First impressions can be lasting ones especially when you are showing your home for sale. The front door and entry to your home will be the determining factor for any offers made.
Recently, I’ve had placed my own home on the market and experienced some great remarks from all the agents. They all said we have the “Wow Factor” as you step into the home. Listed below are some of the things I created in order to make it a pleasant opening.
1. Entry – Outside landscaping was already in place but I fed the flowers every week so all of the the plants were fresh, alive and blooming. We have numerous shades of color plus a very large tree. The conrete of the existing driveway has some minor problems so I drew attention away from that area with a welcoming doorstep. I purchased a new mat and filled a terra cotta pot filled with flowers to match the brick and roofline. Our front door was old but paint fixes everything. I did not spend money on a new handle but spray painted it a bronze rustic metallic. The door hearth also needed the same treatment. It made a huge difference. No one has bothered to make comments about that. As you step in to the house, you see the beauty right away and forget about the little stuff. When the buyers came, they immediately noticed the lit fireplace and candles. I turned on all lights to give a warm ambiance. And of course, music softly played. I purchased the scented plugin’s to keep the air fresh.
2. Windows. We do not have new windows so I kept them closed to hide the imperfections and hung sheer drapery treatments so the light came in but covered the window. Because we have an incredible view downstairs, I took off all the old screens so you could see clearly through the windows. New windows are costly and might be one of the negotiating factors in a sale.
3. Our flooring is beautiful. We have dark hardwood throughout downstairs and a travertine tile in the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets were painted in two tones over the worn out brown wood. No new appliances but everything is spotless.
4. Staging. I staged the dining table as if ready for guests with chargers and colorful plates, silverware and placemats. On the kitchen table, I placed a bowl of fresh fruit with some fake oranges underneath so you thought the whole thing was real.
I did not want to mess with changing out fresh flowers everyday but I had silk orchid plants on the coffee table and kitchen window. I also had a colorful cookie jar on the counter.
Upstairs all the rooms had the same music playing, lights on and decorated with the same color palette throughout the home. I created theme rooms such as a guest room, art and craft room, and office. I added youthful accessories for teenager or small child. The guest room is perfect for Grandma.
In the bathrooms, I staged them to look like a hotel spa with a beautiful bowl filled with soaps and wash cloths. No personal items were seen anywhere. I placed all of our personal shampoo items in a basket hidden in the corner of the shower so the buyer would not feel uncomfortable thinking “Oooh, there’s their stuff! They took a shower in here!” Think of it this way, if you go to a hotel and saw used soap, you’d be hollering down to the front desk right away. So everyday, I removed everything. I wanted it to look welcoming so the buyer had no reason to think twice.
I believe the main key to staging for a first impression is to make sure the home is very clean, carpet, floors and showers. I reviewed homes in our area to see what my competition was and I was amazed at how dirty the showers were and all the kids stuff piled high in the rooms. I’m not suggesting that you move out to sell your home but you’ve got to minimalize all the personalized things. Remove family photos, and especially clutter. It must be neat, clean and designed to sell.
The next suggestion is try to keep one continuous color theme throughout the home. Keep things as neutral as possible with spots of color. The buyer can paint a accent wall but they will not want to spend money on a painter.
First impressions are the lasting ones so start at the front and work until the home seems complete. We sold our home in three weeks!
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