Style with Comfort: September 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

GRAB BUYERS’ ATTENTION AT THE FRONT DOOR: WHY CURB APPEAL MATTERS

Many people mistakenly assume that even if their home’s exterior could use some updates, buyers will fall in love once they get inside. The problem with this thinking is that most times buyers won’t make it inside the home. Some will refuse to go enter the home, while others will spend the time inside looking for things that confirm what their initial impression was, based on the exterior of the home.

     However, this works both ways. If buyers like what they see on the outside they will find reasons inside to confirm that initial positive impression they got from the home’s exterior. Some buyers find homes by driving around neighborhoods where they would like to live, and look for homes for sale. If they see one with great curb appeal, they may be the one to bring it to their agent’s attention and ask to see it.

     On the other hand, agents will send batches of listings to their clients, who will drive by each of them before they decide whether or not they want to actually make an appointment to see the interior. The way a home looks on the exterior sends a message to buyers about how well the sellers maintain the entire home -- whether or not this is actually true or not.

     As you can see, there are many valid reasons for giving a home’s exterior the attention it deserves. The actual techniques you use to improve a home’s curb appeal will vary, depending on each individual home. But remember, home staging always includes a home's exterior. Specific examples, ideas and suggestions are given in Curb Appeal: An Important Step for Staging a Home. And remember, as with any home staging technique, it does not necessarily have to cost a lot of money and you will see the results in your home’s selling price and time on the market.

Both of these pictures are examples of homes with great curb appeal.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

STAGING STATISTICS: PROOF THAT STAGING DOES INDEED WORK

There a still plenty of skeptics that still need to be convinced that home staging is effective and worth the time and effort required. While I can show you all the pictures in the world of the best staged homes, the real proof is in the numbers –- more specifically the amount of time the home is on the market and the selling price. There are just some of the most common.

Staged homes spend 73% less time on the market than non-staged homes. (RESA, Real Estate Staging Association)
The average cost of home staging is about 1-3% of the asking price, but the rate of return is 8-10%. (NAR, National Association of Realtors)
The cost of staging your home is almost always less than the amount of the first price reduction. (Multiple sources) A staged home will sell, on average, 17% higher than an unstaged home. (U.S. Housing and Urban Development)
Sellers who spent $500 on staging recovered over 343% of the cost when they sold their home. (Homegain)
In controlled tests selling identical homes professionally staged vs. those not staged, the unstaged houses sold in 102 days, while the staged houses sold in 45 days! (Real Estate Staging Association)
It is estimated that only 10% of home buyers can visualize the potential of a home.(Multiple sources)
In a 2009 Home Gain Survey of over 2000 Realtors, it was discovered that home staging typically provides a 586% return on investment! (Homegain)

In addition to the belief that staging does not work, there are other myths about staging and common mistakes that are made, often based on these misconceptions. As you can see from the above statistics, when done correctly, home staging clearly works.

INEXPENSIVE HEADBOARD IDEAS

When selling a home, things as simple as making sure each bed, especially the one in the master bedroom, has a headboard can make a big difference. This gives the room a more finished look and can often be the focal point in a room.

Don’t worry! I’m not going to suggest you go out and buy a headboard. There are many simple, inexpensive ways to add one (or even the appearance of having one). Headboards are also great places to add color and texture. Here are just a few suggestions.

Curtains: Hang a curtain rod behind the bed, as close to the ceiling as possible, and add curtains that coordinate with the other colors in the room.

This is an example that uses both curtains and shades.

Molding: You can purchase inexpensive molding and trim pieces at home improvement stores. Pre-primed pieces make the project go faster. Hang them horizontally and vertically to create the appearance of custom paneling.

This homeowner went a step further and used molding as an outline for another material. Fabric, wallpaper, or paint would all work here.

