separates lighting and brightening the home, decluttering, and curb appeal from the staging process. I believe that most professional Stagers consider all of those to be a part of the staging process. Perhaps by "staging" Home Gain was calculating the impact of furniture placement, room definition, traffic flow, art and accessories and other style choices made by the Stager.


Lighten & Brighten- avg. return 355%
Clean & Declutter- avg. return 578%
Fix plumbing, electrical- avg. return 164%
Landscape & Trim- avg. return 319%
Staging- avg. return 343%
Kitchen/bath updates- avg. return 121%
Repair flooring- avg. return 145%
Paint exterior walls- avg. return 147%
Paint interior wall- avg. return 150%


The research also points out the improvements made in advance of and in preparation for the sale actually yield the highest returns. That supports my mantra, "Stage early to reap the largest rewards."

Spring Staging

The price on the property is just the first filter that a buyer uses, this is the reason they landed in your living room. They feel like your house is in their price range and they can afford it. The next filter is usually location. This deals with the livability quotient of the neighborhood. The schools, the neighbors, the style of homes, nearness to entertainment and shopping and last but not least safety. It does not matter how well priced or great looking the house is if the buyer is worried about their safety.

Once those boxes have been checked it is all about emotion, how the buyer feels in the property. That is the deal maker. When I was an active agent I would tell my buyers that they would know when we hit the right house, they would feel it. When the buyer finds a house that feels like home they will quickly begin drafting an offer.

Staging has a very seasonal aspect to it. If you want buyers to leave your house starry eyed and sold you have to appeal to more than their pocketbook, you have to appeal to all their senses.

That was the long path to what I wanted to say about the seasonal aspects. Always consider the season when setting the scene. Spring has sprung. I want my rooms to reflect new beginnings and be full of life and light. Fresh flowers, fruit bowls, flowering plants and a light hand with pops of vibrant color will bring the outdoors in.

Think about changing the art, lighten the floor coverings, and pay special attention to the outdoor spaces. Front porches, patios, and decks all become livable square footage when the weather is nice. An unstaged deck is a missed opportunity for both buyer and seller. Selling is stressful and chilling outdoors is one of the best ways to relieve that stress.

The Red Kitchen, Before & After

Before

After

Here is an example of how a little paint can completely change a room. It was a case of change everything or change nothing. There was not a budget for everything. We hardly spent any money on this space but the outcome was huge. The space went from worn out and tired, to crisp and on trend. The paint color is Sherwin Williams 6607, Tomato Red.

You can imagine the seller's raised eyebrows when we proposed it. Are you sure? In the end we all loved it so much we used red as the color thread that we pulled through the entire house. The results were stunning they got an offer the FIRST week it was on the market.