Getting the WOW Factor When Your House is For Sale
When I look for houses to buy I always look for the property that is poorly decorated.
Why?
They are cheaper to buy initially. I can decorate with the best of decorators. And I bargain hard, too. Remodeling takes a lot of money, usually more than we anticipate.
But what if you are selling and need to sell a house quick? You want to get the best price you can for your home. You want to have a product the looks perfect. You want a product that attracts lots of potential buyers and wows them!
One of the ways you can do this is to have more architecture and less décor. Décor that is trendy will be old fashioned in just a few years. Save money and get more bang for your buck. Can you identify ‘80’s style sofas? Probably you can and so can your buyers. Good upholstered sofas or loveseats can be timeless. And then there are those kitchens with melamine cabinets with oak handles. Those are death to resale right now. But Shaker style cabinets have been around for 250 years and look great in many houses.
Architecture that is timeless works and saves you money. It’s the best! Study up and win with architecture.
What does this mean?
Most houses are a series of squares and rectangles that you can make more beautiful by doing the right trims and balanced furniture placement. Make less work for yourself by replacing and repairing things as needed with good neutrals that will work over the years. Classics are your friends. Theme decorating will hurt you.
As an example, think of bathrooms with white porcelain fixtures, bead board paneling and marble floors. They never go out of style in traditional or cottage style houses, while other things like colored fixtures might.
People want to see balance and conviviality in spaces. They want attractive conversation areas, comfortable dining spaces, and quiet, romantic master bedrooms.
They also have a fantasy that if they find the right space they will have a perfectly organized, socially active life with all the things they have ever wished to have.
You want to play to this desire. What do people want? They want to impress others, have good relationships and a lovely home.
So how far from this fantasy is your product?
The hard work required to make a space look great may come down to a lot of cleaning and organizing. Perfect closets, great furniture, attractive art and good taste all come into what works at resale.
And people want to move in and be comfortable without having to do anything. Most people don’t have time, skills or cash to fix everything that’s wrong with your product.
But the biggest problems most sellers have is they have a lot of stuff like old wallpaper, peeling paint, moldy bathrooms and ragged furniture that turn off buyers and make them run away!
Instead of an apple wallpaper border you want some nice wide crown molding. Then look for some built in storage cabinets and/or shelves. Trim them out in a way that matches to exterior architecture of your house. If your house is traditional in style you might build an over-mantel over an existing fireplace. But a mid century modern structure might look great with cork floors that are true to the architectural style of the house.
Choose plain paint in neutral colors instead of labor-intensive paint treatments.
Use stone and marble in neutral colors, too. Think plainer instead fancy and overdone. When choosing things like newer floors go for wood, ceramic tile, or stone, not vinyl.
Have carpet cleaned or replaced if it is very soiled.
Always keep in mind that you may need to move. Plan for it by buying upholstered furniture in solid colors. Avoid prints or strong patterns and pieces that are very large.
Collected furniture looks more sophisticated than sets or suites that match and take up too much room.
Have plenty of nice lighting. Lamps will do if your place lacks built in lighting. And furnish the rooms so that the first glimpse into every room is very attractive and inviting.
Make every door and drawer look great when open. Serious buyers look everywhere, especially if they are interested. Some will just look because they can. So be ready for this scrutiny. Lock up your jewelry and all your financial data.
Do not remodel extensively unless things are in poor repair. Just polish, clean and stage rooms beautifully for their logical purposes. Choose classic architecture and furniture that isn’t too trendy. Make whatever you buy work as long as possible by choosing classic design styles that work with the basic architecture of your house and the next one, too.
We staged 8 houses with the same stuff over a period of 20 years. Anyone can do it. Just look for classic, eclectic furniture and save lots of money. Our dining rooms were staged with a cherry drop leaf table, 6 black lacquer Queen Anne chairs and a black lacquer contemporary buffet. This mix worked great for us. I reupholstered the chairs many times and had fun doing it, too. Friends would visit us just to see what we had done different with the same old stuff. That drop leaf table was actually one of the first pieces of furniture we ever bought. It worked in some small apartments, too. That’s the kind of stuff you want. Much of our furniture was used and refurbished. None of it cost a lot of $$$. You can throw modern in with antiques and make everything work just fine.
About the Author
Paula is a lifestyle specialists, providing others with her knowledge and insights gathered over her lifetime. She works with her husband in their note selling business. Learn about note selling and how owner financing can sell a home fast at their websites , Sell My Note and Mortgage Buyer
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