Wainscoting: You can buy pre-primed pieces of wainscoting. Simply hang them behind the bed. The number of panels you need will of course vary based on the size of your bed. The height is really a matter of personal preference. Just make sure the size fits the proportions of that particular room.

Doors: Find an old wood door and mount it horizontally behind the bed. It might look great “as is” or it may need a good sanding and a coat of paint or stain. If you have 2 doors you can do the same thing, but hang them vertically, side by side. This technique also works with shutters or room divider screens.

Paint the entire door one color, paint the inserts a different color, or just hang "as is" for a rustic look.

Fabric: This idea requires very basic DIY skills. Cut a piece of plywood or MDF to the dimensions of a headboard for your bed size (such as queen or king). Many home improvement stores will do this for you. Add some batting or stuffing. Finally, cover the entire piece with inexpensive fabric or even a leftover sheet, blanket or quilt. The fabric can be attached with a heavy duty staple gun, which can be found at home improvement stores for as low as $20.
An alternative to this idea is to use 12” square pieces of plywood, MDF, or even cork board. Cover each piece with batting and fabric in the same way described above. Hang them in a checkerboard pattern. You can use the same fabric or mix and match to create a pattern.
The squares work great if you have leftover fabric that is not enough to cover an entire headboard, but could be cut to fit smaller squares and then mixed with other leftover fabric pieces. Making your own fabric headboard leaves lots of room for creativity in the choice of fabric, You can vary the material, pattern and/or color.

This headboard uses just a simple, single color fabric.

Paint: Use paint to create a checkerboard pattern on the wall behind the bed. Use painters' tape to create squares or any other design pattern. You can even outline the the finished painted area with strips of molding. Stripes work as well but make sure they either go from floor to ceiling or you use molding to outline the pattern. One color option is to use tone on tone squares, which are neutral and sophisticated.

Bookcases: Place 2 bookcases behind your bed. They can double as nightstands. Just make sure not to add too much clutter on the shelves. You could also turn them around if the backs are finished and look appealing (or you could even paint the backs.) Visit furniture retailers and design sites and use the photos there as inspiration for creating your own inexpensive versions. These are really just a few ideas to get you brainstorming on your own.

Look through your garage, basement, or attic and hit yard sales. Look for something that can be turned into a headboard. Don't forget that there are many inexpensive tools that can help you transform these items. Headboards are just one of the many finishing touches you can add to a staged home that only give the appearance that you spent a fortune.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

STAGING TIPS FOR THE FALL SEASON

With autumn quickly approaching, many home sellers are wondering what décor items are acceptable to use when their home is on the market. I generally recommend using seasonal items, as opposed to those that refer to a specific, such as Thanksgiving or Halloween. For example, putting a few pumpkins at the front door is a great way to dress up the front entry for the fall season. However, a jack-o-lantern, which is more specific to Halloween, is probably not the best choice. Here are a few other quick ideas for adding seasonal interest to your home.

Put out some plants that either bloom at this time or provide color with their leaves. These are just a few attractive fall bloomers: asters, Russian sage, perennial sunflower, Helenium, sedum, Japanese anemone & crocus. My blog post from last year at this time gives quite a few examples, along with pictures and more detailed information on each plant.

Add warm-colored towels, throws, pillows & entry mats. Think about fall colors such as browns, yellows & golds, oranges, & reds.
Group mini pumpkins, gourds, or dried corn cobs in decorative bowls or baskets.

Replace faded summer flowers in your vases with branches bearing fall leaves in colors that complement your home’s décor. Luckily, fall leaf colors work with just about any style or color palette.
Think about candles in scents like apple, cinnamon, or pumpkin. Natural scents are appealing to buyers. Just make sure they aren’t too strong. Candles still give off a light scent, even when they aren’t lit -- and candles should never be lit when you aren’t at home.
Consider replacing bowls of lemons and limes with apples or small squash varieties.

These few tips should be a good starting point for you. Learn more about what you should do when staging a home, as well as those things you should avoid.

